Editing Inca Empire (section)

=== Burial customs ===
Due to the dry climate that extends from modern-day Peru to what is now Chile's [[Norte Grande]], [[mummification]] occurred naturally by [[desiccation]]. It is believed that the ancient Incas learned to mummify their dead to show reverence to their leaders and representatives.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Heaney |first1=Christopher |title=The Fascinating Afterlife of Peru's Mummies |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/fascinating-afterlife-perus-mummies-180956319/ |access-date=31 July 2022 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref> Mummification was chosen to preserve the body and to give others the opportunity to worship them in their death. The ancient Inca believed in reincarnation, so preservation of the body was vital for passage into the afterlife.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Tom Garlinghouse |date=15 July 2020 |title=Mummification: The lost art of embalming the dead |url=https://www.livescience.com/mummification.html |access-date=31 July 2022 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref> Since mummification was reserved for royalty, this entailed preserving power by placing the deceased's valuables with the body in places of honor. The bodies remained accessible for ceremonies where they would be removed and celebrated with.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Heaney |first1=Christopher |title=The Fascinating Afterlife of Peru's Mummies |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/fascinating-afterlife-perus-mummies-180956319/ |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=smithsonianmag.com |language=en}}</ref> The ancient Inca mummified their dead with various tools. [[Chicha]] corn beer was used to delay [[decomposition]] and the effects of bacterial activity on the body. The bodies were then stuffed with natural materials such as vegetable matter and animal hair. Sticks were used to maintain their shape and poses.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Williams |first=Emma J. |date=22 May 2018 |title=Comparing Mummification Processes: Egyptian & Inca |url=https://exarc.net/issue-2018-2/ea/comparing-mummification-processes-egyptian-inca |journal=EXARC Journal |language=en |issue=EXARC Journal Issue 2018/2 |issn=2212-8956}}</ref> In addition to the mummification process, the Inca would bury their dead in the fetal position inside a vessel intended to mimic the womb for preparation of their new birth. A ceremony would be held that included music, food, and drink for the relatives and loved ones of the deceased.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Morveli |first=Fidelus Coraza |date=14 August 2018 |title=Funeral Rites in Inca Times |url=http://cuzcoeats.com/funeral-rites-in-inca-times/ |access-date=4 August 2022 |website=cuzcoeats.com |language=en}}</ref>