Gruesome discovery: 20 decapitated bodies found in Mayan death pyramid

The remains of decapitated bodies were found in the "pyramid of death" of the ancient Maya. Scientists say that people could have been sacrificed to consecrate the temple building.

According to IFLScience, the remains of 20 young men were found in a Mayan pyramid in southern Mexico. Their remains were in two different graves, which may have been dug 1200 years apart. "This may indicate that the monstrous monument probably served darker Mayan deities for many centuries," the report says.

Researchers from the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico (INAH) say that the way the victims were beheaded is clear evidence that the structure was associated with death and the gods of the underworld. It is believed that people were beheaded to sanctify the pyramid and strengthen its connection to the underworld.

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"Located at the Moral Reforma archaeological site on the Yucatan Peninsula, the monstrous pyramid known by the disproportionately sad name of Structure 18 was most likely built in stages, with human sacrifice required to consecrate each successive completed section. Therefore, it is believed that the two mass executions are associated with key events in the construction of the temple," the report says.

The coordinator of the study, Francisco Apolinar Cuevas Reyes, noted that in the graves there were eight people who were apparently decapitated, and parts of their bodies were dismembered and placed separately to consecrate the temple.

The graves found also contained the bodies of young adult men with skulls that had changed shape. According to the scientists, this physical characteristic was "deliberately achieved by splinting the head at a young age, as it raised the status of these individuals in pre-Columbian Maya society."

"Similarly, in two individuals from the Late Classic period, we observed dental modifications by spraying and inlaying jade on the front teeth," explained the study coordinator.

It is noted that researchers continue excavations and are trying to piece together the gory details of what happened in the Pyramid of Death.

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