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The Atacama
The hair of mummies from the townsfolk of San Pedro de Atacama ( SPA ) in Chile , express here , reveals the the great unwashed in the region had a nicotine use spanning from at least 100 B.C. to A.D. 1450 . Additionally , nicotine consumption come about on a society - wide basis , irrespective of social status and wealth , researchers say .
Mummy Hair
The researchers analyzed hair samples of 56 mummy from the Late Formative to the Late Intermediate periods .
Naturally Preserved
The Chilean mummies were in near condition , preserved naturally from the high temperature , utmost xerotes and in high spirits ground brininess in the Atacama Desert ( show here ) .
Snuffing Tray
A cooking stove of unlike object were buried along with the mummy , such as jewellery , weapons , ceramic objects , raw metals , textiles , vases and various snuffing appurtenance ( snuffing tray , shown here ) , including howitzer , trays and tubes .
Nicotine Habit
In addition to bump nicotine in hair sample from 35 of the mummy , spanning a reach of days , the research worker also found smoking organ pipe . Overall , the results , which will be detail in the October issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science , suggest nicotine consumption in pre - Hispanic SPA occurred continuously for one C of years and was execute by masses of all social statuses and wealth .
Chinchorro Black Mummy
The dryness of the Atacama desert is make out for its power to naturally preserve mummies , including this so - called black mum create by the ancient South American Chinchorro people . mamma like these were made between 7,000 and 4,800 days ago .
The Maiden Mummy
Other mummies see in South America include three baby mamma , which were find out on the top of the Llullaillaco volcano locate on the Argentina - Chile border . The summit is 22,100 feet ( 6,739 meters ) above sea point , where temperature were cool enough to preserve the bodies , turning them into mummies , after the kids were sacrifice some 500 years ago . Here , the Maiden mummy of a 15 - year - old girl who was give some 500 years ago suggests she belike suffered from a lung transmission at the time of her expiry , scientists reported July 25 , 2012 .