Archaeologists recently unearthed fragmented skulls and numerous human bones scattered on the floor of Cueva de Sangre, a cave in Petén, Guatemala, where people were sacrificed in a Maya ritual to appease the rain god. The cave, whose name translates to blood cave, was first discovered in the 1990s during a survey of the archaeological site in Petén, where more than a dozen caves used by the Maya between 400 BCE and 250 CE were found.
The bones lay on the surface rather than being buried. Many of the human bones showed signs of traumatic injuries received approximately at the time of death. Researchers concluded that the site was used for ritual human sacrifice due to the nature of the injuries on the bones. Analysis of the bones from Cueva de Sangre only just began.
Michelle Bleuze, a researcher from California State University, found signs that the bones had been subjected to ritual dismemberment. “Right now we are focused on who these people are who are here, because they are treated completely differently than the majority of the population,” she said, according to NEWS.am. The bone injuries indicate ritual dismemberment rather than immediate burial.
Some human remains were arranged in a non-anatomical way, further indicating the ritual nature of their collection. Archaeologists discovered four stacked skulls on the ground in one part of the cave, supporting the notion of ritual use of the site. The cave contained more than 100 adult and juvenile human bone fragments, and bones bearing marks of traumatic injury were found scattered on the floor, but they weren't well studied until recently.
Cueva de Sangre can be accessed through a small opening and a descent into a low passage that leads to a pool of water, likely used for ritual purposes by the ancient Maya. The cave was likely accessible only in the dry season, from March to May, after which the rains would have rendered it inaccessible. Researchers believe that the timing of accessibility is key to understanding the meaning of the sacrifices.
Archaeologists found items known to have been used in rituals, such as obsidian blades and red ochre, in the cave. According to scientists, the combination of injuries found on the bones, the high density of human remains in the cave, and the presence of ritual items indicated that Cueva de Sangre was a place of ritual sacrifice for the ancient Maya, not a standard burial practice.
One skull fragment from the cave bore a mark on one side indicating it was struck by a tool like a hatchet. A similar mark on an infant's hip bone was likely made around the time of death. “Deposition of human remains within subterranean spaces held a special cultural significance across Mesoamerica because of the importance of the sacred, animate Earth in Amerindian Indigenous cosmology,” researchers wrote. “The types of skeletal elements present, trauma, arrangement of bones, and bone modifications strongly support the sacrificial nature of the deposition,” they added.
Today it is clear that human sacrifices were fundamental in the social life of the Maya, likely intended to appease the Mayan rain god Chaac. One of the ritual holidays of the modern Maya is called the Day of the Holy Cross. The Day of the Holy Cross is celebrated on May 3, just before the start of the rains. During this day, people visit caves to pray for rain and a good harvest.
Bleuze mentioned that a clear answer to the mystery of the bones in the cave will have to wait a little longer. “Further studies, including DNA analysis of the bones, are needed to better understand the nature of such practices,” she said.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.