Three Inca children sacrificed 500 years ago, frozen at 6,739 meters. Cold and dryness preserved DNA, hair analysis revealing their diet, and coca residue in their systems.
A Discovery at the Summit
In 1999, a team of archaeologists led by Johan Reinhard discovered the bodies of three Inca children near the 6,739-meter (22,110-foot) summit of the Llullaillaco volcano. The site is the highest archaeological location in the world. The extreme cold and dry, thin air preserved the children for approximately 500 years, creating some of the best-preserved mummies ever found. Their internal organs are intact, with blood still present in the heart and lungs.
The children were victims of an Inca ritual known as capacocha, or royal obligation. This ceremony involved sacrificing children, chosen for their "physical perfection," to mark important events or to appease the gods during times of famine. The three children of Llullaillaco were a 13-year-old girl known as "La Doncella" (The Maiden), a six-year-old girl called "La Niña del Rayo" (The Lightning Girl), and a seven-year-old boy, "El Niño" (The Boy). CT scans show they were well-nourished and healthy before their deaths. DNA analysis confirmed the three children were not related.
A Chemically-Tracked Pilgrimage
Analysis of hair samples provides a detailed timeline of the children's final two years. A dramatic dietary shift about one year before death indicates a change in status. Their diet, once based on potatoes, became enriched with elite foods like maize and llama meat.
The hair also holds a chemical record of escalating coca and alcohol consumption. In their final year, and especially in the last few weeks, ingestion of coca leaves and chicha, a maize beer, increased significantly. La Doncella, the oldest, had consumed the most, with a concentration of coca metabolites in her hair higher than any other Andean human remains found. These substances were likely used for sedation during the long pilgrimage and to induce a sacred, altered state before death. Flecks of coca leaf were found in La Doncella's mouth. The cause of death for all three was likely a combination of sedation and exposure to the extreme cold after being placed in their underground tomb.
The children were buried with an array of high-status artifacts. These included gold and silver figurines, textiles woven with feathers, and pottery from distant parts of the Inca empire, such as Cusco and the Lake Titicaca region. El Niño was buried with figurines of men and llamas, while La Doncella had an elaborate feather headdress and braided hair.
💡Fun Facts
"La Niña del Rayo" (The Lightning Girl) was named this because her body was struck by lightning sometime after her burial, causing burn damage to her face and shoulder.
Llullaillaco is a stratovolcano, and at 6,739 meters (22,110 feet), its summit is the world's highest archaeological site.
The alcohol consumed by the children was *chicha*, a beer fermented from maize, which played a central role in Inca rituals.
The boy, "El Niño," was bound so tightly in a cloth that some of his ribs and his pelvis were dislocated.
The summit of Llullaillaco is not accessible to the public. The mummies are displayed at the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM) in Salta, Argentina. Hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (last entry at 6:30 PM). Closed on Mondays.
Admission
Admission fees apply. Residents of Salta have free admission on Sundays with ID.
Accessibility
The museum is located in the city of Salta and is accessible.