Field research
Fieldwork is being conducted in the southern Peru region. The first two research seasons aimed to identify and document the religious network and waystations (known as tambos) on the three volcanoes surrounding the modern city of Arequipa.
Chachani
Chachani was considered a benevolent female deity. Pichu Pichu fell in love with her, so the gods placed Misti between them as a guardian. The first capacocha in history was discovered on the summit of the volcano (6,057 meters above sea level) in 1896. Unfortunately, it has not survived to the present day.
Misti
Misti was a fearsome deity that demanded many offerings. During the Inca times, at least one eruption of the volcano took place. In 1998, an expedition was carried out during which one of the richest capacocha offerings known to date was discovered on the summit of the volcano.
Pichu Pichu
Pichu Pichu, due to its shape, is called the Sleeping Warrior. Wanting to punish him for his love for Chachani, the gods turned him into a mountain. The first capacocha was discovered by accident by climbers in 1963. During the 1996 expedition by Johan Reinhard and Antonio Chávez, two additional burials—of a boy and a girl—were discovered.
Mummy Research
The project initially focused on the study of mummies and human remains discovered during the expeditions of Johan Reinhard and Antonio Chávez in the 1990s. The first analyses of the remains found on Misti took place in 2017. Traditional anthropological studies were carried out on the skeletons, including bone measurements, age estimation, and health assessments. The frozen mummies from the Ampato and Sara Sara volcanoes were also examined using computed tomography (CT). In addition, 3D models of the mummies and associated artifacts were created, along with a facial reconstruction of the famous Ice Maiden of Ampato.
Lab Analysis
Since 2019, laboratory analyses have been conducted on human tissues, botanical remains, and artifacts. To reconstruct the diet and origins of the children, isotopic analyses (of strontium, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen) as well as ancient DNA studies are performed. Toxicological research has enabled the identification of psychoactive substances administered to the children during the final months of their journey to sacred places. The excellent preservation of botanical remains is used to calibrate radiocarbon dating and to attempt a reconstruction of the climate during the Inca period.
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