{
  "id": 17877563,
  "title": "Analysis of Inca mummies identifies the drugs used in their most important sacrificial ritual",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/analysis-of-inca-mummies-identifies-the-drugs-used-in-their-most",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-03T00:00:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-analysis-inca-mummies-drugs-important.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study has analyzed the mummified remains of individuals sacrificed in the Inca Empire, shedding light on the psychoactive substances they consumed during the capacocha ritual. This ancient practice, involving the sacrifice of children and young women, was believed to venerate deities and act as intermediaries between living people and the divine. The researchers, led by Dr. Dagmara Socha from the University of Warsaw, focused on identifying a wider range of psychoactive substances beyond coca leaves, which have been previously documented.\n\nToxicological analysis of hair and nail samples from eight mummies, recovered from mountain shrines in Peru and Argentina, revealed that cocaine was present in all cases. Coca leaves held significant importance in Inca religious beliefs, serving as offerings to the gods and potentially mitigating the effects of altitude sickness and fatigue during the children's arduous journeys. In four of the mummies, evidence of alcohol consumption was found, potentially stemming from corn beer called chicha, which may have been administered to the children to calm and dull their senses during the final stages of the ritual.\n\nA particularly intriguing discovery was the detection of harmine, an alkaloid associated with the Banisteriopsis species of plants, in the Lady of Ampato, also known as Juanita. This finding suggests that a harmine-containing beverage may have played a specific role in ceremonies connected to this sacred mountain. The study concludes that the capacocha ritual was not a standardized practice but rather adapted to local religious traditions and the deities or sacred places involved, varying across the Inca Empire. These insights, made possible by modern toxicological techniques, provide a deeper understanding of the diverse and culturally rich capacocha ritual practiced by the Incas.",
  "summary": "Archaeologists have performed toxicological analysis on the mummified remains of people sacrificed at mountain shrines across the Inca Empire, revealing the psychoactive substances they consumed before their deaths.",
  "key_points": [
    "Capacocha ritual involved Inca children and young women as sacrifices",
    "Toxic analysis found cocaine in all eight mummies from Peru and Argentina",
    "Harmine detected in Lady of Ampato, suggesting specific ceremonial use"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Discover Magazine",
        "title": "500-Year-Old Inca Mummies Show Traces of Alcohol and Other Drugs Used Before Child Sacrifices",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/500-year-old-inca-mummies-show-traces-of-alcohol-and-other-drugs-used",
        "published": "2026-11-03T00:01:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ScienceAlert",
        "title": "Inca Mummies Reveal Drugs Used During Human Sacrifice",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/inca-mummies-reveal-drugs-used-during-human-sacrifice",
        "published": "2026-11-03T00:01:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}