Mummy Juanita. The Discovery of Mummy Juanita The discovery of the Juanita Mummy was made on September 8, 1995 by the archaeologist Johan Reinhard and his assistant Miguel Zárate. This discovery was made possible thanks to the melting of the snow that covered Mount Ampato, a fact caused by the volcanic ash from the eruption of a nearby volcano. As a result of this thaw, the mummy was exposed and rolled down the mountainside, where it was later found by Reinhard and Zárate. During a second expedition to the mountain in October of the same year, the frozen mummies of two more individuals were discovered in an even lower area of Mount Ampato. According to the researchers, Mummy Juanita was only between 12 and 15 years old. when she died. The two individuals discovered a month later were also children, and it has been speculated that they could have been companions of Mummy Juanita in a sacrifice made on top of the mountain.Capacocha:a ritual sacrifice According to the researchers, Mummy Juanita was sacrificed as part of a rite known as Capacocha. This ritual required the Incas to sacrifice the best and healthiest among them. This was done in an attempt to appease the gods and thus ensure a good harvest, or to prevent certain natural disasters. Based on the location where the girl was sacrificed, it has been suggested that the ritual was also linked to the religious cult of Mount Ampato.
Mummy Juanita before the wrapping was removed from her body Juanita's death When Mummy Juanita was discovered she was wrapped in a bundle. Apart from the remains of the young woman, the set also included various objects, including numerous miniature clay statues, shells and gold jewelry. All these elements were deposited as offerings to the gods. Archaeologists have proposed that these objects, along with food, coca leaves and chicha, an alcoholic beverage distilled from corn, would have been brought by the priests as they led the girl to the top of the mountain. Chicha and coca leaves They would have been used to sedate the girl, a practice apparently common among the Incas before sacrificing their victims. Once the victim was in this state of intoxication, the priests carried out the sacrifice. In the specific case of Mummy Juanita, the radiology revealed that a blunt blow to her head with a baton caused massive bleeding that resulted in her death. 
Illustration by Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala (1615). This image could represent the ritual of the Capacocha.
Another scientific analysis that revealed very interesting information about the life of Mummy Juanita was the isotopic analysis of her hair, which was possible because it was very well preserved. This analysis provided investigators with information about the girl's diet, revealing that she was selected as a sacrificial victim approximately one year before her death. This fact was determined by a change in the young woman's diet, revealed thanks to the isotopic analysis of her hair.
'La Doncella', one of the 'Children of Llullaillaco' mummies discovered in the province Argentina from Salta. The Children of Llullaillaco received a similar treatment before being sacrificed. Before being chosen for sacrifice, Juanita ate a standard Inca diet of potatoes and vegetables. This changed, however, a year before the sacrifice, when it was discovered that the girl began to consume animal proteins and corn, foods typical of the Inca elites. Today, the Juanita Mummy is in the Andean Sanctuaries Museum of Arequipa, a city located not far from Mount Ampato. The mummy is being preserved in a special urn that carefully maintains stable temperature and humidity inside it, in order to guarantee the preservation of these valuable remains for the future.
The mummy is currently in a special urn to guarantee its good state of conservation .
References:
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Holloway, A. 2017. Analysis Shows Children were Given Drugs and Alcohol before Ritual Sacrifice 500 Years Ago. [Online] Available at:http://www.ancient-origins.net/history/analysis-shows-children-were-given-drugs-and-alcohol-ritual-sacrifice-500-years-ago- 008571
Mariló T.A. 2015. Genetic Analysis of a Frozen Andean Mummy Reveals a Previously Unknown Lineage. [Online] Available at:http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/genetic-analysis-frozen-andean-mummy-reveals-previously-unknown-lineage-020624
Roach, J ., 2013. Inca child sacrifices were drunk, stoned for weeks before death. [Online] Available at:https://www.nbcnews.com/science/inca-child-sacrifices-were-drunk-stoned-weeks-death-6C10784197
Stice, J., 2017. Meet The Inca Ice Maiden, Perhaps The Best-Preserved Mummy In Human History. [Online] Available at:http://allthatsinteresting.com/mummy-juanita-lady-of-ampato