The village Huanchaco in Peru makes an idyllic impression. A sandy beach lures visitors into the waves of the Pacific, on a long boardwalk you can enjoy the evening sun.
However, archaeologists have a different picture of the region near the city of Trujillo. For years they have been digging in various places near the sea. The results of her work point to a drama that took place more than 500 years ago.
Over the past few months, they have been digging one grave after another near Huanchaco. There was a child in each, so far the ancient experts have discovered the remains of 227 children and adolescents. None died of natural causes.
Chest open, heart cut out
Instead, the children between the ages of four and fourteen were violently killed. Traces on the ribcage indicate that their hearts were cut out. At the children a bloody ritual was practiced. Such human sacrifices are known from various cultures in South and Central America, such as the Aztecs, to a lesser extent the Mayas or Incas.
But nowhere is there a find site where so many children were sacrificed at once. And according to archaeologist Feren Castillo, more could be found, they would be practically everywhere. The find may be unique in the archaeological world: it is the world's largest burial ground for ritual children's sacrifices. In addition, the remains of the people are very well preserved. The dry soil has the small body very well preserved, some are still leftovers of the clothes received, to some still skin and hair pieces. Some wore silver earrings.
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Archeology: 227 dead children for the godsThe dead were part of the Chimú culture. Near the excavation site is the ruined city of Chan Chan. In its heyday, the mudbrick site was one of the largest in America and capital of the Chimú Empire. The Chimús settled in the 15th century from today's Lima about 1000 kilometers along the Pacific coast north to the present-day border of Peru with Ecuador. However, the Incas conquered the empire in 1475, so civilization went out.
But this has nothing to do with the death of the children. Their bodies had not been accidentally discarded, the graves were accurately positioned - the eyes of the dead went towards the sea. Why did they have to die?
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An answer could have found researchers already in the past year. Nearby, at the site of Huanchaquito-Las Llamas, they had discovered a similar burial ground - it was dated at about the same time as the current find. More than 140 children were also sacrificed at the site just outside Chan Chan, and around 200 young lamas died. They all came from different parts of the Chimú realm, had revealed chemical analyzes.
At the time, people may have suffered from climatic changes. This was shown by analyzes of a special layer of mud in the soil, which dates back to the time of the graves. He must have been wet when the dead were buried, because there are still footprints in the ground today.
Apparently, the region was hit by heavy rains and floods about 500 years ago. The trigger could have been even then a particularly violent phase of the climate phenomenon El Niño, the researchers believe. To this day, he has caused mudslides in the region where people are dying.
To appease the gods, priests may have made more and more sacrifices. It is possible that only animals and adults had lost their lives before children were killed. That certainly did not affect the rain.