Rita Odafe
Peruvian authorities have apprehended a 26-year-old former food delivery man, Julio Cesar Bermejo, after he was found to be in possession of a mummified human that is estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old. Bermejo had claimed that the mummy was his ‘girlfriend’ and that he had kept it in his home for three decades, even sleeping with it in his bed. He stated that he took care of it and referred to it as ‘she’.
The incident has caused much confusion and amusement among the local population, with Jhan asking ‘In which virtual store do you buy these things?’, Gabriela joking ‘My mummy order hasn’t arrived, what should I do next?’ and Juan Carlos remarking ‘So he can’t take his mummy out for a walk anymore?’.
Bermejo told local media that the mummy, whom he named ‘Juanita’, was like his spiritual girlfriend even though it was a male according to authorities. He said that his father had bought it for 2,000 Peruvian sol (£434) around 30 or 40 years ago, which was a large sum of money at the time.
Peru’s Ministry of Culture has reported that the pre-Hispanic relic is a ‘mummified adult male individual’ from the eastern area of Puno, located in the Peruvian Andes about 1,300 kilometers (more than 800 miles) southeast of Lima. It is believed to be well-preserved, indicating that it dates from an era with efficient embalming practices. Bermejo will remain in detention while investigations are conducted.
