1,400-year-old skeleton found in underground channel in Peru may have belonged to human sacrifice victim
A mysterious burial in an underground water channel may help archaeologists understand a pre-Inca ritual in Peru.
Archaeologists have discovered a possible human sacrifice near the pyramid of Huaca Pucllana in the center of Lima, Peru. The skeleton may represent an offering connected to a ceremonial well that was closed up nearly 1,400 years ago.
Bones of an adult male were excavated from an underground water channel at the archaeological site earlier this year, according to an Aug. 18 translated statement from Peru's Ministry of Culture. The man was found resting on his left side, with his skull facing the ocean and the Huaca Pucllana pyramid, hinting he was intentionally placed that way.
The settlement at Huaca Pucllana was established around A.D. 400 in what is now Lima, Peru, and was occupied by different pre-Hispanic cultures until around 1440. The site is well known for its large platform pyramid, which was built by the Lima culture as the focal point of a ceremonial center.
The Lima people performed three main rituals at Huaca Pucllana, according to a 2023 study: the ritual destruction of massive pots, ritual banquets and human sacrifice.
The ritual sacrifices at Huaca Pucllana over four centuries varied in the number of people killed. For example, in 2007 and 2009, archaeologists discovered burials of an adult male and an adult female in the foundations of the pyramid. They believe these individuals were sacrificed to satisfy rituals associated with construction and architectural modifications of the pyramid.
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The newly discovered burial, which has been dated to around A.D. 650, was found in a water channel near the pyramid that leads to a ceremonial well. Although the Lima people used small mud bricks to erect the pyramid, they created the well and water channel with river stones, which was an unusual building technique for the Lima people, according to the statement.
The archeologists determined the newfound skeleton likely belonged to an adult male based on the shape of the pelvis and skull. That said, additional studies will officially confirm the sex, as well as the age at death and any trauma on the skeleton that could suggest the person was sacrificed.
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Further analyses of the skeleton and the underground water infrastructure may also reveal new clues to the "closing ceremonies" at the ritual well, according to the statement.
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Kristina Killgrove is a staff writer at Live Science with a focus on archaeology and paleoanthropology news. Her articles have also appeared in venues such as Forbes, Smithsonian, and Mental Floss. Kristina holds a Ph.D. in biological anthropology and an M.A. in classical archaeology from the University of North Carolina, as well as a B.A. in Latin from the University of Virginia, and she was formerly a university professor and researcher. She has received awards from the Society for American Archaeology and the American Anthropological Association for her science writing.
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