500-Year-Old Inca Mummies Show Traces of Alcohol and Other Drugs Used Before Child Sacrifices

Analysis of Inca mummies reveals drugs used in child sacrifice rituals

Toxicological analysis of eight Inca mummies has identified psychoactive substances consumed before their deaths, providing new insights into one of the most important sacrificial ceremonies of the Inca Empire. This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com - © 2023 - HeritageDaily

Inca Child Sacrifice Mummies’ Hair Reveals Coca and Alcohol Use

From the ritual, the Inca believed the children would become the intermediary between them and the gods—and these substances may have been an "offering" to ease their journey.

500-Year-Old Inca Mummies Show Traces of Alcohol and Other Drugs Used Before Child Sacrifices

Learn how traces of coca, alcohol, and a plant compound preserved in inca mummies offer clues to how children were prepared for sacrifice 500 years ago.

Inca Mummies Reveal Drugs Used During Human Sacrifice

They could almost have closed their eyes and slipped beyond the boundary between life and death yesterday; so perfect is their preservation.