From 19th-century tales about tribes hunting for "trophy heads" to Hollywood films such as Mel Gibson's Apocolypto, the Amazon rain forest has long inspired gruesome stories about ritualistic killing. However, the portrayal of civilisations such as the Incas, Nazcas, and the Wari cultures making human sacrifices in South America may have a much longer tradition than previously thought.
From 19th-century tales about tribes hunting for "trophy heads" to Hollywood films such as Mel Gibson's Apocolypto, the Amazon rain forest has long inspired gruesome stories about ritualistic killing. However, the portrayal of civilisations such as the Incas, Nazcas, and the Wari cultures making human sacrifices in South America may have a much longer tradition than previously thought.