Which ritual practice was common among the Mayans?

Human sacrifice was a significant and notable ritual practice among the Mayans, deeply intertwined with their religious beliefs and cosmology. The Mayans practiced human sacrifice as a means to appease their gods and ensure agricultural fertility, success in warfare, and divine favor. This practice often involved elaborate ceremonies, where captives or individuals chosen for sacrifice were offered to deities as a way to sustain the cosmic order and seek favor for their communities. The scale and frequency of these rituals reflect the Mayans' belief that the gods required this nourishment, highlighting the importance of sacrificial rites in maintaining their spiritual and societal structure.

In contrast, while public feasting had its own significance in social and communal contexts, it did not have the same religious emphasis as human sacrifice. Animal domestication was important for agricultural societies but was not ritualistic in nature, and mining for silver was not a prevalent Mayan practice, as the civilization was more focused on agriculture and trade rather than precious metal extraction.