Archaeology Museum San Miguel de Azapa
About This Museum
You might not expect to find one of the world's most important collections of mummies in a quiet valley just outside Arica, but that's the Azapa for you. This unassuming museum tells a story that stretches back nearly 10,000 years, long before the Inca ever arrived. It’s here you come face-to-face with the Chinchorro culture, whose intricate mummification practices predate Egypt's by thousands of years. Walking through, you get a profound sense of the deep, continuous human history of this coastal desert.
Collection Highlights
The stars are undoubtedly the Chinchorro mummies, displayed with great respect and scientific clarity. You'll also find fascinating relics like ancient fishing hooks made from shells and cactus spines, along with beautiful textured textiles from later Andean cultures that show a vibrant artistic tradition.
Visitor Information
It's a bit of a drive from downtown Arica, out along the Camino Azapa amidst the olive groves, but it's absolutely worth the trip. The climate-controlled rooms provide a welcome respite from the desert heat while you ponder these ancient lives.
Architecture & Building
The building itself is a modern, low-slung structure made of concrete and local stone, designed to blend into the arid hillside rather than dominate it.
Contact & Location
Address: Avenida Senador Humberto Palza Corvacho, Arica, Provincia de Arica, Región de Arica y Parinacota, 1001110, Chile
Phone: +56 58 202 6403
