This strange human sacrifice was likely a gruesome re-enactment of an ancient Mayan myth

Mayan ruins
(Image credit: iStock)

The sacrifice of two Mayans more than 1,000 years ago may be more than just a tragedy — archaeologists believe it could be a reenactment of an old legend about the sun and moon.

As the myth tells it, a pair of twins sacrificed themselves and were reborn as the moon and the sun. Now, a paper in the Cambridge Archaeological Journal suggests that the sacrifice of a Mayan boy and man 1,600 years ago was inspired by the myth.

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Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.