"At home, she's in my room, she sleeps with me. I take care of her," he said in a local media interview. 

It's unclear if Bermejo was aware that the mummy was actually a man, who likely lived 600 to 800 years ago in the southern region of Puno, according to Peru's Ministry of Culture. 

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Cultures started practicing mummification in what is now Peru more than 7,000 years ago, according to the American Museum of Natural History. The country is home to numerous archeological sites, most notably Machu Picchu. 

Peru's Ministry of Culture took custody of the mummy over the weekend to "protect and preserve the heritage." 

Bermejo, who said that his father brought the mummy home three decades ago, is in police custody while authorities investigate the case, according to Agence France-Presse.