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Reasons for Female Child Sacrifice: A Historical, Mythological, and Religious Investigation

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  • Ayse Akinci Ambaroglu

    (Akdeniz University, Faculty of Theology, Türkiye)

Abstract

This study explores the phenomenon of female child sacrifice as represented in mythology, ancient African and Arabian societies, and sacred texts. Anchored by the myth of Iphigenia— immortalized in a mosaic unearthed in Perge, Antalya—the research traces how war, religion, and patriarchal control converge to justify and ritualize the killing of young girls. By examining archaeological, scriptural, and mythological data, this paper argues that the sacrifice of girls often functioned as both a political-religious tool and a mechanism of social control. It also questions the historical normalization of war and why girls, in particular, became its sacrificial symbols.

Suggested Citation

  • Ayse Akinci Ambaroglu, 2025. "Reasons for Female Child Sacrifice: A Historical, Mythological, and Religious Investigation," RAIS Conference Proceedings 2022-2025 0574, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:smo:raiswp:0574
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