When the Spanish arrived in what is now Mexico, they were shocked by the level of complexity of Mesoamerican civilizations, but particularly by their penchant for human sacrifice. While human sacrifice is well documented among the Aztec of Central Mexico it is not as well documented among the Maya civilization of Mesoamerica. There is debate among archaeologists as to whether many of the burials claimed to be evidence of human sacrifice among the Maya should be reinterpreted as funerary, citing lack of evidence of violent forms of death (Weiss-Krejci, 2003). While many researchers are still in disagreement on certain aspects of Maya human sacrifice, there is ample evidence found in the art, literature, architecture, early ethnographic accounts,
…show more content…
A detailed example of this ritual is also depicted on a gold disk recovered from the Sacred Cenote at Chichén Itzá (Robicsek & Hales, 1984). Numerous wall murals and carvings at the site of Chichen Itza depict human sacrifice (Morely, 1956), such as the scene depicting the dismemberment of the earth goddess by two serpent-shafted knifes in the ball court’s North Temple (Miller, 2008), and scenes in the panels along the walls of the ball court that depict the losers being decapitated. Murals at the site of Santa Rita also depict both bound individuals and decapitation of sacrificial victims (Vail & Hernandez, 2008). Another example of human sacrifice in Maya art is Stela 21 at the late preclassic site of Izapa, which also depicts a decapitation taking place, with one individual holding a severed head in one hand, a blade in the other, and another decapitated individual lying at his feet, blood flowing from his neck (Fowler, 1984). Another famous example is the mural located in structure 1, room 2 at Bonampak, which depicts Ahau Chan Muwan on top of a temple, alongside other warriors and royal women, receiving war captives. Numerous sacrificial victims lie at their feet, bleeding or dead, on the steps of the temple while at the base of the pyramid a long line of warriors awaits their …show more content…
These include a decapitated skeleton, one with severed arms, and two that were cut in half at the waist, all which were interpreted by the researchers to have occurred before the time of death, likely resulting in death. The researchers conclude that based on the elaborate preparation of the remains (covered in hematite, wrapped in bark cloth), general absence of grave goods suggesting low social status, and the position of the bodies, face down, hands and feet bound, that the majority of the burials were a result of ritual sacrifice (Fowler, 1984) Additionally, numerous Maya sites in what is now Belize show evidence of human sacrifice. At Cuello in addition to disarticulated and decapitated remains found in various contexts, archaeologists also recovered two mass burials, containing 32 and 12 individuals that showed evidence of ritual sacrifice (Robin, 1989). Evidence of human sacrifice was also found at the sites of Kaminaljuyu, Nebaj, Piedras Negras, Tikal, Luubantun, Altun-Ha, Barton Ramie, Baking pot, San Jose and Mountain Cow among others (Kron, 2011, Weiss-Krejci,
A detailed example of this ritual is also depicted on a gold disk recovered from the Sacred Cenote at Chichén Itzá (Robicsek & Hales, 1984). Numerous wall murals and carvings at the site of Chichen Itza depict human sacrifice (Morely, 1956), such as the scene depicting the dismemberment of the earth goddess by two serpent-shafted knifes in the ball court’s North Temple (Miller, 2008), and scenes in the panels along the walls of the ball court that depict the losers being decapitated. Murals at the site of Santa Rita also depict both bound individuals and decapitation of sacrificial victims (Vail & Hernandez, 2008). Another example of human sacrifice in Maya art is Stela 21 at the late preclassic site of Izapa, which also depicts a decapitation taking place, with one individual holding a severed head in one hand, a blade in the other, and another decapitated individual lying at his feet, blood flowing from his neck (Fowler, 1984). Another famous example is the mural located in structure 1, room 2 at Bonampak, which depicts Ahau Chan Muwan on top of a temple, alongside other warriors and royal women, receiving war captives. Numerous sacrificial victims lie at their feet, bleeding or dead, on the steps of the temple while at the base of the pyramid a long line of warriors awaits their …show more content…
These include a decapitated skeleton, one with severed arms, and two that were cut in half at the waist, all which were interpreted by the researchers to have occurred before the time of death, likely resulting in death. The researchers conclude that based on the elaborate preparation of the remains (covered in hematite, wrapped in bark cloth), general absence of grave goods suggesting low social status, and the position of the bodies, face down, hands and feet bound, that the majority of the burials were a result of ritual sacrifice (Fowler, 1984) Additionally, numerous Maya sites in what is now Belize show evidence of human sacrifice. At Cuello in addition to disarticulated and decapitated remains found in various contexts, archaeologists also recovered two mass burials, containing 32 and 12 individuals that showed evidence of ritual sacrifice (Robin, 1989). Evidence of human sacrifice was also found at the sites of Kaminaljuyu, Nebaj, Piedras Negras, Tikal, Luubantun, Altun-Ha, Barton Ramie, Baking pot, San Jose and Mountain Cow among others (Kron, 2011, Weiss-Krejci,