A horrific scene of 76 skeletons belonging to children who were sacrificed more than 450 years ago has been uncovered in Peru, with one grave containing five young kids sitting head to head in a circle.

The remains were buried in two mounds and all the children, minus the five in one grave, were laid to rest with their feet facing the east and their heads towards the west, which is a repeating pattern among such sacrificial burials by the ancient Chimu society that is known for the gruesome practices.

This discovery brings the total to 302 sacrificed children that have been found in the area, all of which were killed in six different sacrificial events from 1050 to 1500.

The reason these children were killed is not yet known, but scientists speculate their lives may have been a gift to the gods.

he Chimu was a pre-Incan culture that emerged from the remnants of the Moche culture along the coast of Peru in 900AD and this civilization was the largest pre-Columbian Empire in Peru until the Inca.

This group is widely known for their innovations in agriculture, such as constructing large irrigation systems, along with their children sacrifices.

The graves were unearthed at Pampa La Cruz archaeological site, located in Huanchaco district, Andina reports.

Archaeologists found 25 graves in Mound I and 51 in Mound II.

The team is conducting more research to determine how these children were murdered and if there was any other reason other than that they were gifts to the Chimu’s gods.