Chile
Sand Origin
La garbata garganta del Diablo, San Pedro de Atacama
Random Sand Fact
Chile is home to the world’s oldest known artificial mummies – and researchers found green sand inside one of them.
The Chinchorro people lived along the Atacama coast, in one of the driest places on Earth, and began preserving their dead more than 7,000 years ago. The extreme dryness could mummify bodies naturally. But the Chinchorro also developed elaborate methods to preserve the dead.
In one mummy examined by researchers, the filling consisted of green sand, including quartz and the green copper mineral atacamite. Where the sand came from – and why this particular sand was chosen – is still unknown.
