Clues to child sacrifices found in Inca building

Bodies buried with artifacts offer peek at poorly understood practice

The remains of seven children apparently killed in a ritual and buried beneath a 500- to 600-year-old building in Peru’s Cuzco Valley have given scientists new glimpses of the sketchily understood Inca practice of sacrificing select children in elaborate ceremonies.

SACRIFICIAL SEND-OFF Six children killed in a ritual Inca sacrifice between 500 and 600 years ago were buried together, accompanied by gold, silver and shell figurines of men and llamas.