Hallucinogenic plants and psychotropic stimulants performed an important role in the beliefs, rituals and divination practices in the ancient Andes. The aim of this article is to present the results of toxicological studies of two individuals immolated over 500 years ago during a capacocha ritual on the mountain of Ampato mountain in southern Peru. The capacocha was one of the most significant ceremonies carried out in the Inca Empire. During the ritual, the Incas sacrificed children and young women who were supposed to be beautiful and unblemished. The hair and nails of two Ampato mummies were examined using LC-MS/MS for the presence of coca alkaloids and metabolites (cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene), mescaline, tryptamine, harmaline and harmine. The results of the study show that during the last weeks of the victims’ lives, they chewed on coca leaves and were intoxicated by ayahuasca, a beverage made primarily from the Banisteriopsis caapi. In modern medicine, the properties of harmine led to the use of ayahuasca in the treatment of depression. Chroniclers mentioned the importance of the victims’ moods. The Incas may have consciously used the antidepressant properties of Banisteriopsis caapi to reduce the anxiety and depressive states of the victims.

It says a lot about the mindset of the researchers that they assume the Aya was being used for its antidepressant effects. Assuming that priests performing human sacrifice were thinking in utilitarian terms, as opposed to darkly spiritual.

The information about using stimulants during rituals appears in the chronicles. According to Francisco de Avila (1966 [1598]), the Incas gave the children chicha so they would go happy to Viracocha (the Creator, a main deity of the Inca pantheon). Other chroniclers mentioned that alcohol was used to dull the victims’ senses and calm them down before death (Cobo, 1990 [1623]; Ramos, 1976 [1621]:81). The studies of the hair of the other capacocha victims from Cerro Esmeralda, Llullaillaco and Sara Sara revealed that the children and young women immolated during the rituals were chewing coca leaves during their last weeks (Besom, 2000, Wilson et al., 2013). An analysis of some of the mummies showed the presence of cocaethylene, which means that chewing coca leaves was combined with the drinking of alcohol (most probably chicha; Wilson et al., 2013). Quids of coca leaves were found inside the mouths of the older females found on Llullaillaco and Cerro Esmeralda (Besom, 2000, Wilson et al., 2013).

Ogalde and his team (et al., 2009) suggest that the lianas of Banisteriopsis caapi could be used alone as medicine in Azapa Valley. The positive results for the infant imply a more therapeutic than vision inducing purpose. Harmine works as a MAOI and blocks the metabolism of serotonin and dopamine (Fábregas et al., 2010, Osório et al., 2015). The antidepressant action after drinking the decoction can last for a couple of weeks.

The consumption of the hallucinogenic ayahuasca could have been related to the desire of communication between the victims and the spiritual world.

Child sacrifice is something I don't understand 😔

Nevertheless, the Ampato #3 individual had suffered from the malformation of the transverse foramen, which could have caused alterations in blood circulation and nerve damage (Fig. 3; Cai et al., 2018, Goray et al., 2005, Socha et al., 2021a, Socha et al., 2021b). An injury to this region causes blood circulation impairment, chronic headaches, hypoxia, loss of consciousness caused by abrupt movements of the head, partial paralysis, temporary blindness and vertigo (Cai et al., 2018, Sultana et al., 2020). According to the chroniclers, body malformation and congenital impairment of the victims could be desirable because it was interpreted as evidence of the interference of gods (Arriaga, 1968 [1621]: 214–215).