Nor is it mine, however as a scientist I would endeavor to understand how we came to this place.

[ He'd also like to figure out the intentions of their captors, but so far they have been tight-lipped. It leaves Spock in an uneasy position of hypothesizing. He doesn't like to guess with such a small amount of information, though, because the list of possibilities is too long. ]

Ritual could imply a variety of things. It may only be something symbolic to them or they may be intending to sacrifice us to some long-held superstition.