Skeletons of 76 sacrificed children found in Peru
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A horrific scene has been discovered in Peru of 76 skeletons belonging to children that were sacrificed over 450 years ago, with five small children sitting head to head in a circle in one grave.
The remains were buried in two burial mounds, and all the children, minus five in one grave, were buried with their feet to the east and their heads to the west, a recurring pattern among similar sacrificial burials of the ancient Chimu society, known for its terrible practices.
This discovery sums up the 302 child sacrifices that have been found in the area, all killed in six different sacrifices from 1050 to 1500.
The reason these children were killed is still unknown, but scientists speculate that their lives may have been a gift to the gods.
The Chimu was a pre-Inca culture that emerged from the remnants of the Moche culture along the coast of Peru in 900 CE. BC, and this civilization was the largest pre-Columbian empire in Peru before the arrival of the Incas.
This group is widely known for their innovations in agriculture, such as the construction of large irrigation systems, as well as the sacrifice of their children.
The graves were discovered at the archaeological site of Pampa la Cruz, located in the Huanchaco region, reports Andina.
Archaeologists have discovered 25 burials in barrow I and 51 in barrow II.
The team is doing more research to determine how these children were killed and if there was any reason other than that they were gifts to the Chimu gods.
The region is known for mass graves containing the remains of children, the largest of which was discovered in 2019.
More than 140 boys and girls between the ages of five and 14 were killed in what is believed to be a mass sacrifice to appease the gods of a now-extinct religion.
Many children and young animals had their hearts cut out during this gruesome ritual.
Analysis dates all the remains to around 1450, the heyday of the Chimu civilization in northern coastal Peru.
Study author John Verano, professor of anthropology at Tulane University, said: “This find opens a new chapter on the practice of child sacrifice in the ancient world. This archaeological discovery came as a surprise to all of us – we had never seen anything like it before, and there was no indication in ethnohistorical sources or historical accounts that children or camels were sacrificed on such a scale in the northern coastal regions of Peru. We are fortunate to have been able to fully excavate this site and have a multidisciplinary field and laboratory team to carry out excavations and preliminary analysis of the material.”
Anatomical and genetic tests published in the journal PLOS One show that cuts on the sternum of children and llamas indicated that their chest was opened to remove the heart.
Christina DENISYUK.
Photo: EPA
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