One of northern Argentina's premier museums, the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña (MAAM; maam.gob.ar) has a serious and informative exhibition focusing on Inca culture and, in particular, the child sacrifices left on some of the Andes’ most imposing peaks. The centerpiece is the mummified body of one of three children (rotated every six months) discovered at the peak of Llullaillaco in 1999. It was a controversial decision to display the bodies (a 15-year-old girl, a girl aged around six, and a boy aged around seven) and it is a powerful experience to come face-to-face with them.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, the museum contains a number of galleries with displays in both English and Spanish. Buy tickets online in advance to avoid waiting in line. At the museum entrance, an information board lets visitors know which of the three children can currently be seen in the museum gallery.
After watching the introductory video, head to the top floor to view the objects found with the children. Display boards explain the historical context and the rituals and beliefs surrounding the sacrificial offering of the children, which was part of an important religious ceremony. Pieces include items for the children's journey to the afterlife, such as blankets, a drinking vessel and a textile bag, as well as figurines of animals and humans and miniatures of objects related to common activities for the Incas. Look out for the mountain shoes, which were worn when hiking through snow at the mountain peaks.
Downstairs, the Reina del Cerro (Queen of the Hill) exhibition displays the mummified body of a girl found at the top of Chuscha in Cafayate in the 1920s, and tells the story of how the body was recovered from a private collection in Buenos Aires and brought to Salta. Allow at least an hour to look around.
There’s a shop and library as well as a cafe-bar with a terrace.
