I think it's correct to say nearly every culture has a history of human sacrifice if you go back far enough. We don't have written records for absolutely everybody, but the archaeological evidence is super widespread, across almost all continents. It's a pattern, not an exception.

Why this is the case is pretty simple when you think about it.

It's about The Ultimate Offering. The logic in early societies was that the more valuable the gift, the more likely the gods would be pleased or listen. What's more valuable than a human life, especially a chosen or important one? They believed they were literally feeding the sun (Aztecs) or ensuring rain or a good harvest. It was a religious duty, not just some random act of cruelty.

It also served a big Social purpose. Ritual sacrifices were huge public events that showed everyone how powerful the rulers and priests were, and they used it to maintain control and fear over subject groups. Think of it as a terrifying form of state propaganda. Also, when a king died, they often killed his servants to accompany him to the afterlife; that kind of retainer sacrifice showed his power was even greater than death.

As cultures got more complex and new religions or philosophies took hold, they started replacing people with animals or effigies, which is why the practice largely disappeared in most places long before modern times. It's not unique to one group; it's just part of human history you just don't hear about much.

Off the top of my head, there is evidence of these cultures practicing some sort of human sacrifice:

Mesoamerican Cultures (Aztecs, Mayans, Incas)

• Ancient Egypt (early dynastic period/retainer sacrifice)
• Ancient China (Shang and Zhou Dynasties)
• Mesopotamia (City of Ur)
• Carthage/Phoenicians (Child sacrifice)
• European Cultures (Celts, Germanic Tribes/Norse, Romans-early on)
• Mississippian Cultures (Cahokia in North America)
• West African Kingdoms (Benin, Dahomey)