Ancient burial in Ecuador reveals possible ritual sacrifice of pregnant woman

Proceeding from a recent report, CBS News describes that a remarkable archaeological discovery in Ecuador has shed light on an ancient burial that could reveal new insights into ritual practices from over a thousand years ago. 

Archaeologists who excavated the remains of a pregnant woman in Ecuador’s coastal region, believed to have lived over a thousand years ago, suggest she may have been part of a ritual sacrifice or punishment.

The remains, referred to as Burial 10, were dated between AD 771 and AD 953. According to a study published last month by Cambridge University Press for the Society for American Archaeology, the woman, who was around 17 to 20 years old at the time of her death, had her hands and left leg removed either at or near the time of her death.

Archaeologists highlighted the significance of the young woman’s burial due to her pregnancy at the time of death. Her remains showed signs of a cranial fracture and cut marks on her hand bones, leading researchers to hypothesize that she might have been sacrificed. 

"Perimortem trauma, including a cranial fracture and cutmarks on hand bones, perimortem removal of the hands and left leg, and other body manipulation suggest she was sacrificed, a rare event for coastal Ecuadorian peoples," the researchers wrote. 

While human sacrifice is uncommon in coastal Ecuador, the positioning of her body and the missing limbs indicate that the burial may have held ritual significance, according to the study.

Her eyes were covered with two ark clam shells, and a large green clay stone was found nearby, along with several ceramic fragments positioned on her forehead, the study revealed. Crescent-shaped spondylus masks, made from mollusk shells, were discovered surrounding her body.

Additionally, she was buried with spondylus pendants and chaquira beads, which are associated with various cultural traditions and periods.

The woman is thought to be part of the Manteño people, who lived along the Ecuadorian coast and sustained themselves through agriculture and seafaring. However, the eye coverings found in her burial were unusual for typical Manteño practices, researchers noted. The green stone in her burial is believed to symbolize a connection between death and fertility, a concept associated with Valdivian burials, an earlier coastal group that existed nearly 2,000 years before the Manteño. The use of masks was also linked to Valdivian customs.

"To accumulate so many artifacts required purposeful collection and curation before inclusion in this burial," the study explained. "Interpretation of this burial must ultimately consider these repeated emphases and ties to the past to understand the reasons for this enigmatic burial."

The burial also contained a burnt offering placed in the thoracic cavity. Researchers pointed out that such rituals were typically conducted between AD 991-1025, suggesting that the woman’s grave may have been revisited and repurposed for additional rituals.

By Naila Huseynova