TRUJILLO, PERU—Live Science reports that the 550-year-old remains of around 140 children and 200 llamas have been discovered at the Chimú site of Huanchaquito-Las Llamas in northern Peru. John Verano of Tulane University said the children’s bones bear cut marks and some of them had damaged ribs. The injuries suggest that the healthy and well-nourished children had been sacrificed and that some of their hearts had been removed, although scientists do not know whether the children were alive when they were cut open. Bright red pigment made from cinnabar had been placed on the children’s faces, perhaps as part of the ritual. Some of the llamas had ropes around their necks, and footprints at the site indicate they may have tried to flee. There were no signs of struggle from the children, however. They were buried facing the sea, while the llamas were buried facing the Andes Mountains, but Verano and his colleagues are not sure why. “One possibility is that llamas originally came from the highlands,” he said, “and the Chimú had deities and art that focused on marine themes, like fish and sea birds, so they had the children face the sea.” All of the bodies were placed in a layer of mud that was perhaps produced by a catastrophic weather event such as El Niño. To read about a recent discovery in nearby Huanchaco, Peru, go to “Unknown Elites.”
