The remains of nearly 140 children dating to the year 1450 have been unearthed along the northern coast of Peru. Archaeologists say the burial is the site of the largest known mass child sacrifice in the world.
The children — as well as the remains of more than 200 young llamas — were found in a mass grave located on a cliff just a thousand feet from the Pacific Ocean in the small, present-day fishing community of La Libertad near Trujillo. Archaeologists say the children and llamas were slaughtered all at once in a ritual sacrifice performed by the ancient Chimú civilization. It is thought the children and llamas were killed during a time when an extreme El Niño weather system was wreaking havoc on the Peruvian coastline.
