A mass grave of 25 to 30 skeletons has been unearthed in the ancient Peruvian city of Chan Chan, which archaeologists believe is the resting place of the society’s elite members.
The remains were discovered in a small space measuring just 107 square feet, roughly 10 feet long and 10 feet wide, located inside what was once the capital of the Chimú empire that reached its height in the 15th century before falling to the Incas in 1470 AD.
Jorge Menese an archaeologist told Reuters, that even though this site is well-known for the practice of human sacrifices in ancient societies, no evidence suggests that it occurred.
However, researchers plan to conduct tests in the future to determine each of the individual’s cause of death.
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A mass grave of 25 to 30 skeletons has been unearthed in the ancient Peruvian city of Chan Chan, which archaeologists believe is the resting place of the society’s elite members
The Chimú were a pre-Incan culture that emerged out of the remnants of the Moche culture along the coast of Peru in 900 AD.
The ancient inhabitants lived between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean in an area of desert 20-100 miles from the country’s border with South America.
It’s thought that the Chimú culture peaked in the first half of the 14th century, developing a complex civilization with different levels of social hierarchy.
The majority of mass graves discovered in or around the city’s ancient capital were the result of human suffering. Menese stated that the positions of these 25-30 skeletons suggests they were placed shortly after death.
The remains were discovered in a small space measuring just 107 square feet, roughly 10 feet long and 10 feet wide, located inside what was once the capital of the Chimú empire that reached its height in the 15th cent
Jorge Menese an archaeologist told Reuters, “While this society was once known for their human sacrifices,” there’s no evidence to suggest that this is the case at the site that has skeletons from men, women, and children.
Sinthya Cueva, archaeologist, stated in a video taken at the site, that while the remains of children and men are found, the majority are females younger than thirty.
The Chimú empire is famous for human sacrifices, specifically one uncovered in 2019 that is the largest the world has ever seen.
It is believed that more than 140 children and llamas were slaughtered as part of an elaborate mass sacrifice made to please the gods of an now extinct religion.
During the ritual, many children and young animals were forced to have their hearts broken.
Children ranged from 5 to 14 years of age.
Sinthya Cueva, archaeologist, stated in a video taken at the site, that while the remains of children and men are found, the majority are females no more than thirty years old.
The Chimú were a pre-Incan culture that emerged out of the remnants of the Moche culture along the coast of Peru in 900AD
It is thought a huge El Niño caused major flooding and storms which triggered the bloody sacrifice.
Analysis of the remains of more than 200 juvenile llamas and humans dates it to approximately 1450, during the peak of the Chimú civilization in northern coastal Peru.
More than 140 children, along with llamas, were found slaughtered in what is thought to be a mass sacrifice to appease the gods of a now extinct religion. Many of the children and juvenile animals had their hearts cut out during the grisly ritual
Study author John Verano, professor of anthropology at Tulane University, said: ‘This site opens a new chapter on the practice of child sacrifice in the ancient world.
‘This archaeological discovery was a surprise to all of us – we had not seen anything like this before, and there was no suggestion from ethnohistoric sources or historic accounts of child or camelid sacrifices being made on such a scale in northern coastal Peru.
‘We were fortunate to be able to completely excavate the site and to have a multidisciplinary field and laboratory team to do the excavation and preliminary analysis of the material.’