Genetic Analysis Reveals Family Sacrifices in 1,500-Year-Old Moche Tomb in Peru
A genetic study of a 1,500-year-old Moche tomb in Peru has revealed a unique sacrificial ritual involving family members. Two teenagers, one a boy sacrificed to his father and a girl to her aunt, were found buried alongside high-status individuals in a tomb at the Huaca Cao Viejo temple. This discovery, reported in PNAS, challenges previous assumptions about Moche sacrificial practices, which typically involved public, gruesome offerings. The study, which included genomic sequencing, also confirmed the familial connections between the individuals, including Señora de Cao, a prominent woman of the Moche culture. Researchers are now seeking to explore whether such familial sacrifices were common among the Moche elite.
A tomb from the Moche culture, dating back 1,500 years and located at the Huaca Cao Viejo temple in Peru, has been found to contain evidence of familial sacrifices. Genetic analysis of six individuals interred in the burial site revealed that two teenagers, who had been strangled, were closely related to the adults they were buried alongside. This discovery, reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), highlights a unique ritualistic practice previously undocumented in the region.
Family Connections Unveiled in Burial Site
As per a report by LiveScience, the Moche civilisation, which thrived along Peru's northern coast between A.D. 300 and 950, is known for its ceremonial human sacrifices to deities. However, researchers involved in the study indicated this discovery marks the first instance of sacrifices involving close adolescent relatives during funerary rites. According to Lars Fehren-Schmitz, an archaeogeneticist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who spoke to Live Science, no previous archaeological findings have suggested such a practice.
The analysis determined that the teenagers were sacrificed upon the deaths of family members. One boy was likely sacrificed following his father's death, while a girl appears to have been offered during her aunt's burial. The relationship between the sacrificed individuals and the dead was confirmed through genomic sequencing, which also revealed that the tomb held the remains of a high-status woman, referred to as Señora de Cao, along with her brothers, one of whom was the father of the sacrificed girl.
Insights into Moche Rituals and Society
The Huaca Cao Viejo tomb, part of the El Brujo archaeological complex, was first uncovered in 2005. It held elaborate burials, including a pyramid-like painted structure. Fehren-Schmitz noted that the sacrifices by strangulation appeared to be more private and dignified, potentially reserved for individuals of significant societal or spiritual importance.