Thomas Besom | Binghamton University (original) (raw)

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In the last twenty-five years, materials from some human sacrifices that the Inkas carried out on... more In the last twenty-five years, materials from some human sacrifices that the Inkas carried out on high mountains (e.g. Aconcagua and Llullaillaco) have been thoroughly analyzed and adequately interpreted. Remains from immolations that took place in other contexts, however, which tend to be poorly preserved and incompletely studied, are not as well understood. In this article, I begin to remedy this imbalance in our knowledge by discussing the sacrifice from Salinas Grandes, which is a saltflat situated in northwestern Argentina. I describe the body of the victim--who was very likely a qhapaq hucha, a specially chosen child--his clothing, accouterments, and hair-style. I offer hypotheses on where he came from, and on the reasons behind his ritual dispatch. I demonstrate how the different items that were buried with him all contributed to the meaning of his immolation. I also show how the lords of Cuzco may have employed the sacrifice to tie the region where the salt-flat is located to the empire.

In the last twenty-five years, materials from some human sacrifices that the Inkas carried out on... more In the last twenty-five years, materials from some human sacrifices that the Inkas carried out on high mountains (e.g. Aconcagua and Llullaillaco) have been thoroughly analyzed and adequately interpreted. Remains from immolations that took place in other contexts, however, which tend to be poorly preserved and incompletely studied, are not as well understood. In this article, I begin to remedy this imbalance in our knowledge by discussing the sacrifice from Salinas Grandes, which is a saltflat situated in northwestern Argentina. I describe the body of the victim--who was very likely a qhapaq hucha, a specially chosen child--his clothing, accouterments, and hair-style. I offer hypotheses on where he came from, and on the reasons behind his ritual dispatch. I demonstrate how the different items that were buried with him all contributed to the meaning of his immolation. I also show how the lords of Cuzco may have employed the sacrifice to tie the region where the salt-flat is located to the empire.

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