Animal Sacrifices: Dogs Buried 1,000 Years Ago Found In Peru Zoo

A number of the remains of dogs have been discovered underneath the Peru Zoo, the Park of Legends, believed to be sacrificed 1,000 years ago at the funerals of fallen warriors, whose remains lie beside them. The Park of Legends was a sacred site for at least three ancient civilizations namely the Lima culture (AD 100-650_, the Ichma culture (900-1470) and the Incas (1200-1500).

The Ichma were known in sacrificing dogs as part of the funeral rites of a warrior's burials during 900-1470 A.D. They were also known to have constructed pyramids in the area. The Ichma culture was later on absorbed by the Incan empire, according to Daily Mail.

1,000-year-old remains of dogs are found buried next to slain warriors in Peru https://t.co/4Ld8dSYHrR pic.twitter.com/eYkbULx33N

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) October 13, 2016

Archaeologists found 138 remains of dogs and 134 humans since 2001 inside wak'a or also known as sacred sites that are situated in the Park of Legends in Lima, Peru. The bodies of dogs were found with ropes tied around their necks. This indicates telltale signs of animal sacrifice such as slit throat or strangulation wounds. On the other hand, their fur remains intact, which surprised the researchers. Meanwhile, the bodies of humans that were found show signs of violent injuries to the skull and ribs. With this, the researchers concluded that they were warriors.

Lucenida Carrion Sotelo, the head of archaeology at the park said that all indications are that they were killed in clashes with other social groups. She further said that the dogs' bodies are always arranged "as if they were sleeping. "For the Ichma, sacrificing a dog was probably part of a warrior's funeral rites."

The last discovery was in September, wherein the archaeologist found remains of 10 dogs, two south American guinea pigs and one human at the same site in Peru. Carrion said that the dogs are all members of the same species. They were the short-haired variety with a black spot on its back and would have weighed about seven to 20 kilos. The discovery could aid the researchers in knowing the origins of South America's domesticated dogs and why humans raised them, according to Phys.Org.