Selected for death: a bioarchaeological study of the biocultural profiles of human sacrifices at El Pollo, Moche valley, Perú

Abstract

Human sacrifice is a form of ritual violence used by empires to generate images of coercion and demonstrate the immutable power of those staging the event. Although lethal wounds provide physical evidence of sacrifice, a lifetime of experiences are inscribed on the sacrificed body. This chapter presents the results of a bioarchaeological analysis of human sacrifices from the site of El Pollo (AD 1300-1550) outside the Chimú capital city Chan Chan in the Moche valley, Huanchaco, on the north coast of Perú. The goal of this paper is to reconstruct the life histories of El Pollo sacrificial victims using biocultural data including health status, healed injuries, and cranial modifications. The results suggest that victim selection parameters involved targeting those who could be transformed into offerings of value, specifically young, healthy individuals from diverse communities throughout the north coast. Although adult victims show evidence of childhood illness and poor health, they too were selected from a variety of north coast communities. In addition to providing a window into the lived experiences of these victims, this study provides new perspectives on parameters for sacrificial inclusion and how Chimú imperial enterprises impacted the life histories of sacrificial victims at El Pollo.