Research conducted on genetic material found in an ancient Maya cistern revealed a practice of child sacrifice focused exclusively on males with close kin relationships, challenging long-held beliefs that the Maya preferred women for these sacrifices.
The ancient city of Chichén Itzá, built on what is now Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, has been investigated by archaeologists for over a century.
Now, an international team of experts found DNA evidence pointing to the sacrifices of young boys, a discovery that sheds light on the poorly understood practice of ritual killing.
