Avaliação: Arqueologia Inka – Capacocha from Misti, Pichu Pichu and Ampato (Peru). Anthropological analysis of human remains.

One of the most important rituals in the Inca Empire was the capacocha. It required the most prestigious sacrificial offering of both male and female children, and young women, who were characterized by their beauty and purity. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a bio-anthropological analysis of the remains of individuals sacrificed on the summits of Misti, Ampato and Pichu Pichu during this ceremony.
14 individuals sacrificed during the capacocha ritual were the subjects of a bio-anthropological investigation. Various methods (bone analysis and radiography) were applied in the investigation due to the diverse states of preservation of the remains. 11 individuals were in the same age category: 6–7 years old. Results show good body development in the victims, the presence of stress markers related with the early childhood period, and, in the case of the Ampato and Misti 1 boys, inferent malformation of their skeletons.
The studies of the Misti, Pichu Pichu and Ampato sacrifices confirm their widespread origins, privileged position, and high social status. They show that the victims were well-nourished and had proper growth rate compared to juveniles from lower social strata from different cemeteries in the region.

• inca, capacocha, human sacrfices