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What was her rank in her society? (back to Reading the Remains) When interred, the Princess wore a headdress made from shells, two huge horned disks made of shell on her shoulders (a rare artifact), a shell bracelet on her left wrist, and 120,000 shell beads that had once been embroidered on her clothes. Clearly, she had attained a high rank. Interestingly, her prestige was not passed to her adult offspring. The graves resting above hers—which are thought to belong to the deceased descendants of the Princess—have far fewer extravagant goods than others nearby. This suggests that status was not inherited, but was earned through prowess or skill. Peru Expedition '96 | Unquiet Mummies | Iceman's Last Meal Reading the Remains | Resources | Teacher's Guide Transcripts | Site Map | Ice Mummies Home Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated November 2000 |