Mummy Juanita - The Sacrifice of the Inca Ice Maiden
Mummy Juanita -
The Sacrifice of the Inca Ice Maiden
Why Human sacrifice?
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease gods.
Oldest reported cases
The earliest confirmed evidence of human sacrifice dates back to 3000 BC in Başur Höyük, Turkey. Archeological finds at the site, along with other evidence like the Scythian culture kurgan (9th century BC) and the Royal Death Pits at Early Dynastic Ur in Mesopotamia (c. 2600–2450 BCE), point to the practice of human sacrifice being a part of various early cultures.
Mummy Juanita well-preserved frozen body of a girl from the Inca Empire
She was found at an altitude of over 20,000 feet, where temperatures often reach well below freezing.
Who was killed as a human sacrifice to the Inca gods sometime between 1440 and 1480, when she was approximately 12–15 years old. She was discovered in 1995 on Mount Ampato in southern Peru. She would come to be known as the "Ice Maiden" or "Juanita."
She was not only perfectly preserved, but also adorned in an array of artifacts, including a headdress made of feathers, a necklace of gold, and a woven blanket. Cause if her death was a blow to the head.
The researchers also discovered a sizeable coca quid (lump for chewing) in between the teeth of the Maiden Incan mummy, suggesting the child was sedated when she died some 500 years ago.
The discovery of Mummy Juanita
Juanita had been buried on the mountaintop, and were it not for a volcanic eruption, she would likely have not been found. The result of volcanic activity caused the snowcap to melt, revealing her burial site and causing Juanita to fall out and effectively roll down the hill in her frozen state.
Why did the Inca sacrifice children like this?
Sacrificing people, especially children, was seen as a way of pleasing the gods and ensuring that the natural order of the world was maintained.
The Inca empire was experiencing a period of drought and famine, and the people believed that sacrificing their most precious possessions, including their children, would appease the gods and bring about rain and better harvests.
Ice maiden's attendants
Llullaillaco Boy or Lightning Boy was estimated to have been only 7 years old at the time of death.
The other mummy was girl, 4- 6 year old Lightning Girl(so named by researchers because the mummy appears to have been struck by lightning),were likely meant to serve the oldest child as her attendants.
Llullaillaco Boy had blood on his cloak, a nit infestation in his hair and a cloth binding his body, suggesting he may have died of suffocation. The Lightning Girl didn't appear to be treated as roughly as the boy, though she didn't receive the same care as the Maiden — she lacked, for example, the Maiden's decorated headdress and braids.
Where is Mummy Juanita today?
Today, Juanita's remains can be viewed at the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries in Arequipa, Peru.
Human sacrifice today in India
Human sacrifices, although not common, are still prevalent in India. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data has recorded a total of 103 ritualistic sacrifices have in the country from 2014 to 2021. The year 2015 saw the highest number of such cases at 24, while 2018 saw the lowest, with 4 cases. According to government data, 6 cases of human sacrifices were recorded in 2021.
The state of Chattisgarh recorded the highest number of human sacrifices between these years, with 14 cases, while Karnataka is a close second with 13 cases, followed by Jharkhand with 11. Chattisgarh recorded the most cases in 2020, with 9 cases in total, while in Karnataka, most cases were recorded in 2017, with 5 cases.
Data Source
Compiled by
Ms Naresh kuwar
