The cultural materialist interpretation of Aztec human sacrifice and cannibalism emphasizes

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The cultural materialist interpretation, as proposed by Marvin Harris and others, emphasizes the practical and material benefits of certain cultural practices. In the case of Aztec human sacrifice and cannibalism, this perspective highlights how these practices served to reinforce elite power and control, particularly through the distribution of food (in this case, the bodies of the sacrificed) to the populace. This interpretation views such practices as having a functional role in the society's economy and social structure, rather than purely religious or symbolic significance.

The Cultural Materialist Interpretation of Aztec Human Sacrifice and Cannibalism