Inca children were given hallucinogens before they were sacrificed to the gods
Scientific American · Adam Kovac ·
New toxicology tests of Inca mummies found the kids were given not just cocaine but also alcohol and chemicals found in ayahuasca before the ceremony
The ancient Inca sacrificed children who were drugged with cocaine, a powerful hallucinogen and, in some cases, alcohol, according to a new study in Antiquity. The discovery reveals new macabre details of how these ancient peoples chose to honor their gods.
During the reign of the Inca Empire, which spanned a large territory in western South America from the 13th to the 16th centuries, children and young women were regularly sacrificed to important gods in a ceremony known as capacocha. They were meant to act as messengers between the living and the deities. The rituals were conducted in an effort to restore stability after events such as a famine or drought. Before they were killed, those chosen for sacrifice were taken to Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, or to temples or oracles scattered throughout the territory.
As they were prepared, the children were given an array of psychoactive plants. Though previous studies had found that these included coca leaves—from which cocaine is derived—tests for other substances had been largely inconclusive or negative.
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