Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Men with chicken which will be sacrificed in a voodoo ceremony, surrounded by people watching. Benin, 2020.

Cyril Ruoso / Men participating in ceremony around sacrificial altar / ovoo to worship mountain, milk libation poured as offerings to mountain deities. Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area, Mongolia. 2018.

Pascal Kobeh / Mayan skull, possibly result of human sacrifice to the gods that the Maya culture made and then threw in cenote, Prehispanic Era, Punta Laguna Cenote, Yucatan peninsula, Mexico

Pascal Kobeh / Mayan human and animal skulls and bones, possibly result of human sacrifice to the gods that the Maya culture made and then threw in cenote, pre-Hispanic era, Punta Laguna Cenote, Yucatan peninsula, M...

Pascal Kobeh / Mayan skull, possibly result of human sacrifice to the gods that the Maya culture made and then threw in cenote, pre-Hispanic era, Punta Laguna Cenote, Yucatan peninsula, Mexico

Pascal Kobeh / Mayan human skull and bones, possibly result of human sacrifice to the gods that the Maya culture made and then thrown into cenote, pre-Hispanic era, Punta Laguna Cenote, Yucatan peninsula, Mexico

Pete Oxford / Apatani Grave or Biyu. Skeletons of sacrificed animals are placed on the grave, Apatani Tribe, Ziro Valley, Himalayan Foothills, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, November 2014.

Pete Oxford / Apatani sacrificial area used for ceremonies or by a shaman, Apatani Tribe, Ziro Valley, Himalayan Foothills, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, November 2014.

Pete Oxford / Apatani sacrificial area used for ceremonies or by a shaman, Apatani Tribe, Ziro Valley, Himalayan Foothills, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, November 2014.

Pete Oxford / Apatani sacrificial area used for ceremonies or by a shaman, Apatani Tribe, Ziro Valley, Himalayan Foothills, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, November 2014.

Pete Oxford / Apatani sacrificial area used for ceremonies or by a shaman, Apatani Tribe, Ziro Valley, Himalayan Foothills, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, November 2014.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / The skins and meat from sacrificed young reindeer adorns the inside of a Chukchi Yaranga (tent) during the 'Festival of the Young Reindeer'. Iultinsky District, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia

Floris van Breugel / Murals in the Mayan ruins of Bonampak (aged 1200 years) depicting ritual human sacrifice. Chiapas, Mexico. March 2014.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Chicken about to be ceremonially sacrificed at wedding in the village of Ambeduco. Orango Island, Guinea-Bissau, December 2013.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Rooster about to be ceremonially sacrificed at wedding in the village of Ambeduco. Orango Island, Guinea-Bissau, December 2013.

David Tipling / Frieze depicting a Cockerel from a tomb at Xanthos in Lycia, Turkey from between 470 and 460 BC. It was a Lycian tradition to sacrifice cockerels and make other sacrificial offerings to the deceased,...

Christophe Courteau / Voodoo / Vodun priests and priestesses at Voodoo sacrifice ceremony, Benin, February 2011.

Christophe Courteau / Voodoo / Vodun priests and priestesses at Voodoo sacrifice ceremony, Benin, February 2011.

Christophe Courteau / People dipping hands into blood of ducks sacrificed in thanks to The Orishas / Loa (spirits of life and nature) during a Voodoo / Vodun ceremony, Benin, February 2011.

Christophe Courteau / Blood of ducks sacrificed in thanks to The Orishas / Loa (spirits of life and nature) during a Voodoo / Vodun ceremony, Benin, February 2011.

Christophe Courteau / Man sacrificing duck and collecting blood in thanks to The Orishas / Loa (deities or spirits) during a Voodoo / Vodun ceremony, Benin, February 2011.

Christophe Courteau / Man sacrificing duck and collecting blood in thanks to The Orishas / Loa (deities or spirits) during a Voodoo / Vodun ceremony, Benin, February 2011.

Christophe Courteau / Priestess sprinkling water over man, carrying ducks to be sacrificed in thanks to The Orishas / Loa (deities or spirits) during a Voodoo / Vodun ceremony, Benin, February 2011.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Chukchi herders with dead Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) killed as part of traditional ritual sacrifice. Chukotskiy Peninsula, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia, spring 2010

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Forest Nenets using vodka as an offering during ritual sacrifice of Reindeer / Caribou (Rangifer tarandus). Numto, Khanty Mansiysk, Western Siberia, Russia, 2000.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Ancient Tireli society sacrificing Goat (Capra hircus)for celebratory feast. Before the sacrifice, they dance around on a roof wielding their wooden staffs (a symbol of their special fraternity). Mali...

Jabruson / Maasai traditional E-unoto ceremony, Kedong Valley, Rift valley, Kenya. Ritual slaughter of ox. 1985

Jabruson / Maasai traditional E-unoto ceremony, Kedong Valley, Rift valley, Kenya. Ritual slaughter of ox. 1985

Jabruson / Maasai 'Emowuo-o-lkiteng ceremony, Kedong Valley, Rift valley, Kenya. Lighting ceremonial fire on back of ritual ox. 1985

Constantinos Petrinos / Pig tied on bamboo to be offered as sacrifice at Toraja funeral ceremony, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. 2000.

Constantinos Petrinos / Pig tied on bamboo to be offered as sacrifice at Toraja funeral ceremony, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia 2000.

John Downer / Sacred Cenote (limestone sinkhole) used by Mayans for human sacrifice, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

John Downer / Sacred Cenote (limestone sinkhole) used by Mayans for human sacrifice, Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico

Colin Monteath / Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida sp) basket full, sold for sacrifice during Diwali festival, Kathmandu, Nepal