'An offering to energize the fields': 76 child sacrifice victims, all with their chests cut open, unearthed at burial site in Peru

Over a dozen skeletons in graves, all victims of ritual sacrifice.

A 700-year-old burial mound containing the remains of 76 sacrificed children and two adults — all of whom had their chests cut open — has been found in Peru.

The burial mound is the latest of multiple sacrificial sites found at Pampa La Cruz, near the coastal city of Trujillo in northwestern Peru. All of the sites are connected to the Chimú, a large civilization that thrived in the region from the 12th to 15th centuries. The Chimú predated the Inca and are known for their artwork and textiles.