Ancient Maya DNA Study Sheds Light on Child Sacrifice Rituals

For centuries, the ancient Maya civilization has captivated our imaginations with its towering pyramids, intricate artwork, and mysterious rituals. But perhaps no practice has been more perplexing and disturbing than child sacrifice.

Who were these young victims, and why were they chosen to die? A new study using ancient DNA analysis is finally shedding light on this dark chapter in Maya history, revealing startling insights into the identities and fates of the sacrificed children.

A Grim Discovery at Chichén Itzá

In 1967, archaeologists excavating near the sacred sinkhole at Chichén Itzá, one of the most important Maya cities, made a grim discovery. In an underground cavern known as a chultún, they found the remains of around 100 individuals, most of them children. 

Radiocarbon dating showed that the chultún had been used for 500 years, with the majority of the children interred there between AD 800 and 1,000, at the height of Chichén Itzá’s power.^(ref)

Chichén Itzá was one of the largest Maya cities and a major center of political, economic, and religious activity in the northern Yucatán Peninsula. The city is known for its impressive architecture, including the iconic El Castillo pyramid, and for its cenotes – natural sinkholes that provided a vital source of water in the arid region. 

The Sacred Cenote, located in the northern part of the city, was a particularly important religious site associated with human sacrifice.

Unraveling the Mysteries with Ancient DNA

But who were these children, and why were they sacrificed? To answer these questions, researchers turned to a powerful new tool: ancient DNA analysis.

By extracting and sequencing DNA from the petrous bone in the base of each child’s skull, they were able to determine that all of the victims were boys, mostly between the ages of 3 and 6. Strikingly, at least a quarter of them were closely related to at least one other child in the chultún, including two pairs of twins, siblings, and cousins.^(ref)

The use of ancient DNA analysis has revolutionized our understanding of past populations and has been particularly valuable in the study of human remains from archaeological contexts. By comparing the DNA of the sacrificed boys to that of modern Maya populations, the researchers were able to establish a direct genetic link, suggesting long-term continuity in the region despite the upheavals of European colonization.

Clues from Isotope Analysis

Further clues came from analysis of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in the children’s bones, which suggested that related boys had similar diets. This finding, along with the DNA evidence, led the researchers to conclude that related male children were likely selected in pairs for ritual sacrifices linked to the chultún.

Isotope analysis is a technique that allows researchers to reconstruct aspects of an individual’s diet and geographic origins based on the chemical signatures preserved in their bones and teeth. Previous isotopic studies of remains from the Sacred Cenote suggested that some of the sacrificed individuals may have originated from distant regions, including Honduras and central Mexico. 

The new study provides a more detailed picture of the local origins and familial connections of the chultún victims.

Connecting the Victims to Living Maya Communities

But the study didn’t stop there. By comparing the ancient DNA to that of residents of the present-day Maya community of Tixcacaltuyub, the researchers found a close genetic signature, demonstrating that the sacrificed children were likely ancestors of the living Maya population. 

The team also showed how the residents’ immune systems had been shaped by the biological consequences of diseases brought by European colonizers, including genetic variants that may have protected them against devastating epidemics like the 1545 cocoliztli outbreak.

The collaboration with the Tixcacaltuyub community was an important aspect of the study, reflecting a growing recognition of the need for more ethical and inclusive approaches to ancient DNA research.

Shedding Light on a Dark Chapter

While the findings of this study are undeniably disturbing, they also offer a valuable window into a little-understood aspect of ancient Maya culture. By combining cutting-edge genetic analysis with archaeological and historical evidence, researchers are piecing together a more complete picture of who the sacrificed children were, why they were chosen, and how their deaths fit into the larger fabric of Maya society.

Human sacrifice was widespread in ancient Mesoamerica, and the Maya were no exception. Spanish colonial accounts and early excavations at Chichén Itzá tended to emphasize the sacrifice of young women, but more recent osteological analyses have shown that both males and females of various ages were among the victims. 

Child sacrifice, in particular, seems to have been associated with agricultural cycles, the propitiation of rain deities, and mythological traditions involving divine twins.

As unsettling as these practices may seem to modern sensibilities, it is important to understand them in the context of ancient Maya beliefs and values. Sacrifice – whether of humans, animals, or precious objects – was seen as a way of nourishing the gods, ensuring the continuation of the natural cycles, and maintaining the cosmic order. 

For the Maya, death, and sacrifice were integral parts of a worldview that emphasized transformation, renewal, and the interconnectedness of all things.