This girl was found dead long time ago, and her bones were discovered at a site called Paquimé in Chihuahua state, Mexico. The archaeological investigations took place back in the late 1950s and 1960s and documented child remains.
However, only now they (researchers) have made genetic analysis of this child. Radiocarbon dating estimated her biological age to be between two to five years, and it indicated that she died between A.D. 1301 and 1397.
A possible explanation for this event is that some wealthy family members performed a ritual sacrifice of the little girl to sanctify building constructions as well as increase their power and prosperity.
One of the principal archaeological sites in Norteño Mexico, Casas Grandes or Paquimé, also extends into Southwestern United States territory. Thus, there are many significant research works on archeology have conducted in this major landmark during mid-20th century excavations that revealed important pieces of information about it. It remains an important area for archaeological research and historical study.
Between 1200 and 1450 AD, it was the prime center where all Mogollon civilizations interacted with each other having their economy, religion, politics all intertwined together making it as one large entity under its jurisdiction based at Paquime.
Jakob Sedig of Harvard said the magnificent adobe houses on the site, mounds, wells, aqueducts and millions of artifacts testify that the site once existed. Among these artifacts are shells and other exotic items, collected from thousands of miles away.”
Despite extensive research in this area, researchers still do not fully understand many aspects of the social structure and genetic makeup of the population at this place. Ancient DNA rapidly deteriorates in such harsh climates like those found in northern Mexico. This has made it challenging for archaeologists to identify biological similarities between the inhabitants of Paquimé and those from nearby regions.
To better understand these questions, researchers turned to analyzing DNA from remains of individuals from Paquimé. The unusual placement of the child’s skeleton under one of the beams supporting a roof inside what is commonly referred to as the House of the Well made it distinctive.
The presence of ceremonial objects in addition to linking it with a sacred well indicates that this was also a cultic site. This hypothesis blended with other information suggests that she came from an elite bloodline.
“Genetic analysis revealed that the parents shared between 25% to 50% of their genetic material. Although we couldn’t identify the precise relationship, we can likely determine that the parents were closely related, such as being half-siblings, an aunt/uncle and niece/nephew, or a grandparent and grandchild,” Sedig explained.
