Hundson Museum Scavenger Hunt: Tumi
What is it?
A ceremonial curved knife used in pre-contact and post-contact Peru.
Where is it from?
Likely Moche, a pre-Inca culture that lived on the North Coast of Peru from the 1st to 7th centuries AD.
How was it made?
The Moche were among the first to use the lost-wax process to create copper objects, especially tumis. Arsenic was alloyed with copper to make the resulting metal harder and pieces were either cast or hammered into their desired forms.
What was it used for?
Tumis were used for performing surgical procedures and in human sacrifice. Note the fragments of cloth adhered to the blade on the exhibit piece. In archaeological sites, copper salts can preserve organic materials, like fabric.
Sean Pathasema / Birmingham Museum of Art
To find the next code:
Now walk farther into the museum, to the Wabanaki Gallery. Look for familiar tool in a case full of baskets. You can scan the QR code when you find it, or click here to continue.