Researchers Reconstruct Face of Peru’s “Lady of El Paraiso”

LIMA, PERU—The Latin American Herald Tribune reports that artist Teo Ugarte and archaeologist Dayanna Carbonel have reconstructed the face of the so-called “Lady of El Paraiso,” whose 3,700-year-old tomb was discovered in 2016 near the main temple at the site of El Paraiso on the coast of central Peru. Carbonel explained that the woman may have been connected to the rites carried out in the temple. Examination of the Lady’s bones revealed an injury on one of her forearms associated with weaving. Analysis of her teeth indicates that she ate a diet composed of seafood, yucca, maize, and beans. The clay and plaster bust reflects her long face, prominent nose and cheekbones, small eyes, and narrow mouth. “The intention was not to exaggerate the features because we wanted to achieve the best likeness,” Carbonel said. “There is a certain margin of error because we will never know with exactitude the thickness of the lips, the length of the nose, or the shape of the ears, but we have come close.” The bust is currently on display at the Andres Del Castillo Mineral Museum in Lima. To read more about spiritual practices on Peru's central coast, go to “Idol of the Painted Temple.”