Various kinds of sacrifice were performed within a range of sociocultural contexts and in association with a variety of activities, from mundane everyday activities to those performed by the elites and ruling lineages with the aim of maintaining social structure. See also: Maya mythology and Maya religionĪmong all the Mesoamerican cultures, sacrifice, in whatever form, was a deeply symbolic and highly ritualized activity with strong religious and political significance. In front of her, her husband and the ruler of Yaxchilan, Shield Jaguar, is shown holding a torch. One of the best-known lintels from Mesoamerica, Yaxchilan Lintel 24 (right), shows Lady Xoc drawing a barbed rope through her tongue. The El Perú tomb of a female (called the "Queen's Tomb") contains among its many grave goods a ceremonial stingray spine associated with her genital region. While usually carried out by a ruling male, prominent females are also known to have performed the act. This was done so as to demonstrate the connection the person performing the auto-sacrifice had with the sacred sphere and, as such, a method used to maintain political power by legitimizing their prominent social, political, and/or ideological position. The rituals were enacted on the summits of pyramids or on elevated platforms that were usually associated with broad and open plazas or courtyards (where the masses could congregate and view the bloodletting). Ritualized bloodletting was typically performed by elites, settlement leaders, and religious figures (e.g., shamans) within contexts visible to the public. Lintel 24 at Yaxchilan, depicting Lady Xoc drawing a barbed rope through her tongue. For example, drawing blood from the genitals, especially the male sex organs, would be done with the intent of increasing or representing human fertility. The location of the bloodletting on the body often correlated with an intended result or a corresponding symbolic representation. Some of these jade artifacts have rather dull points but might have been used once the initial cut was made, or might purely be ritualistic objects not used in actual bloodletting. Jade or stone spines and teeth have been found in the archaeological record. Under some circumstances, a rope with attached thorns or obsidian flakes would be pulled through the tongue. Piercing was accomplished using obsidian prismatic blades, stingray spines, or shark's teeth. The act of burning the sacrificed blood symbolized the transferral of the offering to the gods via its transformation into the rising smoke. The jaguar head has a serpent emerging from its forehead, both very powerful animals that have strong symbolic and mythological meaning to ancient Mexicans, like the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Olmec.Mexico, probably Guerrero, Olmec Blood-letter Handle, 1000-600BCīloodletting was performed by piercing a soft body part, generally the tongue, and scattering the blood or collecting it on amate, which was subsequently burned. I guess we have cases of gods emerging from other deities' foreheads in ancient western civilization but a snake emerging from a jaguar's head is a pretty exotic twist on that old myth, you must agree! Can you tell us anything else about the artifact? I like the way the piece is so well preserved and how the symbolism is both provocative and still a bit enigmatic. Perhaps not so different from today! 
 Why is this your favorite artifact?
So it gives us an idea about how religion and competitive sporting events blended together in the past. The ball game was part of a central myth commemorating the origin of the world, a competition between humans and the gods, that was reenacted as a kind of public performance and sporting event on a regular basis in the center of ancient Mesoamerican cities like Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan. It's part of an ancient ritual that has both religious and everyday meaning. Many such objects are found in Museums in Mexico and around the world (like the Gordon Grosscup Museum of Anthropology at Wayne State) and represent indigenous American ideas about religion, politics, and sports. It's from Veracruz, Mexico and is about 1200 years old (A.D.
The stone version, like the one illustrated, would be placed in a player's grave. A balsa (light wood) version of this piece would be inserted in a padded belt and worn behind, as a decorative part of the player's uniform. A hacha (axe) is a part of the ceremonial gear for players of El Juego de Pelota ( The Ball Game, also known as the "game of life and death," you know, the one where the losers are decapitated). What is the artifact?Ī Mesoamerican ball game hacha. He tells about his favorite artifact in the Gordon Grosscup Museum of Anthropology. Tom Killion is an associate professor in the anthropology department.
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