An altar is discovered in a massive abandoned city-state in Guatemala. And you’ll never guess what they were sacrificing there…
An altar from the Teotihuacan culture, at the pre-Hispanic heart of what became Mexico, was discovered in Tikal National Park in Guatemala, the center of Mayan culture, demonstrating the interaction between the two societies, Guatemala’s Culture and Sports Ministry announced this week.
The enormous city-state of Tikal, whose towering temples still stand in the jungle, battled for centuries with the Kaanul dynasty for dominance of the Maya world.
Far to the north in Mexico, just outside present day Mexico City, Teotihuacan — “the city of the gods” or “the place where men become gods” — is best known for its twin Temples of the Sun and Moon. It was actually a large city that housed over 100,000 inhabitants and covered around 8 square miles.
The still mysterious city was one of the largest in the world at its peak between 100 B.C. and A.D. 750. But it was abandoned before the rise of the Aztecs in the 14th century.
Lorena Paiz, the archaeologist who led the discovery, said that the Teotihuacan altar was believed to have been used for sacrifices, “especially of children.”
“The remains of three children not older than 4 years were found on three sides of the altar,” Paiz told The Associated Press.
“The Teotihuacan were traders who traveled all over the country (Guatemala),” Paiz said.
A collapsed empire. An abandoned city. Child sacrifice. And traders who traveled all over.
You don’t say.