A chilling archaeological discovery has shed light on a mass ritual sacrifice in 15th-century Mexico, revealing the desperate measures taken during a devastating drought. In 1980 and 1981, the skeletal remains of at least 42 children, ages 2 to 7, were unearthed at the Templo Mayor, the central temple complex of Tenochtitlán (modern-day Mexico City). These children, sacrificed in a grim ritual, were found in ashlar boxes, their limbs contracted and faces turned skyward. Some were adorned with necklaces and held green stone beads in their mouths, signaling the ritual’s meticulous planning.
Recent research, presented at the ninth Liberation Through Knowledge meeting in Mexico’s National College, has revealed the purpose behind this horrifying act. The children were likely sacrificed to Tlāloc, the Aztec rain god, in an attempt to end the severe drought that had gripped the region and threatened survival.
Leonardo López Luján, an archaeologist and director of the National Institute of Anthropology and History’s (INAH) Templo Mayor Project, explained, “Initially, the Mexica state sought to alleviate the drought by opening royal granaries to distribute food to the needy. However, when these efforts failed, mass child sacrifices were performed at Templo Mayor to calm Tlāloc and his assistants, the tlaloque (rain dwarfs).”
The drought, which occurred between 1452 and 1454 during the reign of Moctezuma I, is supported by geological data and historical records from the Mexican Drought Atlas. This catastrophic event devastated crops, led to mass famine, and pushed families to sell their children to nearby towns in exchange for food, López Luján notes.
To understand the impact of this extreme weather event, López Luján explained, “Droughts in early summer likely stunted plant growth before the canícula (dog days of summer), while autumn frosts destroyed corn crops before harvest.” These climatic conditions, devastating both the food supply and local populations, forced the region into a prolonged state of desperation.
In one last, desperate attempt to gain favor from the rain god, the bodies of the sacrificed children were decorated with blue pigment, seashells, and small birds. The children were surrounded by 11 volcanic rock sculptures, carved to resemble the face of Tlāloc, symbolizing the people’s plea for rain and fertility. The intricate adornments likely aimed to make the children resemble the tlaloque, further emphasizing the connection between the sacrifices and the desperate hope for rainfall.
This grim discovery offers a rare and harrowing look into the harsh realities of ancient Mexico. The mass child sacrifice underscores the immense struggle for survival in the face of nature’s power and the extremes to which the Aztec people resorted in a bid to secure their futures.
