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Mayan Carved Human Mandible - PF.0264,Origin: Mexico/Guatemala,Circa: 550 AD to 900 AD,Dimensions: 4.75" (12.1cm) wide x 4" (10.2cm) depth,Collection: Pre-Columbian,Style: Mayan,Medium: Bone. How this jaw bone--once that of a living adult male--came to be elaborately carved with glyphs and symbols we cannot know for certain. The rituals of the Mayan religion were filled with blood, death, and even human sacrifice; skulls play an important part in Mayan cosmology. It would seem that such intricate carving is a mark of honor, and that the skull may have been that of a prominent person, even a king. This mandible is much more than a relic of an ancient life: it is a vivid symbol of an entire civilization and their beliefs.
Antiquities
Ancient Central America & Mexico
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