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Historically, we often examine the ancient and even current religious rituals with reactions ranging from curiosity to an unsettling sense of moral horror. Scientific studies have frequently shown that humans resort to violence when pushed to the edge, whether to assert dominance or for sheer survival.
Religion takes over this aspect of human life, combining status and survival, offering them to mystical forces that people have long sought to appease in hopes of blessings and prosperity. Here are 10 civilizations that practiced one of the most unusual rituals of all—child sacrifice.
10. Babylon
Situated at the heart of civilization's origins, Babylon was a colossal settlement and one of the dominant powers of the ancient world. The Babylonians performed human sacrifices to their chief god, Marduk, and other deities such as Anu, the god of Uruk, especially during the later periods of the Babylonian Empire. Annual fire festivals were held in which children were offered as sacrifices to Anu.
Human sacrifice was a defining practice throughout the entire history of Babylon, with the earliest recorded mention of the city dating back to the 23rd century BC. It remained a formidable city and empire until its conquest by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, after which it never regained its former splendor.
9. Aztec
The Aztecs are perhaps the most famous civilization for their religious human sacrifices. In October 2017, archaeologists made a remarkable discovery: a cylindrical pit, carefully excavated and lined with volcanic stones centuries ago, dedicated to sacrifices to the Aztec gods.
Tenochtitlan, an ancient Aztec metropolis, now lies beneath modern-day Mexico City. The discovery was made at the base of Templo Mayor, an Aztec temple in Tenochtitlan. It is believed that the child, referred to as Offering 176, was sacrificed sometime during the 1400s.
This was a period of Aztec territorial expansion when numerous children were sacrificed to their gods. It is likely that Offering 176's death was intended to appease Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war, and secure blessings for the city's inhabitants.
8. Canaan
Canaan refers to the ancient land encompassing parts of modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Israel. The Holy Bible contains many references to Molech (also spelled Moloch), an ancient Canaanite god to whom human sacrifices were both common and disturbingly frequent.
Molech was sometimes called the “god of child sacrifice” by certain groups. This deity was believed to be particularly pleased by offerings that involved burning living individuals, especially children, in a fire.
In the Holy Bible, the Book of Leviticus explicitly prohibits this practice. Leviticus 18:21 states, “Neither shall you give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.”
7. Israelites
Before the law in Leviticus, the Israelites practiced human sacrifice, including the sacrifice of children, sometimes even to the foreign god Baal. Additional scriptures, such as those in Kings, suggest that the Israelites worshiped false gods and engaged in the ritualistic killing of children.
The Bible recounts instances where the children of ancient Israel were treated almost like animals, offered as burnt sacrifices, sometimes to placate the Judeo-Christian god Jehovah. While some scholars have strongly rejected these claims, the accounts are clearly present in ancient texts that have survived.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that human sacrifice was generally considered taboo and contrary to religious law in most Judeo-Christian traditions.
6. Olmec
The Olmec civilization was one of the earliest and largest settlements in ancient Mesoamerica. Their influence and culture extended across much of southern North America, including the territories of modern-day Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.
The evidence against the Olmec people is compelling. They are believed to be the first known Mesoamerican civilization to practice human sacrifice. Their culture predates other early American civilizations by a significant margin.
Around 300 BC, the Olmec people mysteriously disappeared. The humid rainforest gradually eroded the remains of those who had once lived there. All that remains are the artifacts of their long-lost civilization.
However, there is clear evidence of child sacrifice in ancient Mesoamerica. Numerous bones have been unearthed from various locations, such as Midnight Terror Cave in Belize and the sacred shrine of El Manati. This culture sacrificed thousands of children to their gods. The bones of these children—along with those of many women—are all that remain for us to discover.
5. Maya
The Mayan civilization emerged about 1,500 years after the Olmec and continued the practice of human sacrifice to appease their gods. Archaeologists excavating the ancient Guatemalan city of Ceibal, which dates back to Mayan times, made a strange discovery—obsidian stones buried at the sites of child sacrifices to their deities.
Obsidian is a naturally occurring dark glass, often deep black in color, formed when lava cools quickly. The Maya regarded obsidian as a sacred stone.
The Maya would offer small children as sacrifices to their gods, believing that the blood of these children empowered the gods. Afterward, the Maya would bury the children face-to-face in a grave, often with an offering of obsidian.
4. Toltec
What other cultures practiced on a smaller scale, the Toltec civilization carried out on a much larger scale. Throughout history, many civilizations thrived in southern North America, and the Toltec emerged right before the Aztec empire in what is now Mexico. They ruled from the 10th to the 12th centuries AD, and like other cultures before them, child sacrifice was evidently a crucial part of their customs.
In Tula, Mexico, a mass grave was uncovered during construction, containing the remains of at least 24 children. All the signs pointed to a ritualistic mass killing and child sacrifice to their gods.
The bodies are thought to have been killed and buried between AD 950 and AD 1150. Compared to our more peaceful world today, this culture stands out as unusual and perhaps offers a glimpse into the harsh reality of the past and humanity’s more brutal instincts.
3. Celts
As the Roman Empire expanded, it put an end to human sacrifice, a practice that was largely seen as taboo in Greco-Roman society, with few exceptions. Many Roman writings portray the empire’s moral superiority, as they did not partake in such rituals. However, the Gauls—whom the Romans referred to, and we know today as the Celts—carried out the ritualistic killing of children in various parts of ancient Europe.
The Celts were a brutal, loosely organized group of tribes, who at times banded together to ward off Roman invasions. In battle, they would decapitate their enemies and preserve the severed heads as trophies. This gruesome practice served both as a symbol of conquest and a form of psychological warfare to deter future adversaries.
Given the violent nature of the Celts, it’s unsurprising that they would also engage in child sacrifice to appease their gods. Roman authors, including Julius Caesar, meticulously recorded this disturbing practice, expressing their strong disapproval of it.
Recent excavations at Celtic sites have revealed mummified remains of sacrificed children, alongside evidence of ‘blood fountains’—structures where blood drinking and cannibalistic rituals took place. The Celts were a fearsome and violent culture, and these discoveries highlight the extreme brutality humanity is capable of when shaped by such customs and beliefs.
2. Teotihuacan
Numerous Mesoamerican cultures constructed colossal stone structures where they conducted their grim human sacrifice rituals. One such example is the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan, Mexico, where the ancient Mesoamerican inhabitants performed heart extractions on children, offering them to the gods in sacrifice.
The pyramid itself is roughly 2,000 years old, and within its grounds, the remains of many sacrificed children have been uncovered. Oddly, the people of Teotihuacan left behind no written records or hieroglyphs, leaving us to wonder about the true nature of their society.
As was common with many early Mesoamerican cultures, the Teotihuacanos mysteriously vanished, and their disappearance remains an unsolved mystery. Centuries later, the Aztecs referred to Teotihuacan as 'the City of the Gods,' and its untouched structures continue to serve as a relic for future generations to discover.
1. Inca
The Inca civilization is unique among Mesoamerican cultures when it comes to human sacrifice, as they seemingly only sacrificed children and never adults. This practice continued until European settlers arrived.
The children chosen for sacrifice were intentionally selected for their strength and health, as they were believed to be the most favorable offerings to the gods. Being selected for sacrifice or having a family member chosen was considered a great honor in Inca culture.
Despite their smaller population compared to other Mesoamerican civilizations, the Inca Empire spanned an impressive 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) at its peak. Child sacrifice was deeply embedded in the Mesoamerican world of ancient times. While European colonists made significant efforts to stop these practices, many of these rituals continued in secrecy after their arrival.
