MEXICO: Mexico finds bones suggesting Toltec child sacrifice

Record ID: 303722

  • Title: MEXICO: Mexico finds bones suggesting Toltec child sacrifice
  • Date: 21st April 2007
  • Summary: PYRAMIDS AT RUINS
  • Embargoed: 6th May 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: History
  • Reuters ID: LVA6VIVAJRLVJYIA0D7DDMWL10RM
  • Story Text: Archaeologists have discovered the bones of more than 20 pre-Hispanic Mexican children from the ancient, pre-Aztec Toltec civilization. The discovery of the bones have led authorities to believe that the ancient civilization sacrificed children in addition to their adult sacrifices.

    The grisly find of the buried bones of 24 pre-Hispanic Mexican children may be the first evidence that the ancient Toltec civilization sacrificed children, an archaeologist studying the remains said on Monday (April 16).
    The bones, dating from 950 AD to 1150 AD and dug up at the Toltecs' former capital Tula, north of present day Mexico City, indicated the children had been decapitated in a group.
    The way the children, aged between 3 and 15, were placed in the grave, and the fact they were buried with a figurine of Tlaloc, the God of rain, also pointed to a group sacrifice, archaeologist Luis Gamboa said.
    "An altar was found that was part of Toltec construction and inside that the remains of child of around three years old was found along with an offerings. When we went to do a study of the area around the finding, we discovered a total of 23 buried bodies. The vessels we found next to the individuals were mostly ceramic and orange in colour," Gamboa said.
    Gamboa also said the children were most likely brought from outside of Tula for the purpose of sacrifice.
    "These vessels were brought here and used as offerings. Because of this, we are formulating a hypothesis that indicates these people who were discovered were probably sacrificed previously and do not belong to Toltec people but were from somewhere outside the ceremonial city," the archaeologist said.
    The Toltecs were a war-like pre-Aztec civilization known for sacrificing adult humans -- mainly prisoners of war -- to the Gods.
    Based in the ancient city of Tula, about 50 miles (80 kilometres) north of Mexico City, they flourished until the late 12th century, influencing much of Mexico from the southwestern United States down to the Gulf of Mexico and Central America.
    Tula is best known today for its fearsome 15-foot-high (4.5 metre) stone warrior figures.
    The children's bones were discovered by accident at the end of March by construction workers deepening the foundations of an office building in Tula, outside the archaeological zone.
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