[Aztlan] Hard evidence of Maya human sacrifice

[Rodrigo]

I think human sacrifice in Mesoamerica needs to be put in its correct global
context, otherwise people end up with the idea that mesoamericans were a
bunch of primitive inhumane savages like nowhere else in the world. The
thing is human sacrifice and cannibalism has a certain ring to it that
shocks people quite a bit. And don't get me wrong, of course human sacrifice
is shocking, but now is it more shocking than for example the mass burning
of the witches or the inquisition in Europe where thousands of women
(including children in some cases) were kept alive for the soul purpose of
inflicting unimaginable pain to them through tourture? And does that mean it
is fair to judge the entire western culture based on such events? 

-----Original Message-----
From: aztlan-bounces at lists.famsi.org [mailto:aztlan-bounces at lists.famsi.org]
On Behalf Of Jules Siegel
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2006 4:39 PM
To: aztlan at lists.famsi.org
Subject: Re: [Aztlan] Hard evidence of Maya human sacrifice

Stephen Whittington <whittisl at wfu.edu> wrote:

> We have hard evidence of Maya human sacrifice. At
the Late Postclassic site of Iximche, Guatemala, there
were 50 decapitations in pits adjacent to small
platforms that appear to have been altars [...and
other examples].

So are we talking about hundreds (or a few thousand,
at most) of victims, perhaps, over several centuries?

Is there enough evidence like this to conclude that
human sacrifice was a generalized feature of Mayan
culture? 

Or was it a special practice with limited frequency
that varied by locality and time period?

-- 
JULES SIEGEL Apdo. 1764, 77501-Cancun, Q. Roo, Mexico
http://www.cafecancun.com/bookarts

Newsroom-l, news and issues for journalists
http://www.newsroom-l.net/


 
____________________________________________________________________________
________
Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
http://new.mail.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________
Aztlan mailing list
Aztlan at lists.famsi.org
http://www.famsi.org/mailman/listinfo/aztlan