La Doncella Official

La Doncella was likely an aclla (Sun Virgin), chosen for her beauty and purity to serve as a messenger to the gods.

Today, La Doncella and the other two children are kept at the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM) in .

: In her final months and hours, she was given large amounts of coca leaves and chicha (maize beer). This induced a stupor, allowing her to drift into a permanent sleep in her mountaintop tomb without a struggle. La Doncella

(The Maiden) is one of the most remarkably preserved mummies ever discovered, a 15-year-old Inca girl frozen for over 500 years. Found in 1999 near the summit of the Llullaillaco volcano on the Argentina-Chile border, she was part of the three "Children of Llullaillaco" sacrificed in a sacred ritual known as capacocha . The Ritual: A Journey to the Divine

: To respect the sensitivity of the exhibit, she is kept in a dimly lit case. Visitors must press a button to turn on the light to see her. Expand map La Doncella was likely an aclla (Sun Virgin),

: She is housed in a meticulously controlled atmosphere that mimics the low oxygen, humidity, and -17°C (0°F) temperature of the volcano summit.

Were Incan mummies sacrificed or ritually buried? - Facebook This induced a stupor, allowing her to drift

: She was left in a small stone chamber 6,739 meters (22,110 feet) above sea level, where she succumbed to exposure. Extraordinary Preservation