More: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/04/mass-child-human-animal-sacrifice-peru-chimu-science/
Really fascinating and disturbing.
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NG: Largest Ancient Mass Child Sacrifice Found in Peru
- Thread starter NeoRaider
- Start date
More: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/04/mass-child-human-animal-sacrifice-peru-chimu-science/
Really fascinating and disturbing.
Well as far as we currently know I guess. Man superstition is a helluva a drug. Poor kids.
Human sacrifices are easily some of the most horrific aspects of any culture. Whenever I got sidetracked into reading about religious customs of Mayans, Aztecs or ancient Germanic tribes this was the one thing that made me shudder. South Central American pre-contact civilizations take the cake when it comes to that given how ingrained it was into their societies and the numbers involved.
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User Banned (1 week): Rationalizing child sacrifice as "population control."
Gruesome but probably had an effect on population control. Which is why population is such a problem for humanity now. Too many unproductive mouths to feed and all that
It's pretty wild how human life really didn't mean all that much from like 150 years and further back.
I remember reading some diaries from the mid 1800s and people were basically blasé about the death of family members because you know, it happens.
I remember reading some diaries from the mid 1800s and people were basically blasé about the death of family members because you know, it happens.
I dunno, I feel like most parents these days would care if their kids died
Yes, population control in the most horrific and unnecessary death possible. Come on, man.
Though ritual sacrifice and death by influenza or typhoid both result in death, they are not of the same caliber, for lack of better word.
People in the west were blasé about death because it was as common as it was certain. Look at life expectancy in the 1800, and the average number of children borne to a family. You needed more hands to care for the lands which also increases the likelihood that a brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or cousin would bite it...if you were fortunate enough to not be a slave in the South, of course. That's a whole 'nother conversation.
On the other hand, child sacrifice--by virtue of being a sacrifice--was valuable. Those who practiced ritual sacrifice didn't sacrifice, for example, the diseased or handicapped, for that loss would not be considered a significant.
Overpopulation is a myth. Population spikes and the decreases as quality of life improves.
Good luck with the quality of life improvement if you are poor and overpopulated.
No it isn't. The planet can support many, many, many more humans than it does now.
Overpopulation occurs as a result of quality of life improvement. We have countries all over the world getting clean water and electricity. Naturally population would increase, as it did in now developed nations. If you look at the developing world, population is decreasing and leveling off.
Therefore, the recent population boom is temporary. The number of humans alive will decrease over time.
Always fascinated by what superstitions they were trying to accomplish. Almost reminds me of the Children's Crusade. Isn't 550 years ago around the time that settlers started showing up, or is that too early and too far west?
Yes, child sacrifice as "population control" is incredibly dumb.
When Bezos of Amazon can raise the cost of Prime from $99 to $199 after the company posts record profits, (esp in the context of the company's labor conditions) I find any argument about "limited resources" and "overpopulation" unsustainable.
Once again, an Occidental argument.
Try framing your thought process around (rural) India, China, and Africa, where the world's population is the most dense...and poor.
When Bezos of Amazon can raise the cost of Prime from $99 to $199 after the company posts record profits, (esp in the context of the company's labor conditions) I find any argument about "limited resources" and "overpopulation" unsustainable.
Once again, an Occidental argument.
Try framing your thought process around (rural) India, China, and Africa, where the world's population is the most dense...and poor.
I know this person was banned...but the article actually says...
"Human sacrifice has been practiced in nearly all corners of the globe at various times, and scientists believe that the ritual may have played an important role in the development of complex societies through social stratification and control of populations by elite social classes."
Of course, the second half of their post gets a squint look.
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You're a fucking idiot. Period. Plain and simple.
Also, what is logic?
Anyway, the article is horrifying. :( terrible.
Unlikely since they also found hundreds of young Lamas that were killed at the same time. A sacrifice for better weather is much more likely.
Looks like mods owe someone an apology
lol well implying we should consider it now because of too many unproductive mouths to feed should be bannable anyways.
If they can sacrifice their enemy's captive children I don't see why they wouldn't sacrifice their livestock too.
I think one should pause to note the difference between my post, where I wrote in the past tense to acknowledge the practice as a religious one (from the position of history and anthropology), and their post, which cited child sacrifice as a valid way to manage populations in contemporary times, regardless of cultural practices and values.
Granted, when I did post it, I was still afraid....
So countries where the quality of life is improving? Where eventually these problems won't exist?
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/04/mass-child-human-animal-sacrifice-peru-chimu-science/
if the scientists are saying the reason was population control, why is it ban-worthy to mention that in the thread?
maybe this part of the post?
Not at all. The banned poster was talking about today. Talking like contemporary child sacrifice were something positive.
Maybe you should read what the banned person actually wrote, tying today's "overpopulation" problems to a lack of sacrifices.
Also half the people raging at him in this thread. Y'all gotta reading the linked article before making some judgements.
Control of population isn't the same as population control. The latter is just talking about merely numbers and overpopulation. The former literally means control of the population, like through propaganda for example.
That's not really how that worked. Live stock was never slaughtered unless for rituals or of they were too old to be economically viable. And Def. Not on the scale found here.
Besides, war captives were used as slaves and traded, the kids would have made great slaves.
Ritual killings are designed to sacrifice something important to improve the fate for their society. Sacrificing captives makes no sense for ritual sacrifices. It's like giving away your neighbours money to rag about your charitable endeavour.
Besides they wouldn't paint their victims and bury them facing a certain direction if they were just war captives.
Why is this user banned? The article list this as a possible reason as well as others. "Rationalizing child sacrifice"? There's a lot of distasteful things going on right now as well as historically that can be rationalized.
Not saying christianity has been any better, but the ritual sacrifices must have freaked out the conquistadors. The adults found at the site is a curious thing as well, maybe they tried to save their kids?
Gruesome stuff, these old cultures and empires are fascinating in their beliefs and barbarity.
why are some of you guys defending someone who suggested that child sacrifice would be an effective way to control population by getting rid of the unproductive people nowadays?
why are some of you guys defending someone who suggested that child sacrifice would be an effective way to control population by getting rid of the unproductive people nowadays?
As long as they are countries outside of the western hemisphere, please.
So they would be very valuable as slaves, but not a valuable sacrifice? And you say they would not slaughter livestock, but then they would for rituals.
So I don't see how anything you said indicates these may not have been a ritual sacrifice of enemy captives.
The preservation is pretty good. Creepy how you can still see hair on some of them, too. The one with the child holding it's hand in it's mouth is really something else. Wow!