Toltec Sacrificial Altar with Human Remains Discovered During Mexican Rail Construction

During railroad construction in Hidalgo, Mexico, a 1,000-year-old sacrificial altar from the Toltec civilization was unearthed, surrounded by human skulls and femurs. The three-tiered stone structure, excavated by archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), dates back to between 900 and 1150 C.E., located near the Tula Archaeological Monument Zone. Measuring approximately three feet in width, the altar contained ceramic bowls, obsidian shards, and blades. Human remains were discovered on three sides, including a skull still connected to a spinal cord. Led by Víctor Francisco Heredia Guillén, researchers are skeptical about finding complete skeletons. This altar may have been situated in a palace courtyard, as the Toltecs, who ruled central Mexico from the 10th to 12th centuries, engaged in human sacrifice.