Expedition to Ampato, the Inca Maiden's Sacred Mountain - Peru (1997)

Over 500 years ago Ampato (6,312 m / 20,708 ft) was one of the most sacred mountains in southern Peru. However, it remained permanently snow-capped for centuries, and thus it seemed unlikely that the Incas had ever reached its summit. On Sept. 6, 1995, my companion Miguel Zarate & I made an unclimbed route up the NW slope of Ampato to have a better vantage point from which to take photos of the nearby volcano Sabancaya while it was erupting. To our surprise, we found an Inca site at ca. 6,200 m that had become uncovered due to the effect of the eruptions. For the first time, the summit was also snow free, but it was late, and we descended to our Base Camp. The following day we made an ascent via the west ridge to a plateau at 5,800 m, where we camped for the night. The next morning (Sept. 8) we reached the summit and found that part of it had collapsed, taking most of an Inca burial site with it into a crater about 70 m below. We discovered Inca artifacts and the Inca "Ice Maiden” (later nicknamed "Juanita") lying on the ice inside the crater. In October 1995 I returned with an expedition (co-directed by José Antonio Chávez and filmed by National Geographic TV), and we found 2 more mummies buried at 5,800 m. During an expedition in August 1996, we recovered at 5,800 m a perfectly preserved blue Inca tunic containing a unique red and white corded item, along with a few other finds. Chávez and I undertook a 4th expedition in November-December 1997. Our team surveyed the summit area and continued with excavations at 5,800 m which led to the discovery of another female mummy and associated offerings. NOTE: This video consists of footage I took in 1997 during the fourth expedition to Ampato—it is not about the discovery of the Ampato Ice Maiden. Archaeologists occasionally provide information in English and Spanish, but it otherwise lacks narration. It uses only free online music, and it has not been edited to make it shorter and more entertaining. But it is as far as I could get before other work intervened, and improvements will have to wait for the distant future. Suggestions are welcome! [email protected] PHOTO ALBUMS 1. "Peru - Ampato Expeditions (1995-97)" https://goo.gl/photos/zc2T8hHFpZMdYW3N8 2. "Ampato Mummies & Lab Research" https://photos.app.goo.gl/X3T2qGMiDwIDqSJz1 3. "Peru - Ampato Artifacts' https://photos.app.goo.gl/2IicvhtKbshZi3o82 4. "Ampato Museum, Exhibitions & Reenactments" https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q8Y2cq3WaylkPUU93 PUBLICATIONS 1. Ampato (Ice Maiden) - Chapters 1-3 of “The Ice Maiden” (2005) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BTBE01JR6... 2. “Ampato - Ritual Drug Use & Inca Human Sacrifices” 2022 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ftzpDivHB... 3. “Inca Human Sacrifices from Ampato and Pichu Pichu: A Bio-anthropological Analysis” ” 2021 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qMq2OuTdR... 4. "Inca Rituals & Sacred Mountains: A Study of the World's Highest Archaeological Sites" (2010) Our academic book Inca Rituals and Sacred Mountains brings together information and analysis based on the research undertaken on several Andean mountains, including Ampato, Misti, Pichu Pichu, Sara Sara, Llullaillaco, and Quehuar. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f-kcIt4zE... 5. "Sacred Mountains, Ceremonial Sites, and Human Sacrifice among the Incas" (2005) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TF3INeCKj... 6. "Peru’s Ice Maidens" (1996) https://drive.google.com/file/d/18YUKibW6G... 7. "Science and the Mummies of Peru" (1997) https://drive.google.com/file/d/15BZXZ1ndG... VIDEOS (Related) 1. Ampato Expedition 1995 is a film made of our second expedition to Ampato (after the discovery of the Ice Maiden the month before) and of initial research with the Ice Maiden in the laboratory: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x2pR8Imu1... 2. Sara Sara Expedition (1996) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UjvozhJZf... 3. Pichu Pichu Expedition (1996) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wsSY3fih4... 4. Llullaillaco Expedition (1999) & Laboratory Research https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x64bah4 5. Quehuar Expedition Documentary (1999):    • Expedition to Quehuar & its Inca (Dynamite...   6. Ampato Maiden CT Scan - Body: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xXTMn-V5J... 7. Ampato Maiden CT Scan - Head: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PNqmiFuxD... 8. Ampato Maiden CT Scan - Tissue: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Pq7ox90dF... NOTE: For other related publications, photo albums, and videos, see www.johanreinhard.net.