Researchers have found that children offered as sacrifices to the gods by the Inca civilization about 500 years ago consumed coca, alcohol and other substances before their deaths, according to an analysis of samples from their mummies discovered in the Andes Mountains.
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The researchers reached these conclusions after analyzing hair and nail samples from eight mummies found in the Andes Mountains of Argentina and Peru, where the extreme cold helped preserve the children's bodies remarkably.
The children were victims of a religious ritual known as "Capacocha," one of the most prominent rituals in the Inca Empire. They were chosen based on qualities such as beauty and physical purity, then transported on journeys that could last for months to sacred sites in the Andes Mountains, where they were offered as sacrifices to the gods.
Archaeologist Dagmara Sucha, from the University of Warsaw, told Science Alert that the children were seen as holy messengers, and giving them some materials was probably intended to help them endure the journey and reach their destination.
The tests revealed the presence of several substances in the children's bodies, most notably:
Coca: Researchers detected cocaine and its metabolites in the six hair samples analyzed. Chewing coca leaves, known for its ability to reduce hunger and fatigue, may have helped the children endure the mountain treks.
Alcohol: Coca-ethylene, a compound produced when cocaine and alcohol are consumed together, was found in some of the children. It is believed the alcohol was in the form of chicha, a fermented corn drink.
Pharmine: This psychoactive compound was discovered in the fingernails of a 14-year-old girl known as "The Virgin of Ambato" or "Juanita." Pharmine is found in several plants, including one used to make the alcoholic beverage ayahuasca.
In contrast, the researchers did not find traces of hallucinogenic substances such as mescaline and DMT, which suggests that the purpose of the substances ingested by the children was to alleviate hunger and fatigue and help them cope with difficult conditions, rather than to induce hallucinations, although their use could not be ruled out for a single instance during the later stages of the ritual.
One of the most notable findings was the analysis of hair from an eight-year-old girl whose mummy was found in Mount Chucha, Argentina. The analysis revealed changes in her coca consumption during the six months prior to her death, with indications of alcohol consumption during the final month.
Researchers believe that the differences in the materials consumed by the children reflect the cultural and religious diversity within the Inca Empire, as rituals were not identical in all regions, but were influenced by local traditions and beliefs associated with mountain deities.
The team plans to continue studying mummies and sacred sites in the Andes Mountains, using modern technologies such as drones and lidar technology, to understand more about these rituals and the origins of the children and their lives before they were chosen as sacrifices.
The results of the study were published in the journal Antiquity.
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