This figurine reportedly was discovered in 1954 near a child's burial on the mountaintop of Cerro El Plomo in central Chile at an altitude of 17,700 feet (5400 m). A gift to the mountain gods, it was buried there by the Inka with the body of a nine-year-old boy and other ritual offerings. At the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532, the Inka ruled a vast and diverse territory stretching from northern Equador to central Chile. The high altitude and subfreezing temperatures at the burial site account for the excellent state of preservation of both the mummy and the artifacts.