Offerings Form, Ancient Ilama Carvings Found in Lake Titicaca

A llama carved from a spondylus shell and cylindrical gold foil was found in a carved stone box at the bottom of Lake Titicaca.

According to researchers from Penn State University and Université libre de Bruxelles, the llama carving is a form of offerings made by the Incas in the past.

"We know that the Incas used to perform several ritual offerings and that was done in the lake," said Jose Capriles, assistant professor of anthropology at Penn State University.

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Lake Titicaca is located in the Andes, between Bolivia and Peru. It is the largest lake in South America and an important site for many cultures, including Tiwanaku and Incas.

Capriles and Christophe Delaere, colleagues from the Université libre de Bruxelles, report their findings on Antiquity.

"Since 2012, Université libre de Bruxelles has been carrying out research programs with the aim of discovering and inventorying the underwater heritage of Lake Titicaca," said Delaere.

"Our team has systematically conducted surveys around the islands and coral reefs around Lake Titicaca," he added.

The divers managed to retrieve the box intact — only a small part was eroded. The box containing the llama is tightly closed but not waterproof. The results of this discovery showed the researchers that Lake Titicaca actually was once a place of ritual and ceremony for the Incas.

"The underwater world remains largely unexplored and offers tremendous opportunities to understand prehistoric societies," said Delaere.

"The underwater legacy of Lake Titicaca has many surprises to reveal," he said.

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Apart from lakes, similar offerings were found in other parts of the Inca Empire — some on land and water. Many temple ruins and other monumental architecture on the coral reef and surrounding islands.

This has important implications for understanding the relationship between the developing Inca empire, the local communities living in the lake, as well as Lake Titicaca itself before European contact.

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