“Ancient Sacrifice: Unearthing the Dark Rituals Behind a Pregnant Woman’s Mysterious Death in Pre-Columbian Ecuador”
But why would these coastal communities target a pregnant woman? According to Sara Juengst, a bioarchaeologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the sacrifice may have been to control her power.
“The fact that it was a woman who was pregnant might indicate that women held important positions of power, and thus their power needed to be ‘managed,’” she told Live Science. “If a rival of this woman wanted to take over, they would need to eliminate her and her unborn offspring, but also still give her honor based on her status.”
However, analysis of the artifacts in Burial 10 also brought forth a new theory. The young woman was found with cockle shells placed on her eyes and a crab claw on her abdomen, indicating a connection to the sea.
The placement of the artifacts “suggests protection and special treatment for her and her fetus,” Juengst said. Additionally, the spondylus mollusk shell found in the grave “is associated with fertility and water, and it was prized by many South American cultures.”
At the time of her death, Ecuador was hit with several intense El Niño events. The woman’s sacrifice may have been an effort to appease the gods and pray for a successful harvest.
So, as researchers continue their analysis, they are left with two primary theories: the young woman was a victim of jealousy or a political rivalry, or she was offered as a sacrifice in the face of a devastating El Niño. While the violent nature of her death would point to a vicious, impulsive attack, the offerings and artifacts at her grave suggest an organized and purposeful execution.
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