Hair samples taken from child mummies suggest the ancient Incas “fattened” up children chosen for ritual sacrifice months before actually killing them, British researchers said on Monday.

A chemical analysis of four mummies found high in the Andes mountains also indicates the Incans took the children on a lengthy pilgrimage prior to the killings, the team said. In the case of the 15-year-old “Llullaillaco Maiden” the road to death started at least 12 months before.

“We are looking at a process that began a considerable amount of time before their death,” said Andrew Wilson, an archaeologist at the University of Bradford, who led the study. “The maiden was essentially being fattened up or prepared for her final fate at least 12 months before her killing.”

The frozen mummies, some of them extremely well preserved, come from the world’s highest archaeological site and offer insight into the victims’ backgrounds and how they were elevated in social status and prepared for the rituals.

Read the full story at Reuters

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