In Ecuador, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a young pregnant woman in a burial that seems to suggest she was sacrificed over one millennium ago. At Buen Suceso on the Ecuadorian coast, the burial site dates back to the Manteño period (CE 650-1532) and contains unique artifacts and signs of violent death, leading experts to reevaluate ritual practices of the time.

Drawing of Burial 10 in situ during excavation by Kathryn Killacky and schematic showing missing elements (dark gray), disturbed elements (light gray), and the location of mascaras (crescents) and pendants (squares). Credit: SL, Juengst et al., Latin American Antiquity (2025), CC BY 4.0

According to a study published in the journal Latin American Antiquity, this woman, called Burial 10, died at the age of between 17 and 20, and the analysis revealed she had been seven to nine months pregnant. There is evidence of perimortem trauma—e.g., a cranial fracture, cut marks on the hands, and the removal of her hands and left leg—which are indicative of ritual sacrifice or punitive acts.

The woman was buried with her eyes covered with ark clam shells, and crescent-shaped Spondylus mollusk ornaments, obsidian blades, and a crab claw were placed around her body. Spondylus is connected to fertility and rituals in South American cultures, which suggests that the sacrifice may have been related to agriculture or spiritual beliefs.

One especially puzzling element of the burial is the presence of another individual’s skull placed near the woman’s shoulder. There has also been a burnt offering deposited in the woman’s chest cavity. Radiocarbon dating indicates that these deposits were made between 991 and 1025 CE, centuries after the woman was initially buried. This suggests that the grave may have been revisited and used for other purposes.

Grave goods ᴀssociated with Burial 10, including mascaras (C, G, H, R, S, T), spondylus pendants (Q, CC), green stone (A, B, E), obsidian (F, O, P), chaquira (I, J, N, U, V, W, X, Y, Z), other beads (K, M, AA, BB), shell and spondylus fragments (L, DD, EE, FF, GG), ceramic fragments (HH, II, JJ), and the crab claw (D). Credit: SL, Juengst et al., Latin American Antiquity (2025), CC BY 4.0

The death of the woman coincides with a period of intense El Niño events that may have disrupted agricultural sustenance, prompting communities to offer such sacrifices ritually. “Evidence for human sacrifice in coastal Ecuador is rare but not entirely absent,” the researchers wrote in the study. “European chroniclers mentioned that human sacrifice occurred when a local leader died or as a means to ask for favors from local deities. Burial 10 may have been sacrificed as part of similar rites.”

Archaeologists further note that the artifacts included in the burial chronicle different periods, some of which are nearly 2,000 years older than the Manteño culture-attributed burial. This suggests a deliberate selection and curation of grave goods that emphasizes a connection to the past or reinforces certain cultural and spiritual beliefs.

Despite many aspects of the burial still being open to speculation, this new find offers researchers a window into the complex social and ritual practices of the Manteño people. “Interpretation of this burial must ultimately consider these repeated emphases and ties to the past to understand the reasons for this enigmatic burial,” the study concluded.

More information: Juengst SL, Rowe SM, Duke GS, Stumpf M, Bowers M, Cruz YZ. (2025). An Enigmatic Manteño Burial from Buen Suceso, Ecuador, AD 771–953. Latin American Antiquity:1-9. doi:10.1017/laq.2024.20