A Bioarcheological Study into the Methodology of Child Sacrifice in the Chimú State​

Introduction:

From the ancient practice of hitobashira [i] in Japan to the “skull tower” of the Aztec [ii], the practice of human sacrifice was central to the religious and administrative sectors of many ancient cultures.  Although generally preformed to appease the local divinity, reasons for human sacrifices varied. Such reasons to appease the gods included to stop natural disasters such as the overflowing of rivers[iii], to ensure good crop production[iv], or for protection and safety of buildings[v]. Sometimes human sacrifice was even preformed in association with ball games [vi].

In pre-Hispanic times the act of human sacrifice was very present in South America as seen with the most common example of the Aztecs and Inca [vii]. Usually overshadowed in literature by these later societies, Chimú state prospered from approximately 850 to 1470 AD and was the most prominent South American civilization at the time with its political capital of Chan Chan filled with art and intricate architecture [viii] [ix]. Regarding human sacrifice this society is highly notable with its sacrificial site of Huanchaquito Las Llamas (HLL). This site served as the most indisputable example of child sacrifice in the ancient Andes with the remains of at least 137 children found, most with evidence of clear cuts across the sternum[x]. The original hypothesis for these unusual incisions was for heart removal in response to a flood event, which would serve as an indicator as to the deity-pleasing nature of this sacrifice[xi]. The newer excavations at the sacrificial site of Pampa La Cruz (PLC) indicate however that the sacrifices occurred over a long period and heart removal may not have been the goal [xii], leading to potential ambiguity as to the reasoning behind these sacrifices. 

My research will delve into the methodology of the killing of these individuals with the goal to determine why the sternum cuts were made. This will shed light on the nature of the sacrifice and contribute to the understanding of what role this practice played in Chimú society and our understanding of the history of child sacrifice as a whole.  

Background/ Review of Literature: 

Not only did nearly all of the sacrificed individuals at HLL display a sternum cut but there is also evidence for the event to have occurred after a heavy flood event. This weather event as well with the accounts of Inca removing hearts to appease the gods led to the conclusion that these cuts were made for heart removal although this was not the standard method of heart removal at the time [xiii]and simpler methods exists. This theory was not brought into question until the excavation at PLC where the six sacrificial events displayed different ratios of sternum cuts with only 23% of the children sacrificed in event 1 having showed evidence of the cuts, so it is highly possible that other killing methods were present[xiv]. The sternum cuts increase in prominence over the 6 events. These six sacrificial events occurring over a span of five centuries serve as evidence that to the Chimú society human sacrifice was not just a rash response to climate crises but a practice more central to the culture [xv] and that we still do not have a full understanding as to why hundreds of children were sacrificed. 

Method and design: 

A photographic and skeletal record exists for each individual already excavated at the HLL and PLC sites and this is where my research will begin. The photos will be examined to ensure that the sternum cuts were the cause of death, and if not, to determine what the other cause of death could be. The skeletal records will be analyzed and measured to determine the exact location on the sternum for each cut, how deep and wide the cut was made, and its angle. The “false starts” [xvi] will be analyzed similarly as they might explain whether a certain spot in the sternum was being sought for, or if as previously thought the individual had to make several attempts to cut open the sternum[xvii].  I am hoping to gain assistance from Dr. Valerie de Leon (and if she is not able to, another specialist) to advise me in how to study these cuts further. I will also develop a field survey to document these cuts during excavation as I will be spending the summer with Dr. Prieto’s field school excavating PLC where I will have a chance to study the sternums in person.

Once this data has been collected it will be compared to child anatomy to determine what part of the biology might warrant this peculiar cut. Pediatricians as well as pediatric thoracic surgeons will be contacted help determine the anatomical reasoning if any exists.

 

[i] Tsuda, Noritake (1918) "Human Sacrifices in Japan.," The Open Court: Vol. 1918: Iss. 12, Article 6. pp. 763

[ii] Daley, J. (2017, July 3). Aztec “skull tower” contains remains of women and children. Smithsonian Magazine.

[iii] Tsuda, Noritake (1918) "Human Sacrifices in Japan.," The Open Court: Vol. 1918: Iss. 12, Article 6. pp. 760-762 

[iv] Best, E. (1976). Mäori religion and mythology: Being an account of the cosmogony, anthropogeny, religious beliefs and rites, magic and folk lore of the Mäori Folk of New Zealand: Part 1. Government Printer / Te Papa Press. pp.242-244

[v] Mitchelhill, J., & Green, D. (2013). Castles of the samurai: Power and beauty. Kodansha USA. 

[vi] Garcia, D. A. (2017, June 7). Archaeologists discover aztec ball court in heart of mexico city. Reuters. 

[vii] Ceruti, M. C. (2015a, August 6). Frozen mummies from Andean mountaintop shrines: Bioarchaeology and

[viii] Florek, S. D. S. (2022, November 5). Chimu State. The Australian Museum.

[ix] Chimú 101. National Geographic . (2023, October 19). https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/chimu-101/ 

[x] Prieto, G., Verano, J. W., Goepfert, N., Kennett, D., Quilter, J., LeBlanc, S., Fehren-Schmitz, L., Forst, J., Lund, M., Dement, B., Dufour, E., Tombret, O., Calmon, M., Gadison, D., & Tschinkel, K. (2019, March 6). A mass sacrifice of children and camelids at the Huanchaquito-Las Llamas site, Moche Valley, Peru. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211691 

[xi] Prieto, G., Verano, J. W., Goepfert, N., Kennett, D., Quilter, J., LeBlanc, S., Fehren-Schmitz, L., Forst, J., Lund, M., Dement, B., Dufour, E., Tombret, O., Calmon, M., Gadison, D., & Tschinkel, K. (2019, March 6). A mass sacrifice of children and camelids at the Huanchaquito-Las Llamas site, Moche Valley, Peru. PLOS ONE. 

[xii] Prieto, G., Verano, J., Rowe, A. P., Castillo, F., Flores, L., Asencio, J., Chachapoyas, A., Campaña, V., Sutter, R., Isla, A., Tschinkel, K., Witt, R., Shiguekawa, A., Rivera Prince, J. A., Gagnon, C. M., Avila-Mata, C., Tokanai, F., Aldama-Reyna, C. W., & Capriles, J. M. (2023). Pampa la cruz: A new mass sacrificial burial ground during the Chimú occupation in Huanchaco, north coast of Peru. Ñawpa Pacha, 1–86. https://doi.org/10.1080/00776297.2023.2221481 

[xiii] Prieto, G., Verano, J. W., Goepfert, N., Kennett, D., Quilter, J., LeBlanc, S., Fehren-Schmitz, L., Forst, J., Lund, M., Dement, B., Dufour, E., Tombret, O., Calmon, M., Gadison, D., & Tschinkel, K. (2019, March 6). A mass sacrifice of children and camelids at the Huanchaquito-Las Llamas site, Moche Valley, Peru. PLOS ONE.

[xiv] Prieto, G., Verano, J., Rowe, A. P., Castillo, F., Flores, L., Asencio, J., Chachapoyas, A., Campaña, V., Sutter, R., Isla, A., Tschinkel, K., Witt, R., Shiguekawa, A., Rivera Prince, J. A., Gagnon, C. M., Avila-Mata, C., Tokanai, F., Aldama-Reyna, C. W., & Capriles, J. M. (2023). Pampa la cruz: A new mass sacrificial burial ground during the Chimú occupation in Huanchaco, north coast of Peru. Ñawpa Pacha. pp. 53.

[xv] Prieto, G., Verano, J., Rowe, A. P., Castillo, F., Flores, L., Asencio, J., Chachapoyas, A., Campaña, V., Sutter, R., Isla, A., Tschinkel, K., Witt, R., Shiguekawa, A., Rivera Prince, J. A., Gagnon, C. M., Avila-Mata, C., Tokanai, F., Aldama-Reyna, C. W., & Capriles, J. M. (2023). Pampa la cruz: A new mass sacrificial burial ground during the Chimú occupation in Huanchaco, north coast of Peru. Ñawpa Pacha. pp. 52.

[xvi] Prieto, G., Verano, J., Rowe, A. P., Castillo, F., Flores, L., Asencio, J., Chachapoyas, A., Campaña, V., Sutter, R., Isla, A., Tschinkel, K., Witt, R., Shiguekawa, A., Rivera Prince, J. A., Gagnon, C. M., Avila-Mata, C., Tokanai, F., Aldama-Reyna, C. W., & Capriles, J. M. (2023). Pampa la cruz: A new mass sacrificial burial ground during the Chimú occupation in Huanchaco, north coast of Peru. Ñawpa Pacha. pp. 27. 

[xvii] Prieto, G., Verano, J., Rowe, A. P., Castillo, F., Flores, L., Asencio, J., Chachapoyas, A., Campaña, V., Sutter, R., Isla, A., Tschinkel, K., Witt, R., Shiguekawa, A., Rivera Prince, J. A., Gagnon, C. M., Avila-Mata, C., Tokanai, F., Aldama-Reyna, C. W., & Capriles, J. M. (2023). Pampa la cruz: A new mass sacrificial burial ground during the Chimú occupation in Huanchaco, north coast of Peru. Ñawpa Pacha. pp. 27.