GoKawiilStudy of 1,633 skeletons finds low violence rates in ancient Peru's Lambayeque Valley
Researchers analyzed the remains of 1,633 individuals from Peru's Lambayeque Valley to assess levels of interpersonal violence across centuries, including periods linked to El Niño climate events. Despite documented evidence of ritual human sacrifices in the region, the skeletal record showed that overall violence among the population was uncommon.
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The findings could complicate assumptions that climate stress from El Niño events directly drove societal violence in pre-Columbian Andean societies. Researchers' data suggests that ritual sacrifice and everyday interpersonal violence may have operated as largely separate phenomena, which could inform broader debates about how ancient societies responded to environmental pressure.
- Analysis covered 1,633 skeletons from Peru's Lambayeque Valley
- Ritual human sacrifice was documented, but general violence rates were low
- Findings may challenge assumptions linking El Niño climate stress to widespread violence
Source: gizmodo.com, 2026-11-11
Published there as: “Did El Niño Make Ancient Peru More Violent? 1,633 Skeletons Offer Clues”
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