On which volcano were the Inca 'Children of Llullaillaco' mummies discovered?

The Inca “Children of Llullaillaco” mummies were discovered on Llullaillaco, a 6,739-metre stratovolcano on the modern Argentina–Chile border. The burial site lies near the volcano’s summit in the high Andes.

Archaeologists Johan Reinhard, Constanza Ceruti, and their team found the three mummified children in 1999. The remains—two girls and one boy—were placed in separate underground chambers with textiles, pottery, and small figures made from precious metals and shells. The ritual took place around the year 1500 and is associated with capacocha, an important Inca sacrificial ceremony.

The mountain’s extreme environment helped preserve the bodies for roughly five centuries. Llullaillaco lies in the Atacama Desert, where exceptionally dry air, freezing temperatures, and high altitude slowed decomposition. The site is often described as the world’s highest archaeological site.

The mummies include La Doncella, the Maiden; La Niña del Rayo, the Lightning Girl; and El Niño, the Boy. Since 2007, they have been displayed at the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology in Salta, Argentina, under carefully controlled conditions.