Human sacrifice skulls found in Mexico

Four skulls that formed part of an altar made of human bones from the Late Post-Classical period (1350-1521) have been found during the construction of a new Mexico City metro line.

The skulls are from two men, one woman and a dog, Mexico's National Anthropology and History Institute, or INAH, said in a communique.

One of the men is estimated to have been between 25 and 35 years of age at the time of his death. The other man is believed to have been aged under 35. The woman was estimated to be between 18 and 22 years old, and her skull had been intentionally deformed, INAH said.

The finds were made between October 2008 and August 2012 along a 24.5km stretch of Metro Line 12's route, where other archaeological objects were also found, INAH said.

Much evidence of pre-Columbian settlement in the region has been detected during various construction work. Other archaeological items uncovered include houses, stone- and slab-lined canals, sculptures, ceramics and about 100 graves, most of them of infants.

The skulls each show perforations of the temples, an indication they had been placed on a rod to be displayed on a "tzompantli" (skull rack), where the skulls of sacrificial victims were commonly mounted. However, they were not part of a rack when unearthed, INAH said.

As for the dog skull, INAH said that it might be that dogs were connected with funerary rites, perhaps to accompany the souls of the dead to the underworld.

This is the first time that such a dog skull has been found with perforations showing that it was, at one time, displayed on a skull rack, INAH said.

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Human sacrifice skulls found in Mexico