A man in Peru was arrested after being caught lugging around an ancient mummy he called his "spiritual girlfriend."
However, much to his surprise, the mummified body turned out to be a male experts believe died between 600 to 800 years ago.
Julio Cesar Bermejo is a 26-year-old delivery man who brought the preserved corpse he affectionately referred to as "Juanita" to an archeological site in the city of Puno located on the shores of Lake Titicaca in southern Peru.
When police found him appearing drunk with some friends at the site, they searched his cooler bag and found the remains of a male in a fetal position wrapped in bandages–which is considered typical of pre-Columbian burials in the area.
The cooler bag that contained the relic was one the suspect used for local food deliveries.
Bermejo explained to reporters "Juanita" was “like [his] spiritual girlfriend.”
He added:
“At home, she’s in my room, she sleeps with me. I take care of her."
You can watch a news report, here.
Bermejo told the local media his father brought home "Juanita" nearly 30 years ago.
A specialist at the Ministry of Culture told the Agence France-Presse the centuries-old victim was at least 45 years of age at the time of death.
The specialist also confirmed:
“It’s not a Juanita, it’s a Juan."
People were left speechless.
Others commented on the couple's age difference.
And that's a "wrap" for 2023.
Bermejo denied claims of trying to sell the mummified remains and explained he was only showing the ancient relic off to friends.
According to the American Museum of Natural History, mummification in what is now Peru predated the practice by Egyptians, beginning more than 7,000 years ago in what is now South America. Egyptian mummification is dated to about 4,600 years ago.
Mummification was practiced by various South American Indigenous cultures, including the Chinchorro people.
It was a way for the living to remember and remain connected to the dead. The bereaved typically kept mummies in their homes or paraded them in public during celebrations.
The police seized "Juanita" and handed him over to Peru's Ministry of Culture–the government ministry tasked with preserving Peru's culture and identity.
Bermejo and two of his friends between the ages of 23 and 26 who helped transport the mummy have been detained by police and are being investigated for possible crimes against the country's cultural heritage.
