Archaeologists believe they discovered ancient Inca ruins in which children were sacrificed to the gods in exchange for blessings, according to the Daily Mail.
The lost Vilcabamba Kingdom supposedly had a ruler, dating between 1471 and 1493, that offered up children as sacrifices to the gods in order to prevent drought and other natural disasters that could affect the civilization negatively.
They believe Túpaq Inca Yupanqui, the civilization's tenth ruler, was in power at the time.
The Spanish researchers found human remains in the caves near the ruins.
With a little investigative work, talking to locals, and the technological advantage of satellite imagery, they were able to find distinctive groupings of buildings, leading to the archaeological find, according to Detroit News Time.
"I found it by chance," said Rafael Garitano, one of the Mars Gaming Expedition's leaders. "I was going down a hill when I saw a hole covered with branches. I thought it was not natural. I made my way and saw the skeleton of an Inca."
In the death rituals, it is assumed that some of the child sacrifices were drugged with a combination of alcohol and plant based drugs, according to NBC News.
There was also the "Capacocha," which united children in marriage before killing them, enacted at the death of a king.
