This archaeological discovery is fascinating! While on an expedition to an Argentinian volcano, hikers found the body of a girl. After testing was done on her, it was determined the girl was thought to have died around 500 years ago as part of an ancient sacrifice!
She was perfectly preserved because of the freezing temperatures at the high elevation where she was found. Scientists were able to determine the girl was around 15 years old and appears to have been sacrificed.
The Incas are known to have sacrifice children as offerings to their gods. It turns out that this girl – named the Inca Ice Maiden – had been fed a very fattening and full diet for months, maybe even years, in preparation for the ritual.
She would be taken to high mountain top before being killed. Children were fed cocoa leaves and plied with alcohol to muddy their senses and were then left to die from strangulation or exposure to the cold.
The other remarkable thing scientists discovered was that she had a bacterial infection similar to tuberculosis. What’s amazing about this discovery is that they think that by studying the bacteria sample from hundreds of years ago, it could help towards understanding and fighting modern illnesses! That’s pretty incredible!
Find out more about her discovery in the video below.
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