Archeologists have got their hands on the first known examples of mummified llama , still brightly downlike and decorated with colorful ribbon after being sacrificed by the Inca in Peru over 500 years ago .
As describe in the journalAntiquitytoday , the naturally mummified llama remains were discover and studied by research worker at the University of Calgary and a team of archaeologists from the Universidad de Huamanga in Peru at the Inka colonisation of Tambo Viejo in the Acari Valley on the Peruvian south coast .
During their dig , they discovered four naturally mummified llamas beneath the floor of the edifice , as well as another llama that had decayed , most potential because someone had seek to loot the remains . Alongside the fluffy llama mummies , the pits moderate brightly colored feathers of tropical birdie and also a numeral of decorate wop pigs .
carbon 14 geological dating suggests the animals were killed at some degree between 1432 and 1459 CE , a sentence just after the region was settle by the Inca .
Llamas were much more than just meat to the Inca , they also play animportant role in their culture , ritual operation , and political life . The discovery of large ovens and other touch of solid food at the situation evoke the llamas were most likely killed as some kind of forfeit at a ritual celebration . This also fit nicely with what historiographer know about the family relationship between llamas and the Inca .
“ Historical records point animal sacrifices were authoritative to the Inca , who used them as special offerings to supernatural deities , ” Dr Lidio M Valdez , lead author of the research from the University of Calgary , tell in a statement . “ This was peculiarly the case of llamas , see secondly only to humans in sacrificial time value . ”
The study also cites late archaeological work that argue chocolate-brown llamas were sacrificed to the Creator God ( Viracocha ) , white llamas to the Sun , and miscellaneous - colored llamas to thunder .
However , the new research did unearth a rather unpleasant surprise too . Some historic invoice suggest the animal sacrifices had their throats cut , but there was no evidence of that taking place here . rather , the want of hurt on the mama suggests they were buried live .
Of naturally , the Inca were no alien to human activity that would be considered remarkably barbarous by today ’s standards . Just last year , archeologists reported that the severed and maimed heads of dissents were(oops did n’t finish here … )
