The Aconcagua Boy

The Aconcagua Boy

The Aconcagua Boy is a Inca mummy found by hikers climbing Argentina’s Aconcagua mountain in 1985. 

Archaeologist excavated the frozen body and determined that the boy

was sacrificed as part of the Inca ritual known as Capacocha 500 years ago.

The Capacocha ritual was performed in celebration of important events, or as offerings to the gods to prevent natural disasters and epidemics. 

Children from higher classes in the Incan society were chosen as sacrificial victims and went through a sacrificial rite before being drugged and taken to the tops of high peaks and sacrificed. Either left to die of exposure in the cold or killed outright, the Aconcagua boy was likely killed by a blow to the head due to injuries shown. 

He was around seven years old when he died, wrapped in fine textiles

and placed in a small stone structure along with six small statuettes. 

As with other capacocha mummies found on high altitudes(this one was found 5300m/17400ft. above sea level), the boy had been naturally mummified by the cold and dry environment. 

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