The initial collection of the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology began in March 1999, when a scientific expedition took place on Llullaillaco Volcano, located in the Los Andes, Salta – Argentina.
During that expedition, the remains of three children were discovered, along with an important burial assemblage. These grave goods include various items made from different materials, offered to the gods during the Inca ceremony known as Capacocha.

The Llullaillaco collection features objects that display a great diversity of raw materials, colors, shapes, and meanings, representing the Inca world in miniature. The items that make up the children’s funerary objects were crafted using materials from different regions. These objects held symbolic significance, conveying various activities, roles, and hierarchies within a sacred context.

The Llullaillaco children, known as the Lightning Girl, the Boy, and the Maiden, are in excellent condition thanks to the unique environment of the high mountains where they remained for centuries. As such, their display is made possible under strict cryoconservation conditions, which carefully control temperature, humidity, and pressure in special capsules to ensure their proper conservation and presentation.