A New Cause of Death for an Inca Ritual Sacrifice: The Prince of El Plomo

For decades, it was thought that the cause of death of the child from Cerro El Plomo was hypothermia. The naturally freeze-dried body of a child from 560 years ago – approximately 8 years old – is now considered one of the most important anthropological artifacts in Chile and a testament to the Inca Empire.

He was found with his arms crossed around his legs and his head resting on his right shoulder and arm, as if he had fallen asleep that way. Researchers believed that he had consumed corn chicha or some other alcoholic or narcotic substance to induce sleep before ancient people placed him in his icy tomb. However, recent scientific studies have refuted this idea, suggesting that he died instead from head trauma.

“We’ve shattered the 70-year-old belief or myth that this child died peacefully,” says Mario Castro, director of the National Museum of Natural History of Chile (MNHN).

This new understanding challenges everything that was known about Capacocha, one of the most important ceremonies of the Tawantinsuyu, or Inca Empire, in which children and adolescents were offered as a sign of gratitude to Inti, the god of the Sun, typically during the harvest month.

They took place on the highest peaks of the territory — at 17,700 feet above sea level in this case — so that their soul could swiftly ascend to the upper world, from where they would protect their community alongside the gods. Simultaneously, it demonstrated the sovereign's influence and dominance.

Read More: Does the Grand Civilization of the Inca Empire Still Exist Today?

Treasure hunters discovered the mummy in 1954 and it has since been in the custody of the MNHN, in collaboration with the German Clinic of Santiago de Chile. New CT scans performed on the mummy reveal a blunt object moving from right to left caused injuries to the frontal bone of the skull. The child was likely standing with his head down when struck. The blow is believed to have been skillfully executed.

“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,” Castro adds.

The child from Cerro El Plomo is the first mummy in the world to be examined using the dermoscopy technique (a non-invasive method to study skin lesions). These analyses, carefully conducted by dermatologist Verónica Catalán, determined that the bluish color of the nails and dark spots on the soles of the feet were not due to frostbite, as had been interpreted in 1954 — based solely on physical examination — and in 1983, through electron microscopy.

Radiological studies also showed that the child had ingested "a large volume of food" close to the time of his death, which had not been digested. The presence of cocaine was also confirmed, indicating that he chewed coca leaves to combat fatigue. Castro notes that further analysis is needed to determine how long he had consumed this substance.

Radiocarbon dating established that the child's death likely occurred around the year 1460, before the arrival of the Spanish in America. This overturns a claim made by a 2011 investigation, which mistakenly asserted that the child suffered from trichinosis, a parasitic disease spread by the consumption of pork, an animal introduced during colonization.

Another line of research now being pursued involves studying the parasites found in the mummy's rectum to determine if he had been infected.

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Before being sacrificed, the boy walked more than 1,250 miles from south-central Peru to his death on Cerro El Plomo — located about 28 miles east of present-day Santiago, Chile — for six to nine months. This journey explains the thickening of the skin on his feet, which is atypical for his age, and the dark discoloration. An additional fact: the shoes he was wearing at the time of his death showed no signs of wear.

Researchers estimated the duration of the journey by studying stable isotopes in the mummy's stomach contents, with results pending publication. However, scientists say that the child had remained in Cusco for two years before beginning the long walk to Santiago, Chile.

Mauricio Moraga, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Chile, along with his colleagues, conducted a genetic analysis on the body. These analyses involved complete genome sequencing since cold conditions kept the body intact and also preserved the DNA.

A review of the boy's genome sequence suggests genetic affinities with present-day populations from the south-central Andes and ancient individuals from northern Chile and the southern highlands of Peru.

“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 says.

Read More: Ancient Mass Child Sacrifice Discovered in Peru May Be World's Largest

Although the quality of the genomic information obtained is extraordinary — 'as if the child had not died,' he notes — it is not yet possible to pinpoint the exact place of origin. More ancient DNA samples from other individuals and more native populations are needed for comparison, as several subregions and periods are poorly represented in South America's genetic record, limiting the scope of a more comprehensive analysis.

Castro knew that the findings could offend certain communities and feared sensational headlines in the local media. He believed it was crucial to emphasize that the Capacocha sacrifices must be understood within an anthropological and cultural context that cannot be judged by today’s standards.

“I am not going to lose respect for the native peoples. This was an ancient tradition,” Castro says.

Verónica Catalán adds, “Understanding the true cause of death of the child from Cerro El Plomo enhances our knowledge of Inca culture.”

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Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

• National Museum of Natural History. Child of El Plomo Hill: a witness of the Inca past

• JAAD Case Reports. Paleodermatology: Dermatoscopic findings of “Niño del Plomo” an Incan mummy in Chile