[dennisw]

The Azteca didn't (human) sacrifice 20,000 each year. This was their peak year due to important religious festivities. IIR correctly 20,000 were sacrificed because a new temple to the sun was being dedicated. 

Their prisoners cut out hearts were a sacrifice to their sun god and ensured the sun would rise each day

[Wrigley]

Thanks. I was quoting from a previous post. Still its an amazing number.

[Skywalk]

The Azteca didn't (human) sacrifice 20,000 each year. This was their peak year due to important religious festivities. IIR correctly 20,000 were sacrificed because a new temple to the sun was being dedicated. Their prisoners cut out hearts were a sacrifice to their sun god and ensured the sun would rise each day

Not true. Based on new population estimates, as well as the protein deficit that may have driven the cannibalism, I've seen numbers from 20,000 per year to 200,000 in peak years. The 20, 000 was for the dedication of ONE temple, but sacrifices and eating of flesh was faily commonplace. In any event, newest estimates have the Aztec death tolls in the MILLIONS(over the course of their reign) rather than a few hundred thousand. And I know this is an old post, I was just looking for FR threads that I remember mentioning the Aztecs.