Science: Old 49

When the ancient Peruvian mummy bundle was unwrapped at New York City's American Museum of Natural History (TIME, Oct. 3, 1949), the archeologists paid little attention to the dry old bones at its center. They were more interested in the fancy wrappings. The mummy and his extraordinary wardrobe were later taken back to Peru, where Peruvian archeologists gave the bones close attention. Last week they made a report.

Radioactive dating, done in the U.S., proved that "No. 49" (his mummy was the 49th which the Peruvians unwrapped) died about 600 B.C., when Rome was...

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