More than 40 remains of children from more than 600 years ago were unearthed in Peru, suspected of being sacrificed_1

Archaeologists recently uncovered over 40 children’s remains in an area outside Trujillo, a town in northern Peru, believed to be the victims of a ritual sacrifice that occurred more than 600 years ago.

Julio Asencio, one of the archaeologists at the excavation site, noted, “Many of the skeletal remains exhibit cut marks on the sternum and some on the ribs.”

Asencio explained that each child was buried separately. Additionally, the remains of two adults and nine llamas were found nearby, which likely served as offerings symbolizing food, clothing, and transportation.

He pointed out that these remains may belong to the Chimu civilization, which thrived in northern Peru from the 8th to the 15th century until it was conquered by the Inca Empire.

Historians believe this group may have conducted the child sacrifice rituals in response to severe rainstorms and flooding, attempting to pacify the deities they worshiped.

Scientists had previously discovered another site nearby thought to be linked to large-scale sacrifices by the Chimu civilization, which included the remains of 140 children and hundreds of llamas. The children’s remains also showed signs of having cut marks on their sternum and ribs, believed to have been made in the process of removing their hearts.

Peru is home to hundreds of archaeological sites, spanning cultures that predate the Spanish colonial era and the Inca Empire. About 500 years ago, the Inca Empire extended from what is now southern Ecuador all the way down to central Chile.