Electron Microscopic Study of Tissues from Precolumbian Americans

Ultrastructural studies from tissues of Peruvian mummies ranging from 500 to 2000 years old have been carried out.Even though the tissues had undergone extensive autolytic alterations many subcellular structures were still present and it was possible to clearly identify them. The better preserved tissues were those which contained abundant collagen and connective structures (Fig. 1-3). The collagen fibrils in particular showed the characteristic cross striations. The thickness of the dark bands was 45-50 nm while the thickness of the light bands measured between 25-30 nm.