Can you ever have too many mummies?

So, this has been my problem of late. For my project, I need good preservation - hair has to have survived for 1000-1200 years. This actually isn't a problem here. Moquegua is at the northern end of the Atacama Desert, the driest desert on earth, which is great for drying things out. The problem I'm facing is that preservation is too good. Which is to say, when I look for individuals with hair to sample, I'm finding that the rest of them preserved too - they're full-on mummies, skin and all. So, this presents a little problem for me. It's one thing to say that I want a little sample of bone from a disarticulated skeleton (usually a rib end). But to saw through intact skin with a dremel and hack out a bone just seems wrong somehow. (Yes, I have very weird ethical dilemmas).

But, thankfully, I have a solution. I got approval today to forego bone when it's just too destructive. I can do it all with hair. Ain't that grand?!? So, this helps me out a lot with getting a sample size that's adequately big and also representative of all the people in the population (somehow, up to now, I'm just getting women and kids).

By the way, if all of this casual talk about the deceased is bothersome to you, I do apologize. Spending a lot of time with bioarchaeologists can radically change your perspective. And, you might as well face it if you're reading my blog....I really like bones.

So, it's back to the lab for me on Monday. But first, there's more water to be gathered. Today I took a taxi up the Moquegua Valley to a lovely spot on the river and took a sample there. Tomorrow, I head south and try to find a good sample in that direction. This will involve taking a colectivo (see previous blog for words on those), then getting dropped off at a crossroads, flagging another ride of some sort, finding the river, making sure that I'm upriver from the copper plant, and then doing all of that in reverse to get back to Moquegua. No worries! (Mom, if you're reading this don't worry - people are truly very nice here and I've done this sort of crazy thing before).

Life in Moquegua is going very well. I'm spending lots of time in the lab, and seeking out good places to eat. I'm fond of the "Moquegua Breakfast". It's a large bread roll shaped like a starfish, served with a whole avocado, cut in half, and a slab of local cheese (queso andino - it's soft and white and a little bit sour and very yummy). This comes with the "special juice" which is something like an orange julius, and a fabulous cup of NesCafe (yes I said fabulous...I'm trying to convince myself since it's the only coffee to be had here). In any case, the bread and avocado and cheese combo is a delicious, if unusual for me, way to start the day. Oh, and tomorrow morning, I'm moving to a new hostal with a lovely garden courtyard - much better than the tiny, loud, windowless room (which still smells a bit of fish) that I have now in a hostal on a busy street. It will cost me an extra 4 soles per night (about $1.35). I think it's worth it!

I hope that all is well with all of you at home. I'm getting things done here. It feels good to be productive. And I'm coming home four weeks from today! Woo hoo.

Karen