Following the Path of Dead in Chichen Itza through a Unique Modified Skull

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Subterranean" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

During the Terminal Classic and Postclassic periods, Chichen Itza became an important pilgrimage center. People from all over Mesoamerica came to the Maya Lowlands to make special offerings to Chichen Itza's sacred well. Paleoclimate studies indicate that a severe drought occurred during that period of time. This may have lasted a decade or more. During that time, offerings of all kinds to the Sacred Cenote increased. Many different kinds of objects such as ceramic objects, jade, turquoise, and especially human sacrifices were offered to Chac the rain god. After analyzing the human remains from the bone collection situated at Mexico City's Museum of Anthropology, we explored several more cenotes. In one of them, situated at the west of the City of the Itza, we documented an interesting modified human skull. I will describe in this session the documenting of such a rare and important object.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Subterranean   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40084.0