If you think you’ve had a bizarre roommate situation, think again! Nothing could be weirder than bunking with a dead mummy. In 2023, a 26-year-old man from Peru was taken into custody by the Peruvian police for carrying around an ancient mummy in a food delivery cooler bag, according to the country’s Ministry of Culture.
What made this case particularly unusual wasn’t just the age or significance of the remains. It was the man’s relationship with them. His name was Julio Cesar Bermejo.
He referred to the mummy as “Juanita” and slept with her in his bed. He claimed that she was his “spiritual girlfriend” and that she had stayed at his home for almost three decades.
“At home, she’s in my room; she sleeps with me. I take care of her,” he stated in a viral video that was posted to social media.
Bermejo’s father said that he brought the mummy home one day, nearly 30 years ago, after plans to donate it to a museum fell through. The family bought it for 2,000 Peruvian sol ($579.38.)
Per the Ministry of Culture, the pre-Hispanic mummy is estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old. The body was wrapped in bandages and arranged in the fetal position.
It was an adult male who likely died around the age of 45 and lived in the southern region of Puno, which is located in the Peruvian Andes, approximately 808 miles southeast of Lima.
The dry conditions in the area have helped preserve human remains and artifacts from thousands of years ago. An expert at the ministry confirmed that Juanita was really Juan.
Authorities were patrolling a park in the city of Puno when they discovered the remains in Bermejo’s bag. He had been hanging out with some friends and drinking alcohol in the park.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
When police questioned him, he denied trying to sell the mummy and claimed that he had only brought it to show his friends.
Peru’s Ministry of Culture quickly intervened and took possession of the mummy for preservation. It classified the mummy as a national cultural asset.
More than 7,000 years ago, mummification was a common practice in the region that is now Peru. There are many archaeological sites in the country, belonging to several civilizations that developed before and after the Inca Empire.
Other mummies have been unearthed in recent years. In 2021, a mummy estimated to be between 800 and 1,200 years old was discovered during an archaeological dig near Lima.
One of the most famous mummies found was a girl believed to have been sacrificed to the Inca gods between 1440 and 1480. She was excavated in 1995 at Mount Ampato in southern Peru.
Even in a country rich with archaeological history, the case of a man with his mummy girlfriend stood out.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
