In 1999, researchers of a joint Argentine-Peruvian expedition at an altitude of more than 6 thousand meters near the Llullaillaco volcano discovered a tomb where the bodies of three children were buried: one boy and two girls. The children seemed to be asleep inside an uncomfortable and cold cave.
Subsequent analysis showed that the cave was used by representatives of the Inca civilization, and the age of the bodies found is more than 500 years.
In a publication in the journal PNAS, a large group of specialists from Europe and America presents the first results of the examination of the remains.
The death of a boy and a girl 4-5 years old and another girl 13 years old occurred, apparently, not as a result of violent actions, but from hypothermia. Experts are of the opinion that children have become victims of a special ritual of memory, about which the Spanish chroniclers wrote.
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According to Dr. Emma Brown of the University of Bradford, the practice of child sacrifice was widespread among the Incas and was used on various occasions, for example, to perpetuate important events in the life of the people, in the event of military victories or natural disasters. In addition, there was even a special calendar of such rituals.
In this context, of particular interest is the body of the older girl, who, most likely, was the central figure in the ritual. Chemical analysis of her hair from root to tip gave some impression of a change in her diet and lifestyle in the last two years of her life.
So, it turned out that a year before the death of the "Maiden of Llullayak", as she was dubbed by experts, began to eat much better. If initially potatoes predominated in her diet, then later meat and corn products became the main food.
In addition, the girl consumed large amounts of alcohol and coca leaves. Coca consumption peaked six months before her death, and in the last 6 weeks of her life, the amount of alcohol in her diet increased sharply. It is noteworthy that no traces of coca or alcoholic drinks were found in the other children.
The findings, scientists say, shed light on the rituals of the Incas and allow a more complete picture of their society.
