The Inca Empire flourished from the mid‑1430s until its fall in 1572 at the hands of Francisco Pizarro. Spanning most of modern‑day Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and parts of southern Colombia, life in this civilization was anything but ordinary—especially for children who somehow survived the staggering 25 % mortality rate before turning five. Below are ten truly bizarre aspects of an Inca youngster’s upbringing.
10 Crazy Ways Kids Lived in the Inca Empire
10 The Ceremony That Killed Children
Indeed, the Incas performed child sacrifices, a practice that defined how some youngsters met their end rather than how they lived. The ritual, known as capacocha, was reserved for momentous occasions such as the death of a ruler or a major military triumph. Paradoxically, being selected for this rite was considered an honor for the child’s family, as the offering was carried to the highest Peruvian peaks. These sacrifices were also made to appease deities in hopes of averting droughts, epidemics, and other calamities.
Prior to the ascent, the chosen youngsters were escorted to Cuzco, the empire’s capital, where a massive communal feast was held. After the celebration, the children were taken up the mountain for the final offering. While the ceremony did not discriminate by gender, archaeological discoveries have revealed that most of the recovered mummies are female.
During the journey, each child was given a mixture of alcohol and poison, inducing vomiting and a slow, painful death that could extend over weeks or even months of travel. In some cases, extreme dehydration caused the child to freeze to death before the poison took effect; other instances involved suffocation or a fatal blow to the head.
9 The Incas Were Ageists
The quipu—those knot‑filled cords you may have seen in pictures—served as the Inca’s data‑keeping system. Although scholars still struggle to decode its exact meaning, it does reveal a stark age hierarchy. Roughly twice a year, officials conducted a census, slotting every individual into one of ten distinct classes based on age.
Adults aged 25‑50 were deemed the most valuable, occupying the highest tier of the empire’s economy. They were counted first and afforded the greatest respect. Next in line were those aged 60‑70, followed by youths of 18‑20, children of 10‑17, then the 5‑9 age group, toddlers, and finally infants. This ordering underscores how little importance was placed on the youngest members of society.
Such a system dovetailed with the grim reality that the Incas also practiced child sacrifice. Historical accounts suggest that elders often beat children harshly until they surpassed nine years old, presumably to instill discipline deemed necessary for survival in this harsh environment.
8 Learning Advanced Skills As A Little Kid
Even before reaching double‑digits, Inca children—especially girls—were already mastering sophisticated crafts. By the age of five, many girls could spin yarn from llama and alpaca fleece, a skill captured in Spanish sketches of the period. They also learned the art of brewing chicha, a traditional fermented beverage.
While they were taught these valuable abilities, consumption of alcohol, sugary, or fatty foods was strictly forbidden for youngsters; a healthy physique was essential for future marital prospects. Teenage boys tended to herd llamas, whereas younger boys practiced trapping birds and raising guinea pigs, a staple protein source.
Girls were expected to be obedient and were kept away from men until arranged marriages were organized. Early Spanish observers noted that these girls often cut their hair short and went barefoot, appearing far from the European ideals of femininity. Their entire upbringing centered on preparing for marriage, household management, and family care.
7 Sick Kids Had To Sit In Pee
When a child fell ill, Inca healers turned to unconventional remedies. One belief held that a preserved umbilical cord could absorb malevolent forces; the ailing child would suck on this cord, thought to draw out the evil. The exact method of preserving the cord remains unclear, but it was likely kept chilled in mountain streams, much like Egyptian mummification practices.
Feverish children faced an even stranger cure: immersion in a massive tub filled entirely with the family’s urine. Contemporary accounts claim that this bizarre bath was believed to draw out the fever and restore health, a practice that would horrify modern sensibilities.
6 The Babies And Toddlers Were Treated More Like Things
Spanish missionaries recorded a chilling childcare routine: mothers would regularly bathe newborns in icy mountain streams for days on end, fearing that excessive affection would make infants overly clingy. This cold‑water regimen was thought to toughen the babies and keep them from becoming demanding.
Infants didn’t receive a name or formal family status until they turned two, a delay likely due to the alarmingly high infant mortality rate of 15th‑century Peru. Even after two years, the child’s first haircut ceremony—called rutuchicoy—was a public event where relatives gathered to witness the hair being trimmed for the first time.
During those early years, mothers fashioned a simple sling that draped over their backs, allowing the baby to ride along while the mother gathered herbs or performed other chores. This practical arrangement kept the child close yet minimized direct contact.
5 Schooling Was Surprisingly Not Sexist (Sort Of)
Around the ages of eight or nine, Inca youngsters left their homes to attend specialized schools. Although curricula differed between genders, both boys and girls received comparable levels of instruction.
Boys were taught Quechua, the empire’s lingua franca, and received training in religious rites and history. Girls, meanwhile, mastered brewing chicha, cooking, and religious customs—skills deemed essential for daily life.
Only the most attractive girls were chosen for the elite aqllakuna houses, where they could become priestesses or high‑status wives. The Sapa Inca, the supreme ruler, famously maintained a harem of numerous wives. Regardless of status, boys were prepared for roles as warriors, hunters, or farmers, though attendance at these schools was a privilege reserved for wealthier families.
4 Changing Clothes Was Important If You Were A Kid
At roughly fourteen, boys shed their humble garments for a ceremonial loincloth, signaling their transition into manhood. This shift was tied to the fact that teens were expected to marry during their teenage years.
Simultaneously, young men began inserting large ear plugs, gradually enlarging them over the years to achieve the impressive stretched earlobes that signified status. They also started carrying small pouches—akin to modern‑day purses—filled with coca leaves, which they chewed for luck and stamina.
Girls, by contrast, received fewer accessories; they wore longer dresses while boys donned tunics. A notable fact: the Sapa Inca would wear a brand‑new outfit only once before it was burned, whereas other nobles kept multiple garments for repeated use, reflecting the empire’s mastery of textile production.
3 Kids Wouldn’t Have Normal‑Shaped Skulls
From infancy, Inca parents bound their children’s heads to reshape them into elongated, cone‑like forms. Because a baby’s skull is pliable, this practice could easily produce the desired silhouette.
The motivation behind this cranial deformation was spiritual: a higher head was thought to elevate the mind and bring the wearer closer to the gods. Similar customs persisted among the Maya and other ancient peoples.
Archaeologists have also uncovered perforations in several Inca skulls, suggesting that deliberate holes were drilled to relieve swelling after violent club fights. This evidence points to a cultural acceptance of head injuries and their management.
2 Kids Were Probably Introduced To Sex And Marriage Too Young
Pottery and statues depicting sexual positions reveal that the Incas embraced a broad spectrum of sexual activity. It was customary for youths to engage in sexual relations before formal marriage, and many had multiple lovers prior to settling down. Homosexual encounters were also documented on ceramic artwork.
Despite this apparent openness, chosen women—known as aqllakuna—were expected to remain chaste until marriage. Given that girls typically wed between twelve and fourteen, it is likely that most experienced sexual activity well before their official unions.
The Inca social structure recognized three gender categories: straight men, straight women, and a third group encompassing transgender and homosexual individuals, called Tinkuy. This inclusive framework allowed young homosexual children to exist without concealment.
1 Marriage Was More Of A Business Trial
While men typically married in their late teens to mid‑twenties, women were often wed as early as twelve to fifteen. These unions functioned more as contractual agreements between families than romantic ceremonies, though a feast usually marked the occasion.
Each year, village leaders assembled all eligible youths and paired them off in arranged marriages. If two suitors vied for the same girl, the families presented arguments to the leader, who made the final decision.
Lower‑status men could only take one wife, but the marriage included a trial period of several years. Should the bride be dissatisfied, she could return to her natal family; likewise, a husband could send his wife back if unhappy. Typically, the bride moved into a home built by her husband’s family.
These arrangements underscore how marriage in the Inca world was a strategic, economic partnership rather than a purely personal choice.