Sacrificed Inca children: drugs and alcohol before death

A ceremony at the heart of the Inca Empire

The capacocha was one of the most sacred religious rituals of the Inca Empire. During this ceremony, young children were sacrificed, most often on mountain shrines at high altitude in the Andes. The sacrifice could mark an important event, such as the accession of a ruler, or was intended to appease the gods during natural disasters.

The chosen children were then led on long journeys across the mountains, sometimes over several months. These pilgrimages, which could cover great distances, were an integral part of the rite and of the staging of imperial power.

Analyses of hair and nails

According to the report relayed by Archaeology Magazine, citing Science Alert, the children had received various substances in the months and weeks before their sacrifice. Dogmara Socha's team carried out toxicological analyses on hair and nail samples taken from eight young mummified victims.

Toxicology of hair and nails makes it possible to detect substances consumed over several weeks or months, because these tissues gradually incorporate molecules present in the blood. This method thus offers a window onto the last weeks of the children's lives.

Coca, chicha and harmine

Traces of cocaine were detected in all samples, suggesting that the children probably chewed coca leaves before their deaths. According to the researchers, this practice could suppress hunger and fatigue and help the young people endure the grueling climb into the mountains.

Some victims also received alcohol, probably in the form of a maize beer called chicha, a widely consumed drink in the Andes. A 14-year-old girl, nicknamed the "Maiden of Ampato", showed traces of harmine, a psychoactive compound found in certain plants and used in the preparation of ayahuasca.

A more complex preparation than previously thought

While coca consumption appears to have been common, the researchers observed marked differences in the use of other substances from one child to another. Dogmara Socha emphasized that "the diversity of the results" particularly surprised her, suggesting that the preparation of the children was far more complex and varied than assumed.

These data suggest that each sacrifice was organized according to specific practices, probably linked to the rank, origin or background of each child, although the study cannot yet confirm these points.

What can be seen today

The mummies of sacrificed children, sometimes very well preserved by the cold and dryness of high altitudes, are among the most famous remains of Inca civilization. Several of them are on display in museums in Peru, notably in Lima and Arequipa, and their study continues to renew knowledge of Andean rites.

To go further, one can also explore the ancient uses of coca in Peru, a topic covered by Archaeology magazine in connection with the oldest trace of ayahuasca.