Discovery of the World's Largest Child Sacrifice Site in Peru

Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered evidence of the largest child sacrifice ceremony ever discovered. National Geographic reported on Thursday, April 25, that archaeologists found the remains of 140 dismembered children alongside 200 llamas, believed to have been sacrificed around 550 years ago as part of a religious ceremony. According to Agence France-Presse, the site is located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the La Libertad region of northern Peru, where the Chimu civilization flourished. The Chimus were indigenous people who worshipped the moon before Christopher Columbus arrived in South America. This rocky cliff is situated on the outskirts of Trujillo, which is currently the third largest city in Peru with a population of around 800,000. National Geographic noted that while human sacrifice among the Aztec, Maya, and Inca peoples has been documented by historians of the colonial era in South America and confirmed by modern scientific research, the discovery of a site where a large number of children were sacrificed in Chimu religious ceremonies is unprecedented in the Americas and possibly worldwide. The research was conducted by an international team led by Gabriel Prieto, a Peruvian collaborator of National Geographic and a professor at the National University of Trujillo, along with John Verano, an archaeologist from Tulane University in New Orleans. Verano commented on the child sacrifice site, referred to by researchers as 'Las Llamas,' stating, 'I never expected this, and I don't think anyone else did either.' Agence France-Presse added that excavations at this site began in 2011, when an archaeological group discovered the remains of 42 children and 76 llamas in a 3,500-year-old temple nearby. Five years later, when the excavations concluded, researchers uncovered the remains of 140 children, 200 young llamas, and some fabric and rope dating back approximately 1,400 to 1,450 years. This site, located about 300 meters above sea level, is among a collection of residential buildings in the Huanchaco neighborhood adjacent to Trujillo. National Geographic further reported that the skeletal remains of the children and animals indicate that their throats were cut and their ribs displaced. From this evidence, it can be concluded that the chests of the victims were opened, likely to facilitate the removal of their hearts. Researchers have determined that the ages of the sacrificed children ranged from five to fourteen years, with most being between eight and twelve years old at the time of death. Their bodies were buried facing west towards the sea. All the llamas were younger than 18 months and were buried facing east towards the Andes mountains. The Chimu civilization extended along the coastal strip of Peru to the Ecuadorian border, and their empire was overthrown by the Incas in 1475, several decades after this recently discovered sacrifice event. National Geographic also noted that prior to this recent discovery, the largest known case of child sacrifice with physical evidence was the discovery of 42 children's remains in an Aztec temple now located in Mexico City.