The Tarasques (Michoacán, Mexico) in the face of human sacrifice

Discover the second session of the 2024-2025 Americanist Anthropology Seminar: The Tarasques (Michoacán, Mexico) in the face of human sacrifice.

"The main aim of this paper is to elucidate the logical principles of human sacrifice among the ancient Tarasques of Michoacán. Our starting point is the analysis of ethno-historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, focusing on the use of victims' bodies and the results of the work involved in the ceremonies. From this perspective, we can see that, although oblation is also an act of communication with the deities, the transfer of goods between different classes of people and communities seems far more important. Following a principle of accumulation, sacrifice begins with the concentration of merit through work, the process continues with the transformation of the victim into potential benefits, and culminates in the dispersal of these goods among allies. We conclude, therefore, that the type of sacrifice practiced by the inhabitants of pre-Hispanic Michoacán must be seen as an energy redistribution mechanism capable of affecting a variety of human and non-human entities."

• Roberto MARTÍNEZ GONZÁLEZ (Instituto de Investigaciones Históricas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
• Gregory Pereira (CNRS, ARCHAM)