Mass child sacrifices in 15th-century Mexico were a desperate attempt to appease rain god and end devastating drought

A photograph of the skeletal remains.

A mass ritual sacrifice of young children to a rain god in 15th-century Mexico coincided with a deadly drought in the region, according to new research.

The skeletal remains of at least 42 children, ages 2 to 7, were discovered at Templo Mayor, the most significant temple complex in Tenochtitlán, now Mexico City, in 1980 and 1981.