Human sacrifices were ‘plied with cocaine and alcohol’ before gruesome Inca ritual

Archaeologists on the summit of Lullaillaco Mountain (Picture: J. Reinhard/Cover Images)

Women and children may have been plied with cocaine, alcohol and psychoactive drugs before they were brutally sacrificed by the Incas.

Analysis of 500-year-old mummies found in the mountains of South America has revealed new evidence about the gruesome ceremonies.

Researchers carried out toxicological tests on the mummified remains of eight people discovered at mountain shrines in Peru and Argentina, identifying traces of substances that may have played a role in ancient religious rituals.

The study, published in...