The Pre-Colombian American world
In the Pre-Colombian American world, there were rich cultural practices from the beliefs in gods, sacrifices, rituals, death rites, and the afterlife. The funeral rites were deeply rooted in communities, given the belief that death was a regenerative social and cosmic concept. The Mesoamerican ceremonies saw the appeasement of deities among other practices for the dead. Agricultural societies practiced different rituals with the beliefs of an afterlife. The dead were buried under inhabited rooms, which represented the domestic aspect in which the dead were to be preserved. In a discovered tomb, a vertical shaft led to two burial chambers with three individuals buried in each accompanied by pottery. Others were buried accompanied by other things such as garments and tools, as well as the remains of dogs, which showed the importance of the animals even then. According to the Mayans, when dead, it was believed that people descended to the underworlds which were in nine layers and called Mitnal in Yucatán and Xibalba by the K’iche’. The Maya did not believe in a heavenly paradise in the afterlife as other communities believed.
As times progressed, classical cities among the Mayans were established, and during this period, the dead were buried beneath the floor of domestic homes accompanied by elaborate rites. This was a form of ensuring and maintaining a connection between generations. Priests and other influential individuals had vaults built under the ground as their tombs while the elite practiced cremations. Burying people with commodities was to help them in their journey in the afterlife. Another critical aspect of the Mesoamerican way of life, particularly the Aztec, is the goddess Coyolxauhqui of death, darkness, the underworld, and night. Every morning, as light sets in, and the sun rises, it is believed that the primary Aztec god, Huizilopochti defeats Coyolxauhqui, and this ensures time’s continuity. The underworld was thought to be the afterlife, and since the soul was believed to be immortal, the process of death was viewed as a transition from one realm to another. Despite similar death beliefs and rites, the afterlife was considered differently by communities in Central Americas. It was believed, among the Aztecs, that most of the souls descended into an underworld, which was referred to as Mictlan, where Mictlantecuhtli was the god who ruled. The Incas, on the other hand, believed that those who were virtuous had their souls ascend into while those who committed evils descended into a barren and cold underworld. The Andeans were positive about the afterlife and wrapped the dead in textiles while colorful masks covered their faces, which were meant to give new faces to the dead in the afterlife while maintaining their personality. These varying afterlife and underworld views were critical to cultural practices and beliefs.
Sacrifices in pre-Colombian civilizations in America were common for a variety of reasons. The sacrifices ranged from animals, birds, fish, agricultural products, human beings, and blood from body parts. Paintings on ceramic vessels, native manuscripts’ notes, two sets of Piedras Negras stelae, murals at Bonampak, and an incised drawing at Tikal are some of the evidence noted of sacrifices. Arts from the Toltec-Maya era show more evidence on human sacrifice that involved shooting by arrows, beheading, and heart removal. Throwing people into deep natural wells (cenote) was also practiced to plead for rain while blood was drawn during important ceremonies and feasts. The people who were sacrificed were usually prisoners who were at time from wars deliberately set for that purpose. Rituals would even involve flaying of men, wearing of their skin, bloodletting among the Aztecs who invited neighbors and neighbors to witness. The Incas are known for their children sacrifices, with some of them being raised solely for that purpose.