Human Sacrifice In Aztec Culture

Human sacrifice was an aspect of historical Aztec culture/religion, although the extent of the practice is debated by scholars. The Spaniards who first met the Aztecs explicitly stated in their writings that human sacrifice was widely practiced in Mesoamerica. For example, Bernal Díaz's The Conquest of New Spain includes eye-witness accounts of the remains of sacrificial victims. In addition, there are a number of second-hand accounts of human sacrifices written by Spanish friars, told to them by native eye-witnesses. Presently, scholars largely accept that human sacrifice was practised in the Aztec Empire as well as throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Since the late 1970s, excavations of the offerings in the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan, Teotihuacán's Pyramid of the Moon and other archaeological sites have provided physical evidence of human sacrifice among the Mesoamerican peoples.

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Human sacrifice was an aspect of historical Aztecculture/religion, although the extent of the practice isdebated by scholars. The Spaniards who first met theAztecsexplicitly stated in their writings that humansacrifice waswidely practiced in Mesoamerica. For example, BernalDíaz'sThe Conquest of New Spain includes eye-witnessaccounts ofthe remains of sacrificial victims. In addition,there are anumber of second-hand accounts of human sacrificeswrittenby Spanish friars, told to them by native eye-witnesses.Presently, scholars largely accept that humansacrifice waspractised in the Aztec Empire as well as throughoutpre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Since the late 1970s,excavationsof the offerings in the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan,Teotihuacán's Pyramid of the Moon and otherarchaeologicalsites have provided physical evidence of human sacrificeamong the Mesoamerican peoples.