A widespread custom throughout Peru among the Inca was to bury the bodies of dead males with all of their most prized possessions and with their most beautiful and best-loved women. They believed in the immortality of the soul; it was common to find magnificent tombs where dead men were buried with their possessions, women and servants, and a great quantity of food and wine, along with their weapons and ornaments. It was customary to bury the dead in a sitting position. In the vicinity of Machu Picchu, the dead were buried seated upon a magnificent stool, fully adorned. Cadavers were placed on a large carved stone in a ceremonial burial spot and mourned for a time before burial. In some provinces the dead might be sewn into fresh llama-hide and kept in their relative’s house. Families

Question

of the deceased would stay in small, private caves and, for a time, mourn the departed loved one. When a chief died, the Peruvians buried him with his greatest treasures, living women and boys, and others who had been good friends of his, believing that they would be reunited in the afterlife where they could enjoy their food and drink together. The sacrificial victims were convinced by the priests that they were going to serve the god whom they loved. They were given a lot of chicha (wine) to drink in goblets made of gold, while songs relating their virtue in giving up their lives to serve their gods were chanted by the priests. They were then strangled by the priest and buried near the shrine in their graves. These people were highly honored among the Inca.

Which of the following best reflects the topic of the passage?
A) An overview of the burial customs for Incan males
B) The Inca: a barbaric tribe
C) Incas and their belief in the immortality of the soul

Answer 1

A) An overview of the burial customs for Incan males