Toxicological analysis of the mummified remains of Incan child sacrifices has revealed that the children were given cocaine, alcohol, and ayahuasca before their deaths. The study, published in the journal Antiquity, examined hair and fingernail samples from eight mummies.
All eight mummies tested showed traces of cocaine, suggesting that chewing coca leaves was a significant part of the ritual. Researchers theorize that coca leaves may have helped the children cope with the extreme altitudes of the mountaintop shrines where sacrifices took place, some exceeding 19,685 feet (6,000 meters). Additionally, four of the mummies contained alcohol, in the form of a maize beer called Chicha, which may have been used to calm the children.
One mummy, identified as the Lady of Ampato or Juanita, also showed traces of harmine, an alkaloid associated with ayahuasca. The researchers suggest this may have played a specific role in ceremonies connected to that particular sacred mountain, possibly to enhance the child's perceived prophetic abilities.
The ritual practice, known as 'capacocha,' involved children selected for their purity and beauty from across the Incan Empire. They were taken on long pilgrimages to remote mountain shrines, where they were ritually killed, often by bludgeoning, and then mummified. These mummies were believed to serve as intermediaries between the living world and the gods, with their shrines often becoming centers for religious cults.
Lead author Dr. Dagmara Socha of the University of Warsaw stated that the findings highlight the variability of the capacocha ritual. "What we are seeing is that the capacocha was not a single standardized ritual, but rather, the Incas appear to have adapted it to different cults and local religious traditions," she said.
The chemical traces found in the keratin of the preserved hair and nails provided a detailed record of drug use in the months leading up to the sacrifices. Some children showed prolonged drug consumption, while others exhibited extremely high levels of coca use in the final month, likely linked to the latter stages of ritual preparation.
Previous studies have indicated the use of psychoactive plants in Incan rituals, but this new analysis provides specific evidence of their administration during the capacocha ceremony. The exceptionally dry and cold mountain environment has contributed to the excellent preservation of these mummies, allowing for such detailed scientific investigation.
The practice of child sacrifice was prevalent in various ancient South American cultures, including the pre-Incan Sican and Chimu peoples, as well as the Incas themselves. Archaeological discoveries at sites like Chotuna-Chornancap in Peru have unearthed graves containing the remains of children sacrificed centuries ago, further illustrating the significance of this ritual.