Chile's Ancient Mummies Added To UN Heritage List Chile's Ancient Mummies Added To UN Heritage List The mummies, which were found in the north of Chile at the start of the 20th century, are more than 7,000 years old, meaning they pre-date the Egyptian mummies by two millennia. So far, more than 300 mummies have been found, including red, black and bandaged ones. Arica, Chile: Chile's Chinchorro mummies, the oldest in the world to have been purposefully preserved by humans, were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List on Tuesday. The mummies, which were found in the north of Chile at the start of the 20th century, are more than 7,000 years old, meaning they pre-date the Egyptian mummies by two millennia.