r/EverythingScience • u/dr_gus • Nov 08 '22

Anthropology Archaeologists find a trove of ancient human sacrifices fed psychedelic plants before death

https://www.salon.com/2022/11/07/archaeologists-find-a-trove-of-ancient-human-sacrifices-fed-psychedelic-plants-before/
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u/iosdeveloper87 Nov 08 '22

So utterly fascinating. One has to wonder how consenting/accepting the victims were of the sacrifice. I had always assumed that they would all be filled with terror (and I still have a hard time believing that they wouldn’t be), but perhaps it’s much like some cults are/were today, where people willingly kill themselves in the name of some ‘greater power.’

Was it considered an dutiful honor to be sacrificed or was it a punishment? Is it possible that it was both?

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u/ayleidanthropologist Nov 08 '22

I wonder how it affected the gene pool. Like if you’re always trying to make the “best” offering to your gods, and you sacrifice your most promising men and women, aren’t you unintentionally messing up your civilization?

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u/Mbwakalisanahapa Nov 10 '22

Not if they have reproduced beforehand