Mexico went through extreme drought. The Aztecs sacrificed 42 children to Tlaloc, the god of rain

New details on human sacrifices made to the Aztec god of rain Tlaloc, were discussed at an event organized by the Mexican honorary academy, El Colegio Nacional. The event's theme: "Water and Life". Leonardo López Luján, a director at the Mexican ational Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) shared the information on a finding from the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan named "Offering 48".

Excavations conducted between 1980 and 1981 by INAH uncovered Offering 48 at Templo Mayor, the most important temple complex in the Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City. It contained the remains of at least 42 children sacrificed to Tlaloc, the god of rain and fertility, in an attempt to end a severe drought that affected the Basin of Mexico in the 1450s. The remains, mostly boys aged between two and seven years old, were placed inside a box of ashlars in a careful arrangement. Some of the children were adorned with necklaces and a green stone bead in their mouths, symbolizing the sacred.

The bodies in Offering 48 were laid face up, with contracted limbs, on a layer of marine sand. Archaeologists found a layer of blue pigment above the stone box, which is associated with Tlaloc. Further sacrifices were ritually placed above the stone box. The offering included items such as gourds, birds, marine elements, and eleven polychrome tezontle figures representing the face of Tlaloc, which imitate jars. Offering 48 was located on the northwest side of the Templo Mayor, built under the rule of Moctezuma Ilhuicamina.

Between 1452 and 1454, the Basin of Mexico experienced a severe drought that devastated the population and crops, leading to barren fields. This period coincided with the IVa construction phase of the Templo Mayor during the reign of Moctezuma I. The Mexican Drought Atlas shows indisputable evidence of a major drought recorded across central Mexico from 1452 to 1454, which INAH researchers have linked to geological data confirming a large-scale drought during this period.

Through the sacrifices, the Aztecs sought to attract rain and ensure their survival and social stability, demonstrating their reliance on elaborate ceremonies to balance environmental challenges. Aztec religiosity was deeply tied to natural cycles, and the sustenance of the people depended on rains. In honor of Tlaloc, offerings and rituals were performed to ensure rainfall and successful harvests. López Luján highlighted that in nine of the eighteen months of the Mexica agricultural calendar, ceremonies dedicated to rain were celebrated. Many of these ceremonies culminated in the sacrifice of children personified as tlaloques, the assistants of Tlaloc.

Physical anthropologist Juan Alberto Román Berrelleza analyzed the remains from Offering 48 and found signs of porotic hyperostosis, indicating nutritional problems. The harsh living conditions of the time are reflected in these signs, underscoring the impact of the prolonged drought and famine. Dr. Román Berrelleza indicated that early summer droughts would have affected the germination, growth, and flowering of plants before the mid-summer heat, a view echoed by López Luján from INAH. Autumn frosts would have attacked corn before it matured, compounding the agricultural crisis and leading to prolonged famine in the Basin of Mexico due to the concurrence of both phenomena.

Historical sources indicate that Moctezuma Ilhuicamina's government attempted to mitigate the famine by ordering the distribution of provisions stored in royal warehouses. These measures were insufficient, and many families were forced to sell their own children to nearby towns in exchange for food. The child sacrifice in Offering 48 reflects the degree of desperation and the complex religious and economic dynamics of the time. Climatic fluctuations not only affected crops but also jeopardized the social and political stability of the region.

Tlaloc, the god of rain and fertility, was one of the most important deities in the Aztec pantheon. Templo Mayor, known in the Nahuatl language as Huēyi Teōcalli, was dedicated to both Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, and Tlaloc. Each deity had its own shrine situated at the top of the Templo Mayor pyramid.

Dr. López Luján noted that isotope studies on the remains suggest some children came from areas such as Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guatemala, highlighting the geographic extent of the connections and resources mobilized for these rituals.

Sources: LBV Magazine English Edition, Heritage Daily

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq