The mummy was held by the American university, Michigan State. This is the first time a mummy from the Incan period has been repatriated to Bolivia, and it may be the most significant repatriation to South America yet, due to the time period when she lived, and her amazing state of preservation.
Her nickname, Ñusta (Princess) reflects the rich grave goods she was buried with. Her original burial tomb was filled with worldly objects like pouches, feathers, a clay jar, sandals, and some plants, including maize and coca. Perhaps she was high-status when alive. Although another interpretation is that she was a child sacrifice and that is the reason for the high-status grave goods. Analyses suggest she was about eight years old when she died, and radiocarbon dating estimates that Ñusta died in the second half of the 1400s, before the arrival of the Spanish. But she is very well-preserved for being dead for 600 years! Ñusta’s hair is still in braids, and her dress, made from llama or alpaca, is intact.
