MEXICO CITY, June 12 A study of the remains of victims of Mayan rituals in the ancient city of Chichen Itza has shown that most of them were related to each other, according to material published in the journal Nature.
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"We present whole-genome data obtained from 64 juveniles, dating from around 500-900 AD, found in an underground mass grave near the Sacred Cenote in the ceremonial center of Chichen Itza. Genetic analysis showed that all of the individuals analyzed were male,» the publication says.
It is specified that the research is based on radiocarbon analysis of the remains.
In 1967, a «chultun» was discovered near the Sacred Cenote (Well of Sacrifice) at Chichen Itza, an underground burial site containing the remains of more than 100 children. According to the hypothesis, they were sacrificed for a good harvest or as an offering to the rain god Chaac. Colonial reports from the 16th century and early 20th century studies spread the claim that young women and girls were the victims of such rituals, which has been refuted by new evidence.
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“Genetic analysis also showed the presence of related individuals in the chultun, including two pairs of monozygotic twins and nine other close relatives. Since such twins occur spontaneously in only 0.4% of the general population, the occurrence of two pairs of identical twins in a chultun is much higher than would be expected by chance. Overall, 25% of the children had close relatives in the study group, suggesting that the sacrificed children may have been specifically selected for their close biological relationship,” the study said.
According to the scientists' findings, closely related children in each group appeared to eat similar foods and die at similar ages, suggesting they were sacrificed during the same ritual event.
Chichen Itza is one of the largest and most influential Mayan sites that flourished between 600 and 1000 AD. Although it has been the subject of intense study, scholars note that many questions about the social and cultural use of its ceremonial spaces, as well as the genetic connections of its population to other Mesoamerican groups, remain unanswered. 
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Geminis feature prominently in Mayan mythology and broader Mesoamerican mythology, where they embody the qualities of duality between deities and heroes. The double sacrifice involving twins is a central theme of the Maya Quiche's sacred Book of Council (Popol Vuh), and given that underground structures were seen as entrances to the underworld, the chultun sacrifices at Chichen Itza may have been, according to researchers, repeat the rituals of this epic.
A comparative study of genomes, which also included residents of the local Mayan community, confirmed the genetic heritage of the ancient inhabitants of Chichen Itza in this region of Mexico and, in addition, a significant reduction in the population of local residents, up to 90%. in the 16th century as a result of wars, famines and epidemics that broke out with the spread of European viruses and bacteria under the colonizers.