Beneath the ancient Maya city of Dos Pilas in northern Guatemala, archaeologists recently made a grim discovery that reveals the lengths the Maya would go to in order to curry the favor of the gods at harvest time. Deep within a flooded cave known (appropriately enough) as Cueva de Sangre, or “the Cave of Blood,” the archaeologists uncovered hundreds of fragmented human bones, many of which bore unmistakable marks of violent attacks (many were literally chopped into pieces). The nature of the remains clearly suggested that ritual sacrifices of human beings had occurred, which apparently took place nearly 2,000 years ago.

The Cave of Blood is part of a network of subterranean chambers located beneath Dos Pilas, and was first mapped in the early 1990s. Dated to between 400 BC and 250 AD, the caves were used by the Maya during times of prosperity, and it seems that Cueva de Sangre was reserved for sacrificial rites tied to seasonal change and agricultural activities.