s political connections and ritual life remain poorly understood. Close kin relationships, including two pairs of identical twins, suggests a connection to the Maya origin myths of the Popol Vuh. Further comparison to Maya populations today reveals the genetic impact of colonial-era epidemics.
Rising to power in the wake of the Classic Maya collapse, Chichén Itzá was among the largest and most influential cities of the ancient Maya, but much about its political connections and ritual life remain poorly understood. Close kin relationships, including two pairs of identical twins, suggests a connection to the Maya origin myths of the Popol Vuh. Further comparison to Maya populations today reveals the genetic impact of colonial-era epidemics.Poorly understood are the political connections and ritual life of the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. A new study in Nature reveals a ritual child sacrifice practice that targeted only males. The close kin relationships, including two sets of identical twins, suggest a link to the Maya origin myths of the Popol Vuh. Comparing this to modern Maya populations also shows the genetic impact of epidemics during the colonial era. Chichén Itzá is known as one of the most iconic and mysterious archaeological sites in North America, and it became powerful following the Clas epidemic.The Maya collapse is a well-known event that occurred in the ancient city of Chichén Itzá. Before the Spanish arrived, Chichén Itzá was a populous and influential political center with a strong presence in the Maya region and even reaching into Central Mexico. The city is famous for its impressive architecture, such as numerous ballcourts and temples, including the grand temple of El Castillo adorned with feathered serpents. Archaeologists have been studying Chichén Itzá for over a hundred years. One of the most notable features of the city is the extensive evidence of ritualistic human sacrifice, including physical remains and representations of sacrificed individuals.
Chichén Itzá is known for its monumental art and the controversial dredging of the Sacred Cenote in the early 20th century revealed the remains of hundreds of individuals. A full-scale stone representation of a massive tzompantli (skull rack) in the site’s core suggests the importance of sacrifice in the ritual life at Chichén Itzá. However, the role and context of ritual killing at the site are still not fully understood.
Many of the sacrificed individuals at the site were children and adolescents. While there is a common belief that females were the main targets of sacrifice at the site, the sex of the sacrificed individuals is difficult to determine.It is difficult to determine the sex of juvenile skeletal remains through physical examination alone, and newer anatomical analyses suggest that many of the older juveniles may actually be male. In 1967, a subterranean chamber containing the scattered remains of over a hundred young children was found near the Sacred Cenote. The chamber, likely a repurposed water cistern known as a chultún, had been expanded to connect to a small cave. Among the ancient Maya, caves, cenotes (natural sinkholes), and chultúns have long been linked to child sacrifice, and these underground features were widely seen as connection points to the spiritual world.underworld.
An international team of researchers from various institutions including the Max Planck Institutes for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA, Leipzig) and Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA, Jena), the National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH, Mexico City), the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH-Yucatan, Mérida), and Harvard University (Cambridge) conducted an in-depth genetic investigation of the remains of 64 children ritually interred within the chutún at Chichén Itzá to gain a better understanding of ritual life and the context of child sacrifice at the site. This investigation revealed that the ritual sacrifice focused on males and c.were likely members of the same family or social group. The findings provide new insights into the ancient Maya culture and burial practices, shedding light on the lives of children during that time period. The use of genetic analysis to study the remains offers a unique perspective on the relationships and social connections within the ancient Maya community. The discovery of the chultún and its contents adds to our understanding of the ancient Maya civilization and the customs surrounding death and burial.The research revealed remarkably similar dietary patterns among individuals who are closely related, whether as first- or second-degree family members,” explains Patxi Pérez-Ramallo, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Archaeology and Cultural History, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway and the MPI-GEA.
<p”Surprisingly, we found two sets of identical twins,” adds Kathrin Nägele, a co-author and group leader at the MPI-EVA. “We can be certain of this because our sampling strategy ensured that we did not include duplicate individuals.” these findings highlight the similarities in dietary habits among closely related individuals.ngs suggest that male children who were genetically related were likely chosen in pairs for ritual activities related to the chultún.
“The fact that the male children were of similar ages and had similar diets, their close genetic relatedness, and the fact that they were buried in the same location for over 200 years all indicate that the chultún served as a site for post-sacrificial burials, with the sacrificed individuals being selected for a specific purpose,” says Oana Del Castillo-Chávez, co-author and researcher in the Physical Anthropology Section at the Centro INAH Yucatán.
Links to the Popol Vuh
Twin children were highly esteemed in the religious beliefs and practices of the Maya, as indicated in the Popol Vuh.The ancient Maya had a strong tradition of origin stories and spiritual beliefs. The concept of twin sacrifice plays a significant role in the sacred K’iche’ Mayan Book of Council, called the Popol Vuh. This book has roots that go back over 2,000 years in the Maya region. In the Popol Vuh, the twins Hun Hunahpu and Vucub Hunahpu go to the underworld and are sacrificed by the gods after losing a ballgame. The twin sons of Hun Hunahpu, known as the Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque, then seek to avenge their father and uncle by undergoing repeated cycles of sacrifice and resurrection in order to outsmart the gods of the underworld. The story of the Hero Twins and their journey is a central theme in Maya spirituality.Classic Maya art extensively features the adventures of twins, and underground structures were seen as gateways to the underworld. The burial of twins and close relatives in the chultún at Chichén Itzá may be linked to rituals involving the Hero Twins.
“In the early 20th century, there were untrue stories circulating about young women and girls being sacrificed at the site,” explains Christina Warinner, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences and Anthropology at Harvard University and a group leader at the MPI-EVA. “This study, carried out through a close international collaboration, challenges that narrative and reveals the true nature of the site.””The deep connections between ritual sacrifice and the cycles of human death and rebirth described in sacred Maya texts are evident in the enduring genetic legacy of colonial epidemics.”
Examining the long-term genetic impact
Obtaining detailed genetic information at Chichén Itzá has allowed researchers to explore the lasting genetic impact of colonial-era epidemics on Indigenous populations in Mesoamerica. Collaborating with residents of the local Maya community of Tixcacaltuyub, researchers discovered evidence of genetic positive selection in genes related to immunity, specifically for genetic variants.The Maya people today still bear the genetic evidence of the deadly epidemics that occurred during the colonial era, including the 1545 cocoliztli epidemic caused by the pathogen Salmonella enterica Paratyphi C. The population decline during the 16th century in Mexico was as high as 90% due to wars, famines, and epidemics. Lead author Rodrigo Barquera, an immunogeneticist and postdoctoral researcher at the MPI-EVA, stated that present-day Mexicans of Indigenous and mixed heritage show specific genetic changes in their immune genes as a result of these historical epidemics.
“The study of ancient DNA is providing us with a deeper understanding of our ancestry and the genetic factors that can affect our resistance to Salmonella enterica infection,” stated the senior author of the study, Johannes Krause, who is also the Director of the Department of Archaeogenetics at the MPI-EVA. Through the analysis of ancient DNA, researchers are able to debunk old theories, gain new insights into historical events, and even learn about the cultural practices of ancient civilizations, such as the Maya,” he added. Additionally, the research empowers Indigenous scientists to contribute to the storytelling of our past.”As a research professor of indigenous descent, María Ermila Moo-Mezeta, a Mayan co-author of the study and researcher at the Autonomous University of Yucatán (UADY), finds it meaningful to contribute to the advancement of knowledge. She emphasizes the significance of preserving the historical memory of the Mayan people.
