Message #245675

[Gallitz]

Not Alone

Photograph by Alexandre Meneghini, AP

The skeleton of a child, 1 of 11 found buried at the Mexico City site, rests among grave offerings.

It isn't clear what killed these children, but it could have been illness, said Leonardo López Luján, senior archaeologist at the Museo del Templo Mayor—a museum tied to a large Aztec temple in Mexico City. (Read about the Templo Mayor excavation in National Geographic magazine.)

Possibly meant to accompany a child to the next life, the offerings included musical instruments, bowls, incense burners, and even animals.

At one grave the researchers found the remains of a dog, which, López Luján said was likely intended as a companion for the afterlife—possibly sacrificed to assist his or her master on the journey into the underworld.

Published July 31, 2012