Toxicological analysis of mummified remains has revealed that children sacrificed by the Inca were given cocaine, alcohol, and ayahuasca in the period leading up to their deaths. The findings shed new light on the ancient ritual known as Capacocha, a practice where children were chosen for their perceived purity and beauty and then killed as offerings to the gods.
Researchers examined hair and fingernail samples from eight mummified children. The keratin in these materials preserves a record of ingested substances. The study, published in the journal Antiquity, found that all eight mummies contained traces of cocaine, suggesting that chewing coca leaves was a significant part of the ritual. Coca leaves may have helped alleviate altitude sickness and fatigue during the arduous journeys to remote mountaintop shrines, some exceeding 19,685 feet (6,000 meters).
Four of the eight mummies also showed evidence of having consumed alcohol in the form of Chicha, a maize beer. Scientists believe this was used to calm the children and dull their senses before the ritual's conclusion. One of the most striking discoveries was the detection of harmine, an alkaloid associated with ayahuasca, in the remains of the famed Lady of Ampato, also known as Juanita. This suggests that an ayahuasca beverage may have played a specific role in ceremonies connected to certain sacred mountains, possibly to enhance prophetic visions.
The timing and dosage of these substances varied among the children. One mummy displayed extremely high levels of cocaine consumption in the final month of life, indicating preparation for the ritual's final stages, while others showed more prolonged use. The researchers noted that these findings suggest the Capacocha ritual was not standardized but adapted to different cults and local religious traditions across the vast Incan Empire.
The Capacocha ritual, which emerged in the early 15th century, involved children chosen from across the empire being taken to Cuzco, the capital, and then embarking on long pilgrimages to sacred mountaintop sites. After being killed, often by a blow to the head, they were mummified and entombed, serving as intermediaries between the earthly and divine realms. Their shrines often became centers for religious cults.
The exceptionally dry and cold conditions at these high-altitude sites have contributed to the remarkable preservation of these mummies, allowing for detailed scientific analysis of Inca religious practices and the lives of these sacrificed children centuries later.