But they sacrificed young boys Dad, I want to go home

Any history buff can readily tell you that the ancient civilization of the Mayans was a pro human sacrifice society. Yes, that is right they would throw human children into caverns overflowing with water in anticipate of appeasing their gods.

Historians as well as archeologists previously thought that these ancient Mayan sacrifice victims were the village's virgin girls however recently documented studies disclose that they were in fact young boys.

Although the Mayan civilization was more sophisticated then other cultures in the ways of engineering and areas of study such as mathematics their philosophy of human sacrifice was purely antiquated, The Maya people were extremely capable of designing sophisticated palaces and complex temples within the southern Mexico rainforests and jungles. The Spanish upon arrival in the new world were thunderstruck when they witnessed the Maya priests of Chichen Itza sacrificing children to the Mayan deities in an effort to petition for fertile fields and abundance of rain.

These unfortunate children were coldheartedly fling into consecrated sinkhole fissures known to the Mayans as cenotes. The Mayans alleged that the caves not only served them as a means of acquiring life saving water but that they also grant a gateway into the underworld.

Through the piecing together of 127 bones discovered beneath one of the sanctified caves the archeologists at the University of Yucatan have concluded that 80 percent of the sacrifices were most likely young boys of ages 3 to 11 years. The remaining 20 percent were bones of adult men. More then likely the adult men's bones were the consequence of last minute acts of bravery in attempting to rescue their sons from a most certain demise.

To give an idea of the brutality of the early Mayan society the archeologists at the university believe that the children were hurl into their watery crypts while still living merely to pacify the rain god. Evidence seems to suggest that some of these fateful children were dismembered or ritually skinned prior to being sacrificed for divine benefit. The priests suspected that the gods favored small things and a close look at ancient Mayan stoneware will sometimes display four tiny helpers associated with the rain god.

Formerly it was believed that the sacrifices were selected from among the local young virgin females because the remains discovered from 850 AD were repetitively decorated with jewelry made of jade. In those days it proved unthinkable that possibly, the young males would be dressed with such embellishment.

Learn more about this author, Joseph Parish.
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