Sacred Mountains, Ceremonial Sites and Human Sacrifice among the Incas

REINHARD, JOHAN; CONSTANZA CERUTI

Archeoastronomy. The Journal of Astronomy in Culture

University of Texas Press

Lugar: Austin; Año: 2006 vol. XIX p. 1 - 43

The most important offerings made at Inca ceremonial sites involved human sacrifices (capacochas). Although Spanish chroniclers wrote about them, their accounts were based on secondhand sources, and the only direct evidence we have of human sacrifices comes to us from archaeological excavations. Some of the most thoroughly documented of these were undertaken on high mountain summits, where the material evidence has been exceptionally well preserved. In this study we will refer to mountains in Peru, Chile and Argentina where Inca capacocha offerings have been found. The types of sites and artifact assemblages recovered will be examined. By comparing the archaeological evidence with the chronicler´s accounts, we will describe common patterns and previously little-known elements, which will contribute to an increased understanding of key aspects of Inca religion. This study also demonstrates the importance of archaeological sites being placed within the broader context of physical and sacred features of the landscape.