New findings pertaining to the sacrificial customs of the Maya civilization have brought significant revelations to light. In the classical period of the Maya empire, not just any children were selected for human sacrifice, recent DNA analyses suggest.
A study led by experts from the Max Planplanck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology indicates a specificity in the choice of young sacrificial victims. Analysis of ancient DNA from the remains of 64 individuals discovered in a subterranean storage chamber called a chultún reveals that the victims were predominantly young boys, many of whom shared close genetic ties, including two sets of identical twins.
This information proposes a shift in understanding, as it disputes the widely-held belief that sacrificial victims were usually young girls, providing valuable insight into child sacrifice practices in Chichén Itzá, located within Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
“Identical ages and diets of the male children, their genetic kinship, and consecutive interments in the same site over 200 years underscore the chultún as a post-sacrificial burial site, suggesting deliberation in the selection of these individuals,” says Oana Del Castillo-Chávez, an archaeologist at Centro INAH Yucatán.
The existence of the tragic destinies of the children placed in the chultún has been recognized since 1967, when excavations first unveiled the chamber filled with somber relics. What likely began as a water reservoir was later expanded, connecting to a nearby cave associated with sacrificial rituals—the chultún.
The chamber contained the bones of more than 100 children, but only now can sex be differentiated thanks to advancements in DNA retrieval and sequencing.
The research team, led by immunogeneticist Rodrigo Barquera, aimed to dissect and share the life histories of these young individuals by analyzing the bones of 64 children, combining genetic profiling with the study of isotope ratios in bone collagen.
First came the dating process, establishing that the chultún served as a burial site for over 500 years, from the 7th through the 12th centuries CE, with most interments occurring between 800 and 1000 CE, during Chichén Itzá’s zenith.
Isotope ratio analysis unveiled the victims’ diet and origin, suggesting local communities as their source, contrary to thoughts of them being brought from afar.
The surprising twist, however, was the discovery that all sampled bones were from male children, with around one-fourth exhibiting close genetic links and consistent diet, hinting at shared living.
“Identifying two pairs of identical twins was most unexpected,” remarks Kathrin Nägele, an archaeogeneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. “This is assured due to our sampling strategy eliminating the risk of repeating individuals.”
These findings suggest that the boys may have been selected in pairs for rituals, with twins possibly deemed more valuable. Identical twins occur mere 0.4 percent of the time, thus their presence in the chultún is statistically unusual.
The sacred Maya text Popol Vuh tells the tale of the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, overcoming the sacrificial demise of their twin father and uncle by entrapping the gods of the underworld through a cycle of sacrifices and resurrections.
“Narratives from the early 20th century inaccurately sensationalized the notion of young female sacrifices at this location,” says anthropologist Christina Warinner, from Harvard University.
“Our study, a collective international endeavor, turns that narrative around, connecting ritual sacrifice closely with the themes of death and rebirth described in canonical Maya texts.”
Details of this study can be found in the journal Nature.
FAQ Section
What was the timeline for the Maya empire’s sacrifices?
The Maya empire’s sacrifices, as evidenced by the remains in the chultún, spanned over 500 years from the 7th to 12th centuries CE. Most of the remains, however, date from the peak period between 800 and 1000 CE.
Were the sacrificed children local or brought from other regions?
The isotopic analysis suggests that the children were local, as their diets consisted of food sources found within the immediate region around Chichén Itzá.
How did researchers determine the sex and relationships of the sacrificed children?
Advanced DNA retrieval and sequencing techniques allowed researchers to identify the sex and familial relationships of the victims. The analysis revealed that many of the children were related and most were males, including two sets of identical twins.
Why is the presence of identical twins among the children significant?
Identical twins are a rare occurrence in the general population (around 0.4 percent). The discovery of two sets of identical twins among the victims suggests that they could have been especially chosen for rituals, perhaps because twins held a special cultural or religious significance in Maya traditions.
How does this study change our understanding of Maya sacrificial practices?
This study overturns the previous misconception that victims of Maya child sacrifice were predominantly female, revealing that young boys and notably twins were selected for rituals.
Where can I read more about this research?
The details of this research are published in the journal Nature.