Archaeologists discover remains of young women sacrificed 1,000 years ago

The discovery of the remains of "at least six women" at an ancient Peruvian ceremonial site has led archaeologists to surmise that a sacrificial ceremony took place there some 1,000 years ago, The Jerusalem Post reports. All six of the young women's skulls unearthed at the site in Lambayeque, a town 465 miles north of Lima, were found facing east. The eastward placement of the skulls could indicate that the women were part of the Cajamarca culture from countries north of the town.

"We have found six young women sacrifices in this space, in this small space which is part of the temple," archaeologist Edgar Bracamonte said. "Four of them were left in one mass grave one on top of the other. Another was in the corner of the main ramp and the sixth woman was found here in a strange position for the time and this shows us sacredness of the temple."

Archaeologists have also discovered ceramic pots, offering further evidence that the site was one where ceremonies were once held. Excavation of the site is expected to continue throughout 2016, and archaeologists are hopeful they'll unearth more artifacts and possibly more sacrificial remains.

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