Inka scattered sacred coca leaves over sacrificed llamas, excavation suggests
Archaeologists excavating the Inka site of Tambo Viejo in Peru have discovered coca leaves preserved in the wool of sacrificed llamas. This finding provides the first direct physical evidence of coca's use in Inka rituals, challenging historical accounts from Spanish chroniclers.
Why it matters
This discovery offers new insights into ancient Inka religious practices and demonstrates how specific environmental conditions can preserve archaeological evidence.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Coca leaves found stuck in the wool of some llama sacrifices at Tambo Viejo. Credit: L. M. Valdez in Valdez et al. 2026 Deep in Peru's Acarí Valley lie the ruins of Tambo Viejo, an Inka provincial center where excavations have uncovered tasseled sacrificial llamas and brightly adorned guinea pigs. But save for a few seeds and some stored leaves, evidence of how the Inka used one of their most sacred plants in rituals remained elusive. Now, archaeologists have discovered coca leaves still stuck in the wool of some sacrificed llamas.
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