Scientists have discovered why the Incas sacrificed children
The Incas may not have sacrificed children solely for the sake of the gods. New research into the famous burial site on the Llullaillaco volcano suggests that such rituals may have helped the empire consolidate its power in remote territories.
We are referring to the kapakoche — a state ritual of the Inca Empire, during which children and young girls were sacrificed at sacred sites high in the mountains. In 1999, on the Llullaillaco volcano, on the border between modern-day Argentina and Chile, archaeologists discovered three well-preserved child mummies and rich offerings.
Researchers have now pinpointed the date of this ritual. According to the new data, the sacrifice most likely took place between 1462 and 1507, with the most probable date being around 1499. This coincides with the period when the Inca Empire was actively maintaining and expanding its influence in the southern Andes.
Details
Previously, the date of the burial had been estimated very broadly – roughly between 1430 and 1520. This made it difficult to understand which events the ritual might have been linked to: a conquest, a religious festival, a natural disaster or a political act.
In the new study, the researchers examined not the mummies themselves, but the plant material from the burial: coca leaves, maize kernels and cassava seeds. These are short-lived materials: they accumulate carbon over the course of just one season, so radiocarbon dating of them can provide a more accurate chronological reference.
In addition to radiocarbon analysis, the authors used stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. This helped to assess the origin of the plants and refine the dating model, as the territory of the Inca Empire was situated in a region where air masses from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres could mix.
The date of around 1499 is significant because it falls within the reign of Huayna Capac — one of the last rulers of the Inca Empire. At that time, the empire was vast and multi-ethnic, and required not only an army but also symbols of power that linked the various territories to the centre.
The authors suggest that the sacrifice at Llullaillaco may have been part of a state-sponsored campaign: a ritual that cemented the Incas’ presence in the region, reaffirmed alliances with local elites and demonstrated that the empire’s authority extended even to the sacred mountain peaks.
Why it is not simply ‘religion’
For the Incas, religion and politics were not separated in the way we are accustomed to separating them today. A sacred ritual could simultaneously be an appeal to the gods, a means of maintaining order in the world, and a demonstration of state power.
Researchers also note that the new date does not fit well with the theory that the sacrifice was an immediate reaction to a major volcanic eruption or an extreme climatic event. This makes the political explanation more likely, although it does not rule out the ritual’s religious significance.
Why this is important
The discovery helps us better understand how the Inca Empire functioned. It governed a vast territory without a conventional writing system, currency or modern administrative tools. In such a system, rituals may have served as a means of uniting different peoples and reminding them where the centre of power lay.
The Kapakoch’a may have been not only a sacrifice ‘to the gods’, but also a political spectacle. Children were selected, prepared, escorted over great distances, taken up sacred mountains and buried with valuable offerings. Such a ritual was intended to make a powerful impression on local communities and demonstrate the extent of Inca power.
Background
The Llullaillaco volcano is situated in the Andes, on the border between Argentina and Chile. The burial site was discovered at an altitude of over 6,700 metres. The cold and dry air helped to preserve the children’s bodies so well that they have become some of the most famous Inca mummies.
The most famous of these is a teenage girl, often referred to as the Maiden of Llullaillaco or La Doncella. Two younger children and ritual objects were found alongside her. Previous research has already shown that, prior to their deaths, the children were prepared for the ceremony, including through changes to their diet and the consumption of coca and alcohol.
Source
Study: Dominika Sieczkowska-Jacyna et al., “Timing the Sacred: A Multi-Step Chronological Framework for the Llullaillaco Inca Burial”, Archaeometry, 2026.