Archaeologists have found remains believed to be the biggest mass sacrifice of children in human history. The remnant that was found shows the rituals that killed more than 140 children at the same time in the northern coastal area of Peru, 550 years ago.
The researchers discovered the remnant near the present city of Trujillo, which extends in the heart of ancient Chimo civilization, and the remains of 200 llamas were found along with the children who were all killed in the same ritual. The excavation was funded by the National Geographic Society, which published the findings on its site.
“I never expected this, and I do not think anyone would have expected it,” said senior researcher John Ferrano.
The last such discovery such as these human slaughters in the area was in 2011 when researchers found 40 victims and 74 llamas during the excavation in a 3,500-year-old temple.
According to the National Geographic report, the age of children in this latest discovery ranges from 5 to 14 years, although most of them are between 8 and 12 years old.
The researchers suggest that children are human sacrifices given the fractures in their bones, including the rib cage bone, and ribs, which also means that their hearts have been displaced. And the bodies of many children were painted with light-colored violets, which might be part of the ritual. Also Llamas were subjected to the same operations, less than 18 months old, and buried in the Andes mountains in the east.
“When people hear about what happened and the size of it, the first question that comes to mind is why,” says Gabriel Britto, the chief researcher.
The researchers have been alerted to an indicator of the excavation process that may help to understand the conditions of the slaughters, which is the existence of layers of mud that in it buried human sacrifices, and this is believed to be due to “heavy rains and floods” fell in the area known as drought.
Archaeologist Hagen Klaus said that these tribes had sought to offer children, after adult offerings had failed to stop floods and heavy rains.
The technique of determining the history of radioactive carbon showed that the accident occurred between 1400 and 1450 (AD). And the Chimu worshiped the moon, and the Inca took control of them. Fifty years later, South America was invaded by Spain.
