A recent archaeological study has uncovered a mysterious burial in Ecuador that may be linked to ritual sacrifice. The burial, which dates between AD 771 and 953, contains the remains of a young pregnant woman, along with evidence suggesting violence and unusual funerary practices.
The research, led by Dr. Sara Juengst and her team, was published in Latin American Antiquity. Their findings provide new insights into the complex mortuary traditions of the Manteño culture, a pre-Columbian society known for its advanced agriculture and public architecture.
An Unusual and Complex Burial
The burial site, known as Buen Suceso, is located in a region that historically straddled two cultural groups—the southern Huancavilca and Manteño del Norte. While Buen Suceso primarily dates back to the much older Valdivia Period (3750–1475 BC), some burials, including the one examined in this study, were from the later Manteño occupation.
“Buen Suceso is primarily a Valdivia Period site formed by a U-shaped midden ring, cleared central plaza, and low mound,” Juengst explained in a recent statement. “The burial discussed in the article is from a later period (AD 771–953) associated with Manteño occupation of the valley.”
The burial, labeled as “Burial 10,” contained the remains of a 17–20-year-old woman, a cranial fragment from a second individual aged 25–35 years, and the skeletal remains of a nearly full-term fetus.
Analysis of the young woman’s bones revealed she had suffered from multiple health issues, including cribra orbitalia (porous lesions in the eye sockets), porotic hyperostosis (pitted skull lesions), and linear enamel hypoplasia, a condition that leaves horizontal lines on teeth as a sign of childhood stress or malnutrition.
However, what stood out most to researchers were the numerous cut marks, fractures, and the fact that her left leg and hands were missing—suggesting a violent death.
“The woman was likely near full-term pregnancy based on the development of the fetal bones, so it is likely people were aware she was pregnant,” said Juengst.
Ritual Sacrifice or Unique Burial Practice?
At Burial 10, the archaeologists discovered an unusually high number of burial goods interred with the woman, including artifacts from the Manteño and Valdivia cultures. Among them were ark clam shells, a green clay stone, ceramic fragments, crescent-shaped Spondylus shells (known as mascaras), obsidian blades, a burnt offering, and Spondylus beads known as chaquira.
Some of these objects, such as the chaquira beads and mascaras, were either entirely unique to this burial or appeared in only one other Manteño grave at Buen Suceso. This distinction suggests that the woman was treated differently in death than others buried at the site.
Researchers believe a blow to the head may have killed her, but whether this was intentional or accidental remains unclear. However, the removal of her limbs immediately before or after death suggests a ritualistic element to the burial.
“European chroniclers actually don’t mention limb removal, but they do describe the ritual sacrifice of individuals,” noted Juengst. “Benzoni, an Italian explorer, describes the practice of human sacrifice for coastal Ecuador. He suggests this was performed to appease a god or ask supernatural powers for favors—although European explorers were somewhat notoriously bad at understanding what they observed.”
Middle Aged
One particularly intriguing find was the green clay stone buried with the woman. Green stones were commonly included in Valdivia burials associated with fertility and death, suggesting a possible symbolic connection. The presence of a pregnant woman in the burial may further support this interpretation.
“Burial of infants at special locations is common throughout western South America and along the Ecuadorian coast, but specific rituals about pregnancy are not documented,” said Juengst. “Ceramics from coastal Ecuador often depict female forms (so-called Valdivia Venus figurines), and sometimes these are interpreted as having been pregnant, but it’s unclear what rituals surrounding pregnancy would have existed.”
Death, Pregnancy and Fertility
While the true nature of Burial 10 remains uncertain, the study highlights the complexity of Manteño mortuary practices and raises new questions about how pregnancy, sacrifice, and ritual beliefs were interwoven in ancient Ecuadorian societies.
Whether this burial represents an act of violence, a sacred offering, or a form of honored interment, it underscores the rich cultural and spiritual traditions that shaped the lives—and deaths—of pre-Columbian peoples.
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Science Communicator at JILA (a world-leading physics research institute) and a science writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with her on BlueSky or contact her via email at kenna@thedebrief.org