Largest known child sacrifice site discovered in Peru

The Guardian ^ | 04/28/18 | Associated Press

[Simon Green]

Archaeologists in northern Peru say they have found evidence of what could be the world’s largest single case of child sacrifice.

The burial site, known as Las Llamas, contains the skeletons of 140 children who were aged between five and 14 when they were ritually sacrificed during a ceremony about 550 years ago, archaeologists said on Friday.

The site, located near the city of Trujillo, also contained the remains of 200 young llamas apparently sacrificed on the same day.

The burial site was apparently built by the Chimú empire. It is thought the children were sacrificed as floods caused by the El Niño weather pattern ravaged the Peruvian coastline.

“They were possibly offering the gods the most important thing they had as a society, and the most important thing is children because they represent the future,” said Gabriel Prieto, an archaeology professor at Peru’s National University of Trujillo, who has led the excavation along with John Verano of Tulane University.

“Llamas were also very important because these people had no other beasts of burden; they were a fundamental part of the economy.”

Prieto said the children were buried facing the sea, while the llamas faced the Andes mountains to the east.

Excavation work at the burial site started in 2011, but the findings were first published on Thursday by National Geographic, which helped finance the investigation.

Prieto said researchers also found footprints that have survived rain and erosion. The small footprints indicate the children were marched to their deaths from Chan Chan, an ancient city 1.5km (one mile) from Las Llamas, he said.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Probably the ruling class taking the children of the poor.

Possibly.

Although in Carthage when they did that they were told that the gods were displeased with that kind of substitution and demanded the children of the ruling class.

Humans can be sick freaks.

[marktwain]

Cannibalism was also prevalent in Africa prior to Christian invasion.
_____________________________________________________________-
Cannibalism was prevalent in Mexico prior to the Conquest by the Christian conquistadors.

The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico is a primary source. Great reading.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3562800/posts

[TruthBeforeAll]

Maybe the should look at Jonestown Guyana where about 190 children under the age of 12 were sacrificed by their own parents at the alter of socialism.

[Tax-chick]

I read that Tyre and Sidon also took the children of the wealthy for Moloch.

Detailed analysis of the bones could give an idea of the nutritional level of the sacrificial victims relative to other juvenile remains in the area.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It was all the same culture so probably.

They did some analysis and found that many of the children were in good health which would point to the children of the wealthy.

I seem to remember that you were suppose to use either your own child or the child of a close relative if you were making a personal request.

I really need to stop reading history. Gives me nightmares.

[Tax-chick]

I’d briefly forgotten the Carthaginians were Phoenician. And yes, history is full of horrors. We’re about 2/3 of the way through an audio book about World War II espionage, and I’ll be ready to go back to light fiction for a while. I’ve requested a short (only 3 disks) tropical potboiler by Louis L’Amour, who spent some mysterious years in the South Pacific.

[MuttTheHoople]

And the evil Conquistadors destroyed paradise.</s>

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 04/28/2018. Thanks Simon Green.

Chimu keyword:

• Massacre of Children in Peru Might Have Been a Sacrifice to Stop Bad Weather [2019]
• Peruvian archeologists discover pre-Columbian statues [2018]
• Archaeologists find new mass child sacrifice site in Peru [2018]
• Exclusive: Ancient Mass Child Sacrifice May Be World's Largest [2018]
• Artifact of Chimu culture found in Machu Picchu [2012]
• Nain An sculptures: New secrets revealed at ancient Chan Chan [2009]
• Kuelap - The Machu Picchu Of Northern Peru (Chachapoyas - White, blonde haired people) [2006]