Gunman at Mexican temple screamed, 'I’ll sacrifice you', in bloody echo of pyramid's dark past of human killings
Mexico shooting carried out at the site of the Teotihuacano civilisation was done by a gunman who was there to “sacrifice” humans, a practice carried out by the natives 1,500 to 2,000 years ago. The shooter is also said to be obsessed with Hitler.
Gunman in Teotihuacano shooting shouted 'sacrifice'
The shooting at an ancient Mexican temple on Monday (April 20) was carried out by a gunman who was obsessed with the sacrificial practices of the Teotihuacano civilisation, and was trying to re-create the rituals of human sacrifice. The gunman, who also admired Hitler, killed one Canadian tourist and injured 13 others at the historic site. Julio César Jasso, the 27-year-old who created terror among the tourists, shouted, “Don’t move, or I’ll sacrifice you,” according to a video shot by one of the hostages.
Teotihuacanos history - Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon
Historians have found evidence of human sacrifice carried out by the Teotihuacanos. The shooting happened at the 140-foot-tall Pyramid of the Moon, named after the goddess of water and fertility. Teotihuacan was the largest city in the Americas and peaked from 1 CE to 500 CE. The Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon were built in the pre-Columbian Americas. Nearly 25,000 to 100,000 people inhabited the city at its height.
Teotihuacanos buried war captives between layers of stones
The Teotihuacano civilisation was known for its gory sacrifices. Over the years, archaeologists have found skeletons with their hands tied behind their backs. They are believed to be captives of war who were interred in between layers of stone and earth during the construction of new structures as dedications to Gods. Archaeologists who studied these human remains say that the victims were brought in from far-off areas.
Teotihuacan was believed to be the birthplace of time
They decapitated some of the enemy warriors, removed their hearts, hit them on their heads repeatedly and even buried them alive. The people of Teotihuacan believed it to be the birthplace of time. It was here that the gods created the sun and moon and set them in motion, and they did so by sacrificing themselves. So they repaid them with human sacrifice to ensure that the cycle of creation goes on.
Aztecs settled in the region 700 years after the collapse of Teotihuacano civilisation
Centuries later, after the Teotihuacano civilisation collapsed around 600 BCE, the Aztecs settled in this region around 1300 BCE. They, too, sacrificed humans, and did it at an even larger scale. They also believed that sacrificing human hearts and blood was necessary to repay debt to the gods. The glory for the Aztecs was to bring back captives of war alive and not kill them on the battlefield.
Aztecs sacrificed humans in thousands
Records show that for one inauguration ceremony, 80,400 prisoners were sacrificed over four days. Some say the number was likely smaller, but still ran into thousands. The Aztecs are believed to have also sacrificed slaves and children, and massive skull racks have been discovered over the years as evidence of mass killings.
Aztecs, Teotihuacanos, Romans and human sacrifices to Gods
Some modern theories suggest that the Aztecs weren't barbarians, and the Spaniards came up with the stories of human sacrifice to show that native peoples were savages. Others disagree, saying they did kill humans, but it was something the Romans also did. They also crucified prisoners or slaughtered them in the Colosseum. So to call one civilisation uncivilised would be wrong.
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