3 hours Ago By James Halpin
A CHILLING discovery has been made in a 700-year-old mass grave that contains the bodies of 76 sacrificed children. The Peruvian find comes from a civilisation that predated the Inca with the victims likely being conquered from a nearby village. Advertisement 8 The graves were found in a mound Credit: Gabriel Prieto, Huanchaco Archaeological Program 8 The Chimu site had the bodies of 76 children who likely had their hearts removed Credit: Huanchaco Archaeological Program 8 The mass grave was found in Pampa La Cruz, Peru Credit: Gabriel Prieto, Huanchaco Archaeological Program 8 Archaeologists have found the dead 76 children had their chests cut open from the collarbone down to the sternum and had their ribs forced open to remove the heart, LiveScience reports .
Now the experts believe they could have been sacrificed to "energise" irrigation for nearby agriculture. The sacrificial site was found in Pampa La Cruz, in northwestern Peru, and belonged to the Chimu . The mass grave was first found in 2022, but archaeologists have now begun to uncover the grisly details about its occupants.
Advertisement Read more on tech SKY HIGH Supersonic jet smashes key speed test in goal to fly NYC to London in 3.5hrs SPACE INVADER Watch Nasa drone that will visit nearby 'ocean' moon in hunt for alien life The children were buried naked with their clothes near them in a large mound along with silver and copper squares sewn onto the garments. The 76 victims also had elongated skulls, with bandages likely applied to the children when they were babies to modify them.
The elongated skulls and the diets of the victims make archaeologists believe they likely come from a different territory that was conquered by the Chimu. They could have been brought into Chimu territory and used to build irrigation systems, the archaeologists believe. Advertisement Most read in Tech 999 ALERT Fire crews battle blaze at flat as paramedics race to help injured residents PITCH BATTLE Kilmarnock 'push back plans to switch from artificial pitch to grass' Exclusive TV SWINDLER FREE Ex-STV host walks free after stealing £120k from mum's bank account Exclusive STRICTLY SHAKE-UP Strictly pros set to be AXED from show after string of scandals revealed Gabriel Prieto, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Florida, said: "The children's burial in this mound was possibly an offering to energise the fields.
"In Andean cosmology, the dead people become ancestors, and the ancestors legitimise the land rights, and justify and support the systems that keep the land producing." Moment experts take the wrapping off the mummy of an Inca nobleman Northwestern Peru is a desert and the Chimu could have been trying to turn the dry area fertile for growing food. Once they built the irrigation channels at the site, they could have been sacrificed.
Advertisement The fact that these children were likely not of Chimú heritage would have added an extra layer of value to strengthen the lands, Prieto said. Prieto previously said the area was thought to be free of child sacrifices, but they found the bodies at the top of the mound. 8 The skulls of the children were elongated Credit: Reuters 8 A number of Chimu mass graves have been found around the area Credit: AFP or licensors Advertisement A whopping 323 sacrificed children have now been found in Pampa La Cruz, with another 137 children found at another site nearby.
Their hearts were also removed. The Chimu sacrificed children by decisions made in the central government at the capital in Chan Chan - meaning the killing could have been a major event in the country. A number of shells were also found at the site, measuring 60m by 20m, which were "more valuable than gold" to the Chimu.
Advertisement Read more on the Scottish Sun NAUGHTY BHOY Celtic hero forced to apologise to Rod Stewart's wife for behaviour at mansion RUBBISH CHARGE Thousands of Scots to be hit with new £40 bin charge The Spondylus shells were prized by the Chimu as they were used in art and thought to have the power to influence supernatural forces. The Chimu were eventually conquered by the Inca in the 15th Century - who also sacrificed children. The Chimu - key facts The Chimu ruled along coastal Peru between about 900AD and 1500AD when it was conquered by the Inca.
The kingdom's capital was Chan Chan and as it expanded it conquered other cultures around the area. Chimu society worshipped the moon, unlike the Inca who worshipped the sun. They also loved Spondylus shells which they used in religious rites as well as art.
They are best known for their pottery and fine metal working which allowed them to make highly complex and beautiful art. 8 Spondylus shells were prized by the Chimu and found in the grave Credit: Huanchaco Archaeological Program 8 The mass grave was found in 2022 but is now being excavated Credit: Robert Clark / National Geographic Advertisement.
