The ancient bones of children who were killed are revealed by the foothills in the Andes Mountains.
Archaeologists discovered 29 bodies of human beings that were buried in Huaca Santa Rosa de Pucal, an archaeological site in northwestern Peru. This is approximately 1,000 years ago.
The Wari culture is represented by four skeletons, one belonging to a teenager and the other belonging to an adult.
These four skeletons are the first known examples of human sacrifices from Wari civilization. Edgar Bracamonte Lvano (excavation director, research archaeologist at the Royal Tombs of Sipn Museum), shared the information to Live Science via email.
A view from the overhead of the excavation site. (Edgar Bracamonte Lvano)
The excavation found human remains as well as skeletons of eight guineapigs as well as several alpacas. They also found pots, bottles, as well as a knife with half-moon-shaped blade.
Related: Photos: The amazing mummies from Peru and Egypt
Bracamonte Lvano identified the tombs as Wari due to their presence in three distinct, D-shaped enclosures that were typical of the culture’s religious spaces.
He suggested that the human offerings could have been part of a ritual performed at the time of building these Wari-style religious areas.
The archaeological team discovered a fifth person who had been secondary buried in addition to the four offerings. Bracamonte Lvano stated that he had been buried elsewhere, and then reburied in the D-shaped enclosure.
A human skeleton unearthed at Huaca Santa Rosa de Pucal (Edgar Bracamonte Lvano)
From around AD 500 to 1,000, the Wari civilization thrived along the coasts and mountains of modern-day Peru. According to the World History Encyclopedia, Wari people are known for their finely woven textiles, sculpted pottery, and their roads and terraced farming. Later, these roads would be integrated into the Inca Empire.
Although the exact structure and composition of Wari society is still unknown, archaeologists found evidence that religion was closely intertwined in politics. Live Science reported that women were also included at the highest levels.
The Mochica or Moche culture was responsible for the 25 other skeletons that were buried but not burned at the site. The civilization thrived in the area of Lambayeque between AD 100 and 700. It would be replaced by the Wari later.
Moche art is known for its literal and naturalistic style, unlike Wari art which tends to favor abstract patterns and shapes. Bracamonte Lvano stated that this makes artifacts derived from both cultures easy to distinguish.
The Lady of Cao mummy is one of the most important Moche discoveries of recent years. This tattooed noblewoman was the subject of a National Geographic documentary in 2017.
The famous Moche mummy, the Lord of Sipn (also discovered in 1987), is now a resident in the Royal Tombs of Sipn Museum, under Bracamonte Vvano's watchful eyes.
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Live Science originally published this article. You can read the original article here.
