The valuable animals were second only to humans ... but something valuable to the Incas themselves,” Valdez tells the Art Newspaper. “So, llamas were one of the valuable items they had.” ...

Llamas were particularly important to the Incas, who used them as pack animals, and for their skin, meat and fertilizer. For sacrifices, they were regarded as second only to humans, Valdez says.

The Incas were one of the largest empires in the world during the 1400s and early 1500s, said Andrew Hamilton, a lecturer in art and archaeology who led the trip. "Studying Inca material culture and ...