On the fourth day of Christmas – a forensic artist presented an image of the 500-year-old “Ice Maiden” Inca girl who was possibly killed during a sacrificial ritual.
Discovery of the Mummified Body
In 1995, archaeologists discovered the frozen mummified body of a young Inca girl in the mountains of Peru, believed to have died as part of a sacrificial ritual known as Capacocha (or Ohapaq hucha). At the end of October, we learned about her likely appearance in life, thanks to a detailed reconstruction by Swedish forensic artist Oscar Nelson. A plaster statue was unveiled to embody her in a ceremony at the Andean Religions Museum of the Catholic University of Santa María in Arequipa, Peru, where the girl’s remains (now known as Juanita) have been on display almost continuously since their discovery.
Human Sacrifice in Inca Culture
According to archaeologist Johan Reinhard, Spanish historians noted the Inca practice of making sacrifices to the gods: not only beautiful statues, textiles, and ceramics, but also human sacrifices at ceremonial shrines (huacas) built on mountaintops. It is believed that human sacrifices of young girls and boys were a way to appease the Inca gods (Apus) during periods of disrupted weather patterns, especially drought. Drought was common following volcanic eruptions.
Restoring the Face
Nelson used previous analyses to reconstruct the face, needing to know things like her age, gender, weight, and ethnic background. He began with a CT scan of Juanita’s skull and used the data to print a 3D plastic model of her head. He employed wooden pins on the statue to mark the different measurements and added clay to create details of her face, drawing on indicators from her nose, eye sockets, and teeth. DNA suggested her likely skin color. “In Juanita’s case, I wanted her to look both scared and proud at the same time, with a strong sense of presence,” Nelson told Live Science. “I then poured the face with silicone [using] real hair [inserted] strand by strand.”
Previous Discoveries
Previous discoveries included the remains of an Inca boy found by looters in the 1950s, along with the body of a young man in 1964 and the body of a small boy in 1985. Reinhard and Ziarati then ascended Mount Ambato in September 1995. They were surprised to see a mummified bundle on the ice near the summit and realized they were looking at the face of a frozen young girl. The body was surrounded by offerings to the Inca gods, including llama bones, small carved statues, and pieces of pottery. Juanita was wrapped in a colorful burial shroud and wore a feathered cap and a white duck shawl, all preserved almost perfectly. The following month, Reinhard and Ziarati discovered two more ice mummies (a boy and a young girl), and another female mummy in December 1997.
Discovery of the Body
It was difficult to transport Juanita’s remains from the peak due to their weight, a result of her flesh being fully frozen. This is what makes her an intriguing archaeological discovery. Remains of a meal of vegetables were found in her well-preserved stomach, although DNA analysis from her hair showed she also consumed a substantial amount of animal protein. This, along with the high quality of her clothing, suggests she may have been from a noble family, possibly from the city of Cusco.
There were also traces of coca and alcohol, likely administered before Juanita’s death – a common Inca practice when sacrificing children. A CT scan of her skull showed that Juanita died from a blunt force trauma to the head, similar to the type of injury caused by a baseball bat, resulting in severe bleeding. This was also a known Inca sacrificial practice.
Nelson was able to leverage previous analyses to reconstruct the face, needing to know things like her age, gender, weight, and ethnic background. He began with a CT scan of Juanita’s skull and used the data to print a 3D plastic model of her head. He employed wooden pins on the statue to mark the different measurements and added clay to create details of her face, drawing on indicators from her nose, eye sockets, and teeth. DNA suggested her likely skin color. “In Juanita’s case, I wanted her to look both scared and proud at the same time, with a strong sense of presence,” Nelson told Live Science. “I then poured the face with silicone [using] real hair [inserted] strand by strand.”
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The conclusion, the reconstruction of the face of the “Ice Maiden” of the Inca is one of the important and intriguing archaeological discoveries, as it allows us to see the form of this ancient historical figure and learn about the details of her life and ritual practices in Inca culture.
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