The Children of Llullaillaco are three well-preserved Inca child mummies. Their discovery near the summit of the Llullaillaco volcano offers a rare glimpse into a sophisticated ancient civilization, providing insights into Inca rituals and daily life.
Discovery on the Volcano’s Peak
In March 1999, archaeologist Johan Reinhard led an expedition that discovered these mummies on the Llullaillaco volcano, on the border between Argentina and Chile. The burial site, at approximately 6,739 meters (22,110 feet), is the world’s highest archaeological site. Three individuals were unearthed: La Doncella (around 13), the Llullaillaco Boy (4-5), and La Niña del Rayo (4-5), who showed signs of a post-mortem lightning strike.
Grave goods accompanied the children, providing context to their lives and the ritual. These offerings included textiles, gold, silver, and shell statues, and various pottery items. The artifacts and children were found within a small chamber about 1.5 meters (5 feet) beneath the ground, placed there approximately 500 years ago.
The Inca Practice of Capacocha
The children’s presence relates to capacocha, an Inca ritual of human sacrifice. This ceremony involved the sacrifice of children and young women to deities, often at mountain summits or sacred sites called huacas. The purpose of capacocha was to appease gods, seek favor, or commemorate major events like an emperor’s ascension or death, or to prevent natural disasters such as droughts or volcanic eruptions.
Children chosen for capacocha were considered physically perfect, as the Inca believed only the purest individuals were suitable messengers to the gods. Selection for this ceremony was considered an honor for the child and their family, sometimes involving children from noble lineages to gain political standing. The ritual involved a journey from their home communities, sometimes across the empire, to the sacred sites where they would be offered.
Life and Death Revealed Through Science
Scientific analyses of the Llullaillaco mummies have provided detail about their final months and the circumstances of their deaths. Biochemical hair analysis proved insightful, revealing a timeline of their diet and substance consumption in the year leading up to the ritual. This analysis indicated a dietary shift to elite foods, such as maize and dried llama meat, suggesting they were being prepared or “fattened up” for the sacrifice.
Hair sample analysis showed that all three children consumed coca leaves and chicha, a maize beer, particularly in their final weeks. La Doncella, the oldest child, exhibited significantly higher concentrations of coca, marking the highest level ever found in Andean human remains. This increased consumption of sedatives suggests the children were likely calm or unconscious when they died, supporting the idea that they were left to fall asleep and succumb to the cold.
Radiological scans contributed to understanding their health before death. These scans showed the children were well-nourished and generally healthy, with no signs of physical trauma or violence. Their internal organs, including the brain and lungs, were remarkably preserved, indicating they died peacefully from exposure while heavily sedated, rather than from violent means. DNA analysis and the study of their clothing and artifacts offered clues about their origins and the elaborate care taken in their preparation for the capacocha ritual.
Preservation and Legacy
The remarkable preservation of the Children of Llullaillaco is attributed to environmental factors at the volcano’s summit. Extreme cold, low oxygen, and dry conditions created a natural freeze-drying effect, halting decomposition. This rapid freezing and burial in the arid, high-altitude desert prevented typical decay, allowing soft tissues, hair, skin, and internal organs to remain intact for approximately 500 years.
Today, these mummies are housed in controlled-atmosphere display cases at the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM) in Salta, Argentina. The museum maintains environmental conditions mimicking their original burial site to ensure continued preservation. The Children of Llullaillaco remain a significant mummy discovery, providing insights into the spiritual life and ceremonial practices of the Inca Empire.