World’s Largest Child Sacrifice
In Peru’s northern coast, they found the remains of 140 children and 200 llamas. During tests on ropes and articles of clothing found in the graves, they found that it was dated from 1400 to 1450, around 550 years ago. They found the remains in an old sacrificial site formerly known as Huanchaquito-Las Llamas, in Pre-Columbian Chimu. They believe this to be the world’s largest child sacrifice.
The children’s ages were ranging from as young as 5 to as old as 14 and the llamas were under 18 months. The skeletal remains of both the children and the llamas had cuts across the sternum and rib dislocations. Archaeologists say it was to remove the hearts of both, children and llamas. All the skeletons showed that they were killed with a consistent and effective cuts which means the sacrificer was skilled and experienced with sacrificing.
In the National Geographic Articles, it stated the children’s bodies were facing out west towards the pacific ocean, and the llamas were facing out towards the Andes Mountains most likely to satisfy and appease El Niño. On the fossilized footprints of the children found around the site, was layers of mud, suggests that there was severe rain and flooding around a usually dry coast which is generally a result of El Niño. El Niño would have affected their lives drastically. Risen sea levels would have affected the sea fishermen and the rain damaged the large agricultural land.
Bioarchaeologist Haagen Klaus believes that the Chimu people turned to sacrificing their children, after sacrificing adults appeared to be ineffective. Additionally found at the site, there were bodies found of 3 adults, 2 females and 1 male. There were signs of blunt force trauma to the head. The lack of good graves with the bodies indicated that they were part of the sacrifice as well.