Three possible human sacrifice victims have been found at a 4,000-year-old archaeological site in Peru, an archaeologist says.
The apparently mutilated, partial skeletons (see photos) could overturn the peaceful reputation of the Pre-Ceramic period (3000 B.C. to 1800 B.C.) in the Andes mountains—a time generally seen as free of ritualized killing and warfare.
Outside experts caution, however, that such claims remain unproven.
Alejandro Chu Barrera, who led the dig, said: "We found two pairs of legs—probably young females around their 20s—and the decapitated body of a young male in his 20s."
They don't present much evidence of sacrifice, in the form of cut marks on the relevant bones though. Interesting nonetheless.