Ritual Human Sacrifice among the Tarascans

Summary

This study reports on osteological remains excavated from the Great Platform at Tzintzuntzán, the Postclassic (A.D. 1300-1522) Tarascan ceremonial capital. The osteological deposit was first uncovered by Alfonso Caso in 1937-1944, re-visited by Rubin de Borbolla and Roman Piña Chan during the 1960’s, by Efrain Cardenas in 1992, and most recently in 2011 by the Proyecto Especial de Michoacán. In 1992, 194 skull fragments (MNI=40) and 28 modified femur fragments were recovered while the most recent project recovered 529.88 kg of human bone. Both samples contained males, females, and sub-adults. Multiple thin transverse-cut-marks were identified on 19 skull fragments near temporal muscle attachments. Microscopic analysis shows that cut-marks were postmortem and reflect distinct patterns of cranial de-fleshing, starting from the mastoid process, and pulling back towards the occipital. Seven obsidian blades were identified, some matching the dimensions of the cut-marks. No grave goods were encountered. The archaeological data support ethnohistoric descriptions of postmortem scalping, flaying, and decapitation. The context suggests that individuals recovered at Tzintzuntzán were casualties of ritual violence. This analysis combines osteological, archaeological, and ethnohistorical data to generate a broader discussion about the significance of ritual sacrifice and postmortem body treatment in Postclassic Tarascan society.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 19955