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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 20 January 2021
Spaniards killed women, kids over slaying of conquistadores

MEXICO CITY (AP) — New were mutilated, as evi-
research suggests Spanish denced by the discovery
conquistadores butchered of hacked bones on the
at least a dozen women floors. The temples were
and their children in an burned and the statues
Aztec-allied town where were decapitated.”
the inhabitants sacrificed Cruelty was on display on
and ate a detachment of both side in Tecoaque, the
Spaniards they had cap- site of one of the worst de-
tured months earlier. feats in the Spanish Con-
The National Institute of quest of 1519-21.
Anthropology and History The heads of the cap-
published findings Mon- tive Spanish women were
day from years of excava- strung up on skull racks
tion work at the town of alongside those of men.
Tecoaque, which means An analysis of the bones
“the place where they ate revealed the women were
them” in the Nahuatl lan- pregnant, and in pre-His-
guage of the Aztecs. panic practice that may
Residents of Tecoaque, also have qualified them as
known as Zultepec, cap- “warriors.” Another sacrifi-
tured a convoy of about 15 cial offering included one
male Spaniards, 50 women woman’s body that was
and 10 children, 45 foot sol- In this Oct. 8, 2015 file photo, the skeletons of sacrificed Spaniards are displyed inside a glass case cut in half near the remains
diers who included Cubans at the museum of the Zultepec-Tecoaque archeological site in Tlaxcala state, Mexico. of a dismembered child
Associated Press
of African and Indigenous aged 3 or 4.
descent, and about 350 al- reprisal attack was coming had stayed in the town of five and six.” One Spanish male was dis-
lies from Indigenous groups and tossed the bones of managed to flee, but wom- Photos of the excavations membered and burned to
in 1520. All were apparently the Spaniards — some of en and children remained, show children’s bones be- replicate the mythical fates
sacrificed over the space which had been carved and they were the main side those of the adult fe- of Aztec-era gods, accord-
of months. into trophies — and other victims,” the institute said in males, with some of the ing to one myth known as
When he heard about it, evidence into shallow wells. a statement. women’s skulls or arm “El Quinto Sol,” or Fifth Sun.
conquistador Hernán Cor- The townspeople also “This we have been able bones turned toward the The convoy was comprised
tes ordered Gonzalo de tried to erect some primi- to demonstrate over a youngsters. of people sent from Cuba
Sandoval to destroy the tive defensive works along 120-meter (yard) stretch “The placement of the buri- in a second expedition a
town in revenge in early the main thoroughfare of of the main thoroughfare, als suggest these people year after Cortes’ initial
1521. the town, none of which where the skeletons of a were fleeing, were massa- landing in 1519 and they
Archeologist Enrique Mar- worked when De Sandoval dozen women were found cred and buried hurriedly,” were heading to the Aztec
tínez Vargas said excava- and his punitive expedition who appeared to be ‘pro- the institute said. “Women capital with supplies and
tions suggest the inhabit- rode in. tecting’ the bones of ten and children who were the conquerors’ posses-
ants of Tecoaque knew a “Some of the warriors who children between the ages sheltering inside rooms sions. q

Thai leader threatens punishment for false vaccine news

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai ternet broadcast Monday duce a vaccine, charges the end of this year, and that, 26 million doses of a
Prime Minister Prayuth night. denied by the govern- is attempting to secure vaccine developed by
Chan-ocha warned Tues- Thanathorn Juangroon- ment and the companies more supplies to cover ev- Oxford University and As-
day that his government gruangkit, former leader involved. eryone. traZeneca, a British-Swed-
will prosecute anyone of the dissolved Future “Do not blame me for A first batch of 200,000 ish pharmaceutical com-
who shares false informa- Forward Party, accused threatening legal action,” doses of Sinovac vaccine pany, to be manufactured
tion about coronavirus the government of act- Prayuth said. “I need to from China is scheduled in Thailand will start being
vaccines in social or mass ing too slowly to inoculate keep people’s confidence to arrive next month. After distributed in May.q
media. the country’s population. and trust in government.”
The government already Thanathorn has long been Health officials at a news
has the power to impose a thorn in the side of Pra- conference Tuesday de-
punishments under a yuth’s government. fended the effort to pro-
state of emergency that His party made a strong cure vaccines.
was declared last March third-place showing in the Supakit Sirilak, director
to deal with the health 2019 general election, general of the Medical
threat. but he was forced out of Science Department, said
Prayuth’s warning was Parliament when a court the Health Ministry has
an apparent reaction to ruled that he had broken been working to obtain
charges that his govern- an election law. His party vaccine supplies since last
ment has done too little was later dissolved on a February, but has taken
to acquire adequate sup- similar technicality. time to evaluate which
plies of vaccines. There also have been al- are appropriate.
The criticism took on a legations that well-con- He said the government Thai classical dancers wearing face shields to help curb the
sharp political tinge after nected companies stand has targeted having spread of the coronavirus perform at the Erawan Shrine in
a popular politician aired to profit unfairly from gov- enough vaccines to cover Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021.
such allegations in an in- ernment contracts to pro- 50% of the population by Associated Press