Qhapaq hucha

thumb|The replica of the Plomo Mummy on display at the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural in Santiago, Chile Capacocha or Qhapaq hucha ( 'noble, solemn, principal, mighty, royal', 'crime, sin, guilt', Hispanicized spellings , , , also ) was an important sacrificial rite among the Inca that typically involved the sacrifice of children. Children of both sexes were selected from across the Inca empire for sacrifice in capacocha ceremonies, which were performed at important shrines distributed across the empire, known as , or .

Capacocha ceremonies took place under several circumstances. Some could be undertaken as the result of key events in the life of the Sapa Inca, the Inca Emperor, such as his ascension to the throne, an illness, his death, the birth of a son. At other times, Capacocha ceremonies were undertaken to stop natural disasters and performed in major festivals or processions at important ceremonial sites. The rationale for this type of sacrificial rite has typically been understood as the Inca trying to ensure that humanity's best were sent to join their deities.