Maya twins myth may have influenced child sacrifices, study suggests

It is not known how the boys found at Chichén Itzá (pictured) in 1967 died, but it is thought they were sacrificed to Chaac, the rain god. Photograph: Reuters

Genetic analysis of the skeletons of 64 infant boys who are thought to have been sacrificed in the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá more than a thousand years ago may shed light on the symbolic role twins played in the myths and rituals of their civilisation.

In 1967, the remains of more than 100 children were found in a repurposed chultún, or underground cistern, near the sacred sinkhole at the ceremonial centre of the pre-Columbian city, which was one of the largest and most influential Maya settlements between AD600 and 1000.