Archaeologists excavating in Peru have discovered small stone sculptures connected to ancient fertility rituals at the archaeological site of Kuélap, the country’s Ministry of Culture announced. The carvings, known as “illas,” depict animals with female sexual characteristics and mark a significant contribution to research on ritual practices tied to fertility in the region.
The Ministry, working through the Decentralized Directorate of Culture of Amazonas, said the pieces share characteristics with objects known as “conopas,” or “illas conopas.”
These small sculptures, typically carved from stone and shaped mostly like camelids, have been widely documented from the Inca period. Researchers have linked them to rituals meant to encourage fertility and abundance and to protect livestock herds, crops and the wellbeing of households.
Fertility ritual sculptures link Kuélap to Inca-era Peru
The Ministry also mentioned that some conopas were regarded as guardian figures within family life. Many contained hollow spaces where offerings were placed, including camelid fat, coca leaves or “chicha,” a fermented corn beverage.
Officials said the objects reflect a worldview in which certain natural elements and ritual items were seen as carriers of forces or qualities capable of connecting with people and their surroundings.
The archaeological research notes that conopas were not limited to household rituals but also played a role in political and religious life under the Inca state, reinforcing ties between families, sacred sites known as “huacas,” and state authority. In that setting, the objects were seen as expressions of reciprocity, balance, fertility and protection, researchers said.
Findings suggest continuity in Andean fertility traditions
At Kuélap, the discovery of illas shaped like female animal figures opens new avenues of research into the ritual practices carried out at the site, officials said.
Kuélap includes an occupation layer from the Late Horizon period, when the Inca state expanded into the region, allowing researchers to examine how local ritual traditions interacted with broader Andean customs of that era.
Officials noted the sculptures’ features point to ties with fertility and reproduction in Peru, and could shed light on how elements of Andean ritual tradition continued, were absorbed or took on new meaning over time.
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