Archaeologists exploring a burial site at Huaca Cao Viejo in northern Peru have uncovered human remains indicating an unusual sacrificial ritual. The remains of two adolescents, closely related to the adults they were buried with, were found, suggesting a familial connection in these sacrifices.
These teenagers were sacrificed approximately 1,500 years ago during an Andean burial ceremony. Genetic research has confirmed their relationships with the adults, marking a previously undocumented ritual involving family members, as reported by Live Science.
The study focuses on the Moche culture, which thrived on Peru's northern coast from 300 to 950 CE. Known for their elaborate ceremonies and human sacrifices to deities, the Moche left numerous archaeological sites, yet little evidence previously indicated sacrificial practices involving close relatives.
Co-author Lars Fehren-Schmitz, an archaeogeneticist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, stated, "This is the first genetic evidence showing familial ties between victims and the buried. No prior evidence suggested that close relatives or adolescent kin were sacrificed, as we observed."
The findings originate from the Huaca Cao Viejo burial site, a pyramid structure discovered in 2005. The tomb contains six individuals, including a high-status Moche woman known as Señora de Cao, alongside three men and two adolescents, a boy and a girl, who were strangled with plant fiber ropes.
Genetic analysis revealed that the girl was the niece of Señora de Cao, while the two men were likely her brothers. One of these men was identified as the father of the sacrificed girl. The teenage boy, also strangled, was the son of one of Señora de Cao's brothers. This represents the first evidence of a son being sacrificed by a father in Moche burial traditions.
The tomb's contents suggest a unique form of personal ritual sacrifice, distinct from the public rituals typically associated with the Moche. Fehren-Schmitz noted that strangulation might have been viewed as a dignified way to honor high-status individuals. However, the exact reasons for the familial sacrifices remain unclear. Harvard anthropologist Jeffrey Quilter speculates that internal conflicts or political motives may have influenced these ceremonies.
Future research aims to determine whether familial sacrifices were a widespread tradition and to explore the underlying social dynamics that shaped these rituals. This study not only enhances our understanding of Moche culture but also raises broader questions about the role of family and power in ancient Andean societies.