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239 photos
A mask of the Toltec God Tlaloc, god of rain and thunder. Chichen Itza, Yucatan. 11th.
#12010328

A mask of the Toltec God Tlaloc, god of rain and thunder. Chichen Itza, Y...

Head of a man protruding from the fangs of a feathered serpent. Wall of the Temple of the Warriors, Chichen Itza, Yucatan. 11th.
#12010329

Head of a man protruding from the fangs of a feathered serpent. Wall...

The Cenote, sacrificial pond, at Chichen Itza. The well measures 60 m across; its vertical walls fall 12 m to the water level below. Victims, men, women and children, were thrown into the cenote to appease the rain god Chac. 11th.
#12010330

The Cenote, sacrificial pond, at Chichen Itza. The well measures 60 m a...

The complex of the Thousand Columns and the market. Over the years, buildings were added to the Temple of the Warriors. The parallel lines of columns supported roofs over spacious, well-lit galleries. 11th.
#12010331

The complex of the Thousand Columns and the market. Over the years, building...

Stele 9 from Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala. A male figure, perhaps dancing, with belt, necklace and earplugs. The volute emanating from the mouth symbolizes song. Basalt (900-400 BCE), 154 x 22 cm. Pyramid C-III-6. Inv. 2359
#12010332

Stele 9 from Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala. A male figure, perhaps dancing, with be...

Lintel,from a series illustrating the accession rituals of the ruler Lord Bird.One of his wives conjures a vision of an ancestor who emerges from the mouth of a serpent coiled through a beaded blood scroll.770 CE Limestone,69.2 x 76.2 cm, Temple 21, Yaxchilan, Mexico.
#12010333

Lintel,from a series illustrating the accession rituals of the ruler Lord Bird.O...

A ballgames player. Kneeling on one leg, he throws the rubber ball with his right arm, his rump protected by a wide girdle. The ballgame symbolized the war of the Heavenly Twins against the rulers of the Underworld. Limestone (600-900 CE), 27.6 x 18.1 cm. Inv.24/457
#12010334

A ballgames player. Kneeling on one leg, he throws the rubber ball with his rig...

A ballgame player, funerary gift from the burial site on the Isle of Jaina, Mexico. Participants in the cult game wore elaborate headgear, necklaces, earplugs, a wide, cushioned girdle and knee-pads with skulls. Clay (600-900 CE). Height 17.1 cm. Inv. 10-6167
#12010335

A ballgame player, funerary gift from the burial site on the Isle of Jaina, Me...

Ballplayer with elaborate headgear, wide, protective girdle and kneepads. The cult game, symbolizing the war of the Heavenly Twins against the rulers of the Under- world, ended with a human sacrifice. This player holds a human head trophy. Clay(7-10th),18.8 cm. Inv.10-49605
#12010336

Ballplayer with elaborate headgear, wide, protective girdle and kneepads. The...

Small temple with female ballplayer, next to her two dwarfs. Women are unlikely to have taken part in the ballgame, but had ritual functions. Funerary gift from the burial site on the Isle of Jaina, Mexico. Clay (600-900 CE). Height 20 cm. Inv. 10-78147
#12010337

Small temple with female ballplayer, next to her two dwarfs. Women are unlike...

"Hacha", a flat, polished sculpture associated with the Maya ballgame. The significance is unknown; hachas may have been markers, or trophies, or models for the players' leather belts. From El Salvador, 600-900 CE. Basalt. Height 30 cm. Inv. SW 2-65
#12010338

"Hacha", a flat, polished sculpture associated with the Maya ballgame. The signi...

"Hacha", a flat, highly polished sculpture associated with the Maya ballgame. This hacha shows a bird of prey on a skull. Hachas may have been markers, or trophies, or models for the players' leather belts (600-900 CE). Volcanic stone. Height 29.5 cm, from Guatemala.
#12010339

"Hacha", a flat, highly polished sculpture associated with the Maya ballgame....