Why did early human societies practice violent human sacrifice?

Human sacrifice seems horrifying and costly. But there might be a reason so many early human societies practiced it.

Unearthing Secrets of the History of Human Sacrifice – Brewminate: A Bold Blend of News and Ideas

Recent Evidence Suggests Druids Committed Cannibalism and Human Sacrifice

Are humans more violent than ever?

The Highest Altar: Human Sacrifice in Ancient Greece - Femmina Classica

Did Human Sacrifice Help People Form Complex Societies? - The Atlantic

Did Human Sacrifice Help People Form Complex Societies? - The Atlantic

Ritual slaughter: Why so many early human societies practiced violent human sacrifice

BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: The Practice of Human Sacrifice

Why was human sacrifice apparently such a large part of pre-Columbian American civilizations? - Quora

Ritual human sacrifice promoted and sustained the evolution of stratified societies

Centuries of Death: 5 Ancient Cultures That Practiced Human Sacrifice

There is no such thing as 'Human Sacrifice'”

Human Sacrifice in Aztec Culture - Serious Science

Sacrificial virgins of the Mississippi