Forensic Study Identifies Head Trauma as Cause of Death for Inca Child Sacrifice

A forensic investigation led by the University of Valencia has determined that the 8‑ to 9‑year‑old boy known as “El Niño del Cerro El Plomo,” whose well‑preserved mummy was discovered in 1954 at about 5,400 m in the Andes, died from a severe head injury rather than from hypothermia. Isotope analysis of oxygen and hydrogen shows the child traveled 2,600‑2,800 km over nine months from Cuzco to the Maipo‑Mapocho valley as part of a 15th‑century Inca Capacocha ceremony.

Computed‑tomography scans revealed an oval fracture on the left frontal bone, a 30 mm break in the skull, and separation of the coronal and sagittal sutures, indicating a blow delivered at or near the moment of death. Modeling the impact suggests a force of roughly 2,800 N, most consistent with a stone Inca mace of star shape. The research, published in *Science Advances* and reported by Live Science, concludes that the child’s death resulted from intentional head trauma, not exposure to extreme cold.