A chilling discovery has unveiled the grim reality of a mass ritual sacrifice in 15th-century Mexico, linking the tragic event to a deadly drought that gripped the region. The skeletal remains of at least 42 children, ranging in age from 2 to 7, were unearthed at the Templo Mayor, the most prominent temple complex in Tenochtitlán (now Mexico City) in 1980 and 1981. These innocent victims were laid to rest in ashlar boxes on a bed of sand, their limbs contracted and faces turned upwards. Some were adorned with necklaces and held green stone beads in their mouths, hinting at a carefully planned ritual.
New research, presented at the ninth Liberation through knowledge meeting: “Water and Life” at Mexico’s National College, sheds light on the horrifying purpose behind this sacrifice. The children were likely offered to Tláloc, the Aztec rain god, in a desperate attempt to appease his wrath and end the crippling drought that plagued the region.
Leonardo López Luján, an archaeologist and director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History’s (INAH) Templo Mayor Project, explained, “At first, the Mexica state tried to mitigate the effects by opening the royal granaries to redistribute food among the neediest classes, while carrying out mass sacrifices of children in the Templo Mayor to calm the fury of the tlaloque [rain dwarves who were assistants of Tláloc].”
The severity of the drought, which occurred between 1452 and 1454 during the reign of Moctezuma I and the construction of the Templo Mayor, is evident in geological data and entries in the Mexican Drought Atlas. The catastrophic event decimated harvests, devastated populations, and forced families to sell their children to nearby towns in exchange for food, according to López Luján.
To understand the devastating impact of the drought, López Luján explained, “Everything seems to indicate that droughts in early summer would have affected the germination, growth, and flowering of plants prior to the canícula [dog days of summer], while autumn frosts would have attacked corn before it had ripened.” The combination of these events would have destroyed crops and led to prolonged famine, plunging the region into a desperate struggle for survival.
In a final attempt to appease the rain god, the sacrificed children’s bodies were adorned with blue pigment, seashells, small birds, and surrounded by 11 sculptures made of volcanic rock. These sculptures were crafted to resemble the face of Tláloc, highlighting the desperate hope for rain and fertility. López Luján suggests that the adornments on the children were likely meant to make them resemble rain dwarves, further reinforcing the connection between the sacrifices and the desperate plea for rain.
This harrowing discovery provides a glimpse into the brutal reality of ancient Mexico, where survival was a constant struggle against the forces of nature. The sheer desperation of the people, culminating in the sacrifice of innocent children, serves as a stark reminder of the power of nature and the lengths to which humans will go to ensure their survival.
