Archaeologists have found out the reason for child sacrifices in Peru Analysis of the remains led scientists to the conclusion that these are children under the age of 14, who came from the mysterious empire of Chimu.
The largest known child sacrifice site in America - and possibly the entire world - was the Templo Major in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City), where 42 children were sacrificed in the 15th century. However, in 2011, in an area near An altar with an unthinkable 292 victims was discovered in Huanchakito, only three of whom were adults. The rest were children between the ages of 5 and 14.
Until today, this altar has been shrouded in an ominous aura of mystery. After examining the remains from Huanchachito, bioanthropologist John Verano confirmed that children and animals were deliberately killed in the same way - with a horizontal incision in the sternum, probably with subsequent removal of the heart. He found the constancy of the incision site, as well as the absence of any "traces of hesitation" - the stopping of the knife - on the bones, which is especially shocking. “This is a ritual murder, and it is very systematic,” Verano said in horror. But reconstructing the circumstances in which this horrific event took place was extremely difficult.
Nevertheless, archaeologists managed to establish that the remains belong to people from the mysterious empire of Chimu, the existence of which was last officially recorded already in 1470, which is relatively recent. However, comparing the data, Verano stated that the sacrifice was performed as part of the conquest of Chimu by the Inca empire, who often practiced the sacrifice of captives. It is also worth noting that soil and DNA analysis from the site of the alleged altar confirmed heavy rainfall on the day of the sacrifice. Obviously, the Incas took this as a bad sign and thus tried to appease their gods. Ironically, literally 60 years after this event, the Incas were conquered by the Spanish conquistadors.
Archaeologists find traces of human sacrifice in all parts of the world. The victims can number in the hundreds, and are often considered prisoners of war or victims of ritual battles, as well as servants killed after the death of a leader or the construction of a sacred building. However, the ancient Indians of South America were distinguished by their particular bloodthirstiness, in particular for the reason that they practiced child sacrifices. At the moment, this, of course, is not practiced, but the locals still sacrifice animals, hoping for the favor of their gods.