by WorldTribune Staff, April 14, 2025 Real World News

To the ancient Mayans, the gods and celestial bodies were everything.

Human sacrifices were commonplace. And, as archeologists have now discovered, even young children were slaughtered to appease the gods.

An altar from the Teotihuacan culture was discovered in Tikal National Park in Guatemala, the center of Mayan culture, demonstrating the interaction between the two societies. / Guatemala Culture and Sports Ministry

Buried inside a dwelling at Tikal National Park in Guatemala, once the core of Mayan civilization, archaeologists have found a Teotihuacan altar. Lorena Paiz, the lead archaeologist behind the discovery, said the altar was likely used in sacrifice rituals, “especially of children.”

“The remains of three children not older than 4 years were found on three sides of the altar,” Paiz told The Associated Press.

The discovery was announced by Guatemala’s Culture and Sports Ministry.

Tikal, a powerful Mayan city-state known for its towering jungle temples, had long battled with the Kaanul dynasty for control of the region, historians say. The new discovery shows Tikal also had cultural ties with Teotihuacan, a massive city from central Mexico located outside today’s Mexico City.

Teotihuacan, also known as “the city of the gods,” was one of the biggest cities in the world between 100 BC and AD 750. It covered around 8 square miles and supported more than 100,000 residents before being abandoned centuries before the rise of the Aztecs.

The altar is around one yard tall, a yard wide from east to west, and two yards from north to south. It’s made of limestone. The dwelling also contained human-like figures with red tassels, a known element of Teotihuacan design.

This discovery follows the 2023 announcement of a hidden Mayan city uncovered in the Mexican jungle by a student who had unknowingly passed the site years before.

Tikal National Park is about 325 miles north of Guatemala City. The discovery site is guarded and there are no plans to open it to the public.

Tikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reached its peak between 200 and 900 AD when Mayan culture encompassed parts of what are now Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras.

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  Archaeologists: Ancient altar discovered in Guatemala likely used for child sacrifices, WorldTribune.com