LIMA, Peru — Archaeologists in northern Peru say they have found evidence of what could be the world’s largest single case of child sacrifice.
The pre-Columbian burial site, known as Las Llamas, contains the skeletons of 140 children who were between the ages of five and 14 when they were ritually sacrificed during a ceremony about 550 years ago, experts who led the excavation told The Associated Press on Friday.
The site, located near the modern day city of Trujillo, also contained the remains of 200 young llamas apparently sacrificed on the same day.
The burial site was apparently built by the ancient Chimu empire. It is thought the children were sacrificed as floods caused by the El Nino weather pattern ravaged the Peruvian coastline.
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Here’s a much more detailed article for those interested in the archeology.
Obviously, the Las Llamas society knew nothing about climate change. Within their belief system it made sense to sacrifice what was held dearest to them, their children and their llamas, to appease the angry gods. Perhaps they also believed, like modern-day jihadists, that giving a life for the greater good would lead to rewards in the afterlife.
Our supposedly enlightened citizens would consider such ritual sacrifices as the ancient history of an ignorant tribal culture.
However, thanks to the GOP some are willing to sacrifice our children, but not for a greater good unless you consider privatizing public education and enabling polluters to destroy the planet a greater good.
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Addendum: I must note, as the first commenter did, that archeologists are speculating as to why the children died. It is possible that they died as a result of a childhood disease. This is what Wikipedia says about the history of child sacrifice.