Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث
Abstract
The Aztec and Maya pyramids were one of the most famous cultural landmarks of the indigenous peoples in Central America. These stone pyramids are characterized by mystery and fear that make the viewer imagine those gods ,who love blood , the secrets of the temples and religious and superstitious beliefs that sanctify giving away human sacrifices. These practices and rituals were known in many ancient civilizations like the ancient Egyptians,Medoppotamia and China during Chang Family period. Consequently and due to the significance of blood and stone in the formation of the Pyramids, the term “Blood and stones” was the best to describe the nature of the Pyramids, which were built using stones, on the steps of which many human sacrifices were offered and let.Therefore,they are bloody stones.This paper will address this topic to investigate why the Pyramids were built, clarify why they are associated with offering human sacrifices, decide whether this practice dates back to the long- standing beliefs of those cultures,know the secrets behind their temples and compare between the ancient Egyptians’ pyramds and the ziggurats of Mesopotamia. Archaelogical evidence, inscriptions and drawings of the Mayan and Aztec temples have provided much in this regard. There are human skulls that emphasized the importance of offering human sacrifices annually during the rituals, which were organized by the priests. There are also drawings and inscripttions that explained how they performed those rituals.
Recommended Citation
Khamis, Zainab
(2019)
"The Bloody Stones in the Pyramids of Human Sacrifice in Mayan and Aztec Civilization,"
Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث: Vol. 5:
Iss.
2, Article 8.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.aaru.edu.jo/aaup/vol5/iss2/8