Not So Peaceful Death of Inca Child Revealed

For years, everyone thought the young child found atop Cerro El Plomo had simply succumbed to the icy cold, drifting off into an eternal sleep. This child, who lived 560 years ago, was discovered in a naturally freeze-dried state and has since become one of Chile's most precious anthropological finds, from the important Inca Empire. A new ‘dermatological’ study, the first of its kind, has revealed, in fact, that the child likely died from head trauma as part of a ritual sacrifice, upending our understanding of the Capacocha ceremony.

Not So Peaceful: A Blunt Force Sacrifice

The child, approximately eight years old, was found in a peaceful position: arms wrapped around his knees, head resting gently on his right shoulder and arm, as if he had fallen asleep just that way. For decades, researchers believed that he was put to sleep by consuming corn chicha, an alcoholic drink, or perhaps some other intoxicating substance before being placed in his icy grave. However, the new study published in the journal JAAD Case Reports, has flipped this conclusion upside down.

• Capacocha: Ritualized Child Sacrifice in the Inca Empire
• Mummies Found in Chile Did Not Let Harsh Life Conditions Get Them Down

The body position of the naturally mummified 8-year-old “El Niño del Plomo” gives the impression of a peaceful death. (Castro et al. 2023/ JAAD)

Capacocha, one of the Inca Empire's most significant ceremonies, is a sacred ritual where children and adolescents were offered as a gesture of thanks to Inti, the Sun God, especially during the harvest season. These ceremonies took place on the highest peaks of the empire, like this one, which occurred at a staggering 17,700 feet (5395 meters) above sea level, so that the children's souls could quickly ascend to the upper world and protect their communities alongside the gods. It also served as a powerful display of the emperor’s influence and control.

The mummy was uncovered by treasure hunters in 1954 and has been under the care of Chile’s National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) in collaboration with the German Clinic of Santiago ever since.

Recently, CT scans performed on the mummy have uncovered new details: a blow to the frontal bone of the skull, likely delivered by a blunt object from right to left, was the probable cause of death. The child was likely standing with his head down when he was struck—a blow so precise that it’s believed to have been expertly executed.

Mario Castro, director of the National Museum of Natural History of Chile (MNHN) said, as quoted by Discover Magazine:

“We’ve shattered the 70-year-old belief or myth that this child died peacefully. The chronicles of Spanish priests — who had been in contact with the Inca Empire — described this form of violent death in these offerings, but no evidence had been found”

• Blood for the Gods: 10 Cultures that Engaged in Ritual Sacrifice
• 12 Absolutely Amazing Artifacts of the Inca

Dermatological studies carried out on the child from Cerro El Plomo at the Clínica Alemana. (National Museum of Natural History, Chile)

Dermoscopy: New Method for Studying Skin Lesions and Dating Bodies

This young boy’s mummy is also the first in the world to be examined using dermoscopy, a non-invasive technique for studying skin lesions. Dermatologist Verónica Catalán conducted these groundbreaking analyses, which revealed that the bluish color of the boy's nails and the dark spots on the soles of his feet were not due to frostbite, as was thought in 1954 and later in 1983 when electron microscopy was used.

Radiological studies have also shown that the child consumed a large meal shortly before his death—food that remained undigested. Moreover, the presence of cocaine was detected, confirming that he had been chewing coca leaves, possibly to fight off fatigue. However, further analysis is needed to determine how long he had been consuming the substance.

Radiocarbon dating has pinned the child’s death to around 1460, long before the Spanish set foot in the Americas. This timeline disproves a 2011 study that mistakenly suggested the child had trichinosis, a parasitic disease transmitted by eating pork—a food that wasn’t introduced to the Americas until after European colonization.

Researchers are now diving into another line of inquiry: studying the parasites found in the child’s rectum to see if he had any infections before his death.

Understanding the Deceased’s Journey Through Genome Sequencing

But before this tragic end, the boy embarked on an epic journey. He walked over 1,250 miles from south-central Peru to Cerro El Plomo, located about 28 miles east of modern-day Santiago, Chile—a trek that lasted between six and nine months. This grueling journey explains the unusual thickening of the skin on his feet and the dark discoloration. Yet, interestingly, the shoes he wore at the time of his death showed no signs of wear.

The duration of this journey was estimated by studying stable isotopes in the contents of the mummy’s stomach, though the results are still pending publication. However, it’s believed that the boy spent two years in Cusco before starting his long walk to Chile.

Mauricio Moraga, a researcher at the University of Chile’s Institute of Biomedical Sciences, along with his colleagues, performed a genetic analysis on the mummy. The cold conditions preserved not only the child’s body but also his DNA, allowing for complete genome sequencing.

The results of the genetic analysis suggest that the boy had genetic ties to present-day populations in the south-central Andes, as well as ancient individuals from northern Chile and the southern highlands of Peru. However, even with the remarkably well-preserved DNA—so well-preserved that it’s as if the boy "hadn't died"—it’s still not possible to pinpoint his exact origins. More ancient DNA samples and comparisons with modern native populations are needed, as certain subregions and time periods in South America’s genetic history are still underrepresented.

“This answers one of the most important questions about this ceremony: Did those sacrificed come from Cusco, the heart of the Empire, or from the towns near the high peaks where the Capacocha took place?" Moraga quips.

Lead researcher Francisco Castro understood that these revelations might stir controversy among certain communities and spark sensational headlines.

“I am not going to lose respect for the native peoples. This was an ancient tradition,” Castro cautions, providing that the ceremony must be studied from the perspective of its time and place.

Top image: The boy recovered from Cerro El Plomo in 1954, was the first finding of its kind to be the subject of scientific studies. Pictured with excavated grave goods: a female silver statuette, gold llamas and spondylus shell, a chuspa stuffed with coca leaves, scrotum and animal intestine bags with clippings of nails, hair and teeth, and a silver bracelet. Source: Jisa39 / CC BY SA 4.0

By Sahir Pandey