Ancient Mexican tribe raised lion leopard with human flesh

A group of American scientists found evidence showing the ancient Teotihuacan people in Mexico for the leopards, lions eating human corpses after the sacrificial rite.

In the August 2 issue of the journal PLOS One, researchers said the 16th-century Spanish colonists gave detailed descriptions of the large zoo in the capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan. to propagate wolves, lions, lynx, bird of prey and rattlesnake."At this time, the Aztecs succeeded in capturing and breeding wildlife in the capital with 300 people in charge of caring for animals," the team said.

However, the exact time when the first captive animal process in Mexico has not been determined. Teotihuacan is one of the largest cities in Mexico before the invasion of Spanish colonialism. From the 1st to 6th century, this city was the metropolis of Central America, home to 25,000 people, according to the International Business Times.

During excavations between 1998 and 2004, researchers found human and animal bones in the Sun Pyramid and the Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacan. They are particularly interested in predator bones because there was little information about their role in ancient society before.

Sun Pyramid in Teotihuacan.(Photo: Flickr).

The team analyzed skeletons and found that some predators were kept in captivity. Traces of bone indicate that they are chained, while abnormal growth and infection indicate they suffer from crowded life.

In addition, scientists also conducted isotopic analysis to understand their food source. They consider nitrogen isotopes and carbon to determine the position of the animal in the food chain. Low nitrogen is a sign of a diet rich in plants, while high levels are evidence of a meaty diet. High levels of C4 isotopes show that many large animals of the cat family mainly eat corn, man-made food.

Two cougar skeletons have high levels of carbon and nitrogen isotopes, indicating they are fed with corn-eating meat such as dogs or humans in ancient rituals.

Two sources of protein are suitable for human and dog meat. It is possible for large cats to eat cannibalism. According to the Spanish colonial description, the beasts at Moctezuma Zoo were raised with sacrificial flesh, including the bodies of the defeated. This is a long tradition of attaching wild carnivores to human sacrifices in central and southern America.

"In the archaeological areas of Tula and Chichén Itzá, illustrated pet cats are eating the human heart on the stone floor and the ledge at the center to conduct the ritual. Pictorial evidence in Teotihuacan also describes the role of the carnivores in human sacrifice rites , "the team shared.

Scientists conclude that this is the earliest evidence of the practice of capturing carnivorous animals in the Americas , providing a radical transformation in the interaction between humans and animals.