Recently I watched Mel Gibson movie "Alcolptco", did other cultures in similar area did human sacrifice too?

Question

like other places in Mexico and Central America.

Answer 1

I did not see (by the way spelled Apocalypto) "Apocalypto." I just know I will not enjoy it for the "hollywood" flavor on a subject that is very dear to me. I did my research and thesis in Central America on Today's Mayans and am sort of sensitive when it comes to their and similar cultures representations in film.

Yes, other cultures in the area had human sacrifices. As you mentioned, the Aztecs had sacrifices for various deities. The reasons as to why they had these rituals differ from one people to the next. Here are two cultures who are known to have lived near the Mayas and who held sacrifices as well (Of course human sacrifices have been recorded in other parts of the world as well):

Mixtec

The Mixtec players of the Ulama game were sacrificed when the game was used to resolve a dispute between cities. The rulers would play a game instead of going to battle. The losing ruler would be sacrificed. The ruler "Eight Deer" was considered a great ball player and won several cities this way, until he lost a ball game and was sacrificed.

Inca empire

A number of mummies of sacrificed children have been recovered in the Inca regions of South America, an ancient practice known as capacocha.

Answer 2

yeah across the world..

pre celtic's, also known as pagans across eroupe did the same.

Such as the goths of germany.

Answer 3

The Maya and Aztecs had similar traditions surrounding human sacrifice, they seem to have been common in pre-Columbian Central America. The Incas also practiced human sacrifice, but IIRC more limited. It was common in primitive cultures, the Gauls in Europe did it too.

Answer 4

The human sacrifice was about 18,000 per year in the Aztecan Empire.  That is about 50 per day.  Now, if you include holy days, rainy days, inaugurating ceremonies etc etc you have an idea more or less of the magnitude of the activity.  Read about the first encounter in the center of Pueblo and the wall of skulls surrounding the center and the reason Cortez was so fast and fanatic when it came to the conquering of the Aztecan Empire which was by disease and not gunfire or fighting.  The real work of the conquest came in the changing the will of the people into that of good willing Christians and is known in Latin America as the second conquest.

What you saw in Apocalypse was the result of the supposed placation of the people who believed that their bad luck could be ameliorated or annuled by sacrificing lives.  Sometimes the high priests were lucky like this episode that ended with the eclipse and the fullfullment of some other profecy deftly matriculated by the priests.  To their luck because if not they would have had to start on the young virgins of their very own tribe... Or get eaten themselves by the crowd that as can be seen, doesn't have the slightest idea of what is really going on.