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The people of the modern state of Veracruz in ancient times produced thousands of laughing hollow children. The faces and bodies were formed with clay molds. The faces do not vary, but the headdresses have different symbols. Many happy faces show dental mutilation with the upper middle teeth filed in a t-shape. The smiling children have been killed by decapitation and their bodies smashed. Why the children are smiling is unknown. (6)
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The posture or stance suggests a ritual activity, such as dancing, twirling, singing, or chanting, which if done over a long period of time produces an altered state of consciousness. (6)
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The Purepecha or Tarascans in Mechoacan were contemperaneous of the Mexica or Azteca of Central Mexico. The Tarascans excelled in many craft areas, especially clay, metal, and stone. This burnished redware pipe represents elegance, but simplicity in design. (6)
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The Purepechas or Tarascans are one of the few Mesoamerican cultures to work or forge metal. Copper ore was smelted to form tools and weapons. This bronze sling blade, called an asymmetrical hoe or a Taregue, was used to clear brush or as a digging stick. (5)
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The seated figure represents a human male or a deity wearing the "Buccal Mask of the Serpent," a beneficient god related to rain. His nudity, flat beaded fringe headdress, and the long bifurcated serpent's tongue date this artifact between AD 100 and AD 200, a period of transition. (6)
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The seated male figure sits with his legs crossed and his arms resting. He looks up to reveal a simplified face; eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, ears and ear ornaments. A minimal figure that gives a sense of detail. (6)
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The seed jar has been painted with a black claw design. Since the vessel has a black design on a cream slip ground, it is considered a bichrome. (6)
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The shape of the olla is typical of Casas Grandes Culture. What is different is the cup shape added to the lip to form the head of the anthropomorphic figure. The design panel contains a black diamond pattern, within the lined diamond are two opposite 'P' shapes. The duality is further expressed through the separation of black from red. (6)
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The sides of a small brownware olla has been covered with red slip. The red slip area has been horizontally incised forming two groups of incised rings separating three solid red bands. (6)
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The sides of this bowl have been flattened to produced a four sided bowl. Different designs have been painted inside and out with black or red pigments to emphasize the duality concept. (6)
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The standing hollow male figure has been ritually killed. He has been partially re-constructed where there was sufficient information. His mouth is open which indicates speaking or chanting. He holds his hands in front of his body as if he were carrying two objects. This gives a clue to what he is. (6)
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The state of Guerrero, known for well-crafted abstract sculptures, has received little archaeological fieldwork. Very little is known about the culture and the people who created them. The stone for this Chontal mask has been string cut, pecked, abraded, drilled, and polished. It features several Teotihuacan characteristics: a wide face, a flat curved head, and flared rectangular ears. (1)
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The structure of this Mixtec vessel consists of a circular collar rim, a heart shape olla, and tripodal legs. Around the rim appears open mouth creatures with multiple eyes. The black heart-shape olla contains fantastic menacing creatures in what appears to be a liquid environment. Three white and red legs with red spirals support the vessel, which depicts the watery realm of the underworld, Mictlan. (8)
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The taller male figure is dressed similarly to the smaller figurine. His hands are on his abdomen. Both sculptures have retained traces of their pigments. (6)
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The Tarascans embellished their crescent shaped tweezers with hammered spirals. They were worn as emblems of status or authority. (4)
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The Tlaloc alter brazier incorporates a feathered headdress into the flared top. The rain god's characteristics include goggled eyes, a fanged mouth, flared ears with small ear plugs, and an inverted flared base for his neck and collar. The incense burner retains a good deal of its earthen pigments. (6)
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The tondo of this shallow polychrome plate contains the image of the Muan bird, the bird of death from the Popol Vuh. This screech owl served Xibalba "Lords of Death" as their messenger. Two zoomorphic saurians, representing the Earth Monster in Xibalba, appear on the black shoulder of this plate. (6)
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The tripodal plate is in good condition. The inside of the legs rattle and each leg have rectangular openings on the side there is also some white pigment in circular form on the base of the legs. The plate is made of ceramic and buff clay with cream slip decorated with red, red- brown, and black pigments. There is a noticeable crack on the outside rim of the plate. The overall pigment of the plate is fading. (6)
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The turtle bell was first formed with beeswax. Then the turtle bell wax model was embedded in a fine clay material. The clay matrix and the beeswax mold was slowly heated to melt the wax; hardening the clay mixture and creating a hollow negative turtle space. Molten copper was poured into the hollow space; it hardened and formed the turtle bell. (6)
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The two vessels were found together: the olla was inside the bowl. Both vessels were made with coils of clay that were worked together. When the clay was leather hard, a smooth stone was used to create the lustrous surface. The burnished vessels were fired in a rich carbon reduced environment. (13)
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