Museum of High Altitude Archaeology

The Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña (MAAM) is housed in a colonial building on the corner of Mitre and Florida, a short walk from Plaza 9 de Julio. It is one of the most important and unusual archaeology museums in South America, built specifically to conserve and display the Children of Llullaillaco — three Inca child mummies discovered at the summit of the Llullaillaco volcano in 1999.

The museum presents the full context of Inca high-altitude ritual: the capacocha ceremonies, the long procession from Cusco, the preparation of the offerings. One of the three mummies is displayed at any given time (the others are kept in preservation conditions), in a specially cooled chamber visible through glass. The experience is genuinely affecting. Allow at least an hour; the exhibits on the supporting collection of Inca ceremonial objects are also worth attention. Closed on Tuesdays.

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A story
In 1999 a joint Argentine-National Geographic team climbed to the summit of the Llullaillaco volcano at 6,739 metres — one of the world's highest peaks — and found three Inca children, sacrificed around 500 years ago, preserved in near-perfect condition by the cold and altitude. The discovery rewrote understanding of Inca capacocha ceremonies. Two of the three mummies are now displayed in rotation at MAAM; the conditions to view them are strictly controlled.

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