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The Temple of the Sun, in front of which almost 100 bodies, including many infants, were excavated from an unlooted tomb.

Ring of Babies: The disturbing scene found in 1,000-year-old tomb in Peru

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A disturbing scene unfolded as archaeologists in Peru excavated a 1,000-year-old tomb at the pre-Inca Pachacamac site several years ago: a ring of babies that had been buried with their heads facing into a grave site with the remains of 70 more people inside, some of whom had been diseased or sustained mortal injuries. Researchers pondered whether the babies had been sacrificed.

The site, 30 km (18 miles) southeast of Lima, has been under excavation since the 1890s. Archaeologists found the undisturbed tomb in 2012. Most of the rest of the site, one of the largest pre-Hispanic sites in South America, had been looted in colonial times, but this tomb 20 meters long (65 feet) was intact. The tomb is right in front of the main temple of Pachacamac. According to an article in Science Daily:

“The tomb is oval in outline, excavated into the earth and covered with a roof of reeds supported by carved and shaped tree trunks. A dozen newborn babies and infants were distributed around the perimeter, their heads oriented towards the tomb. The main chamber was separated into two sections, separated by a wall of mud bricks which served as a base for yet more burials. Inside the chambers, the archaeologists uncovered the remains of more than 70 skeletons and mummies (many of which still retained their wrappings), all in the characteristic fœtal position. The burials represented both sexes and all ages, and were often accompanied by offrenda including ceramic vessels, animals (dogs, guinea pigs), copper and gold alloy artefacts, masks (or 'false heads') in painted wood, calabashes, etc. These items are currently under restoration and analysis. Babies and very young infants were particularly common.”

A team of physical anthropologists studied the remains. They were led by Lawrence Owens of the University of London, under the overall direction of Professor Peter Eeckhout of the Université libre de Bruxelles, who has been digging at the site for 20 years. They theorized that the people may have been related because of certain traits the skeletons share. Some of the people buried in this particular tomb suffered from serious illnesses, which led researchers to ponder whether Pachacamac was a place of pilgrimage for treatment, similar to Lourdes. Others suffered physical trauma or even mortal injuries.

Previous work at what is called the Ychsma Project also has shown that many of the people buried there in other grave sites suffered from diseases. Inca sources testify to the site as a sort of spa or healing site, says Science Daily. People first inhabited the complex sometime in the 200 to 650 AD time frame and abandoned it in the 16 th century.

Brightly colored murals have been found at the site in addition to a great many interesting artifacts from all over the Andes region.

Brightly colored murals have been found at the site in addition to a great many interesting artifacts from all over the Andes region. (World Archaeology photo)

Pachacamac, which means Earth Maker, was a creator god to the people of the region, the Huari and later the Ychsma, before the Inca conquered them. The Inca absorbed Pachacamac into their belief system, but he was a considered subordinate to Viracocha, the supreme Inca god.

This site called Pachacamac was a temple complex devoted to the god. Archaeologists have found 17 pyramids, damaged beyond repair by the El Niño weather phenomenon.

According to Science Daily: “Professor Eeckhout and his colleagues are currently carrying out laboratory analyses aimed at answering numerous questions that have arisen concerning this discovery, and how to contextualise it within the wider context of the site and the period(s) in question. Were the infants sacrificed? Were the bodies all interred at the same time as a form of communal burial, or was the chamber reused over longer periods of time like some sort of crypt? Did the individuals come from Pachacamac or further afield? Did they belong to the same family or larger kinship group? What was their cause of death?”

Owens says in a blog that there may be 80,000 burials at Pachacamac. Some people were buried with macaw feathers and fine textiles, pots and other possessions. In 2014 researchers were excavating a painted temple adorned with polychrome murals and items from across the Andes, including seashells, exotic feathers, metals, wooden cups inlaid with fine materials and a lot of other artifacts, he wrote.

The House of the Sun Virgins, which has been reconstructed at Pachacamac.

The House of the Sun Virgins, which has been reconstructed at Pachacamac. (Photo by Xauxa/Wikimedia Commons)

“Among these are various burials, often in unusual ‘deviant’ burial formats – such as under floors, in strange positions and so forth – that promise to tell us a great deal more about these people and what their lives were like,” Owens wrote.

Oddly, after the initial reporting of the possibly sacrificed babies and the strange burial in front of the main temple, there has been very little news out of Pachacamac.

Featured image: The Temple of the Sun, in front of which almost 100 bodies, including many infants, were excavated from an unlooted tomb. (Photo by Charles Gadbois/Wikimedia Commons)

By Mark Miller

 
 

Comments

Well, it's true that good looks bad, when it is compared with some lofty idealized concept of perfection, but it is a fallacy to make the good the enemy of the perfect (Pursue excellence, not perfection. Excellence is attainable, perfection isn't.). The European nations were blessed with scientific and technological advantages that were a direct result of their underlying Judeo-Christian philosophies. The resultant free-thinking individuality, produced the massive innovations that have proved successful in both peaceful and, perhaps regrettably, hostile pursuits. Wars and colonization are not exclusive to Christians but, we can all thank God that Christianity is better armed than savagery is (We may soon enough see what happens as this becomes less and less true.).

You have said; " It is also well known ... that the colonization of the America's brought about more death and destruction of the native population than all the human sacrifices ever conducted in North and South America combined." I don't know where you got the statistics to back this up but, I must say that I'm not so sure it is true. The "native population" had been engaging in human sacrifices for a very long time before the arrival of Europeans. They also had been carrying on their own wars and colonization among themselves for ages prior to falling prey to the European conquest.

The Aztec empire for example was a particularly warlike state. They weren't native to the land where the conquistadors found them, they colonized the area from elsewhere, wiping out the previous inhabitants. They defeated the native Tepanecs and their next targets for imperial expansion were Coyoacan in the Basin of Mexico and Cuauhnahuac and Huaxtepec en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_Empire . The people of the neighboring city-states of the Aztecs, who were not killed outright in battle, were captured and ritualistically sacrificed before cheering crowds, by the thousands.

You are sure that I am not reasonable enough to admit that it is, "the colonizing cultures of Europe that deserved destruction." Well, I will admit that in the end, and that may not be too far off unfortunately, we will all get what we deserve. Judging between the relative superiority of one system over another can be highly opinionated but, it is possible to make such considerations with a degree of reason. Do you really think that we would be better off if we had not overcome these barbarisms and, that we should have preserved such cultures into modern times? I am sure that there is no human mind that is "not clouded with prejudice and hypocrisy" to some degree, including demonstrably yours, as well as mine.

Right, because Christianity has always brought peace and prosperity where ever it has spread? It has never been responsible for the deaths of innocent people. Christianity's Priests and Preachers have always converted people through the wisdom and insight of their theological conceptions; never through violent coercion and psychological pressure. Oh, wait, I am sorry, I was confusing reality with the delusional view most Christians have of themselves and their history.

The fact that ritualized cannibalism and human sacrifice was widely practiced in the America's is widely known. It is no secret. It is also well known among those who actually do their research that the colonization of the America's brought about more death and destruction of the native population than all the human sacrifices ever conducted in North and South America combined. By that metric, it is the colonizing cultures of Europe that deserved destruction, but I am sure you are not reasonable enough to admit it.

Minds not clouded with prejudice and hypocrisy do not shy away from the knowledge that the indigenous cultures of the America's practiced human sacrifice, such minds are wise enough to realize that there was more to them than that. They realize the profundity of civilizations that developed independently, something which is obviously lost on you.

I remember many years ago, there was a bird that used to wake me up by whistling outside my window every day at dawn. It was a really obnoxious bird, having only one note that it would repeat for hours on end. I tried to make allowances for its annoyingly repetetive sound, but eventually I shot the bastid.

"Oddly, after the initial reporting of the possibly sacrificed babies and the strange burial in front of the main temple, there has been very little news out of Pachacamac." This is not so odd really. The Liberal media is greatly invested in the idea that these aboriginal cultures should have been preserved in the face of the advancement of the Christianity, that came into conflict with them in the colonization of the Americas. They are loath to admit that human sacrifice and even cannibalism was widely practiced by these savages. And as far as infanticide goes, an obvious comparison may be made between these ancient pagan practices and, our modern, more "enlightened" predilection toward abortion (We too, seek to improve our life condition by sacrificing babies.). After all, when it comes to raising unwanted babies, they were years ahead of our culture concerning their "right to choose." Consequently the largely left leaning media propagandists are understandably, a bit squeamish about making too much of an issue about it.

Mark Miller's picture

Mark

Mark Miller has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and is a former newspaper and magazine writer and copy editor who's long been interested in anthropology, mythology and ancient history. His hobbies are writing and drawing.

 
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