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LATIN AMERICA |
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Incas Practiced Ritual Decapitation of
Enemies, Archaeologists Say
LIMA – Peruvian archaeologists have reached
the conclusion that the Incas decapitated
their enemies to use their heads as
offerings after finding three skulls in a
ceremonial vessel in the southeastern city
of Cuzco.
The director of Sacsayhuaman Archaeological
Park, Washington Camacho, told Efe Friday
that the heads found this week on Qowicarana
ridge, an ancient ceremonial center north of
Cuzco, could have been those of ancient
chiefs or leaders of peoples who were
enemies of the Incas.
For the archaeologist, the “trophy heads”
could have been cut off “during a battle or
in some other place after the capture of
these “curacas” (chiefs of enemy peoples).
It is believed, Camacho said, that the
offering of heads belonged to “the last
phase of the Inca Empire,” in other words
around 1500, probably “when Huayna Capac
reigned.”
Archaeologists are continuing to excavate
Qowicarana ridge in the belief that they
will find the bodies of the three
individuals, in order to determine whether
the Incas really decapitated their enemies.
Together with the Inca vessel containing the
three skulls, the archaeologists also dug up
on Qowicarana ridge some small vessels with
teeth inside, bone remains that the
archaeologists believe were “prizes or
trophies.”
Also excavated in the area were two small
dishes with handles decorated with
seashells, “a clear offering to the lake.”
Cuzco archaeologists have also found
funerary remains on the ridge, including
those of a man of 45 and a 2-year-old boy.
The park director said that all the
“funerary contexts” are Inca offerings to
their gods. EFE |
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