#chacmool

[blueiscoool]

440-Pound Mayan Sculpture Discovered in Mexico

Less than a year after a massive, ancient stone carving was discovered in western Mexico, it is on display for the public for the first time, officials said.

During a construction project of the Pátzcuaro market in August, researchers uncovered an enormous sculpture of a person lying on their back and holding a stone, according to a May 10 news release from the National Institute of Anthropology and History, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.

Weighing around 440 pounds, the sculpture is about 3 feet long and 2.5 feet tall, researchers said. It is carved from augite andesite, a dark black porous volcanic stone, according to the releas

The heavy statue was brought to researchers after it was found dismantled, officials said, and through preservation and cleaning, it was restored to its original shape and color.

The stone was carved by the Mayans during the late postclassic period, between 1350 and 1521, according to the release.

It is uncommon to find these kinds of artifacts in western Mexico, archaeologists said, which raises questions as to why it was there.

The image of a seated person is classic for a chacmool, a ritualistic table that was used in pre-Hispanic times, according to the release. Archaeologists believe it was used in sacrificial and offering ceremonies.

Researchers are not sure of the origin of chacmools, and few have been found in the archaeological record, the researchers said.

Only 70 pieces have ever been found, and one hasn’t been found in this region of Mexico since 1938, archaeologists said.

Since the piece has been well-preserved, the researchers hope it will shed light on how the sculptures were used and how the art form was created centuries ago.

The sculpture is now on display at the Museum of Popular Arts and Industries of Pátzcuaro.

Pátzcuaro is in southwest Mexico, about a 230-mile drive west from Mexico City.

By Irene Wright.

[mparra]

Chac mool

Sticker

Marco Parra. 2023

[clipartcabaret]

"Chac mool just chillin', waitin' for a nice gift, maybe corn or a human heart, whatever's easier, man" clip art

[ometochtli2rabbit]

july 8

[littleguymart]

(source)

[longreads]

The Top 5 Longreads of the Week

This week we have pieces on:

Remembering an AIDS activist

Keeping the secrets hidden in blood

The missing “chacmool” women from Carlos Castaneda’s cult

An international stolen bike organization

The chef who makes cooking pork a party

Read why our editors loved these stories here. 

[all-peristeronic]

Short stories that live rent-free in my head that never show up on my dash

Chac Mool by Carlos Fuentes - A man buys a chacmool (a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican sculpture associated with the Aztec god of rain) for his art collection, and it gradually comes to life, tormenting him.

Mountain Ways by Ursula K. LeGuin - In a world in which bisexual polyamorous marriage is the norm, a woman pretends to be a man to marry the woman she loves and deals with complicated relationships.

The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere by John Chu - In the near future, water falls from the sky whenever someone lies. This makes life difficult for Matt as he maneuvers the marriage question with his boyfriend and how best to come out to his Chinese immigrant parents.

The V*mpire by P H Lee - A horror story (with a hopeful ending) about transphobia, abuse, emotional manipulation, and being on tumblr in the 2010s.

The Feast by K.C. Mead-Brewer - A town struck by insatiable hunger tries to break the curse by sacrificing a young woman.

Fantasy for Eleven Fingers by Ben Fountain - A young piano prodigy with eleven fingers strains under the weight of parental expectations and the rising tide of antisemitism in early 1900s Europe.

Midnight Hour by Mary Robinette Kowal - A fairy tale in which a king and queen want to stop the curse on them from being broken.

[dianegarciaramos]

Chacmool, DGR x WM, 2025

[tlatollotl]

✨ NEW EPISODE ✨

037. Mesoamerica News for September 2023

In this mini-episode we bring you the latest news in Mesoamerican archaeology and art history for the month of September!

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[dato-georgia-caucasus]

Chacmool figure, 9th century - Late Classic Mayan period, Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico

[ladespeinada]

i got a flash tattoo of a chacmool from chichén itzá last december (on a whim!), which is not a huge deal in general, but it’s really funny to me right now because i recently paid for 23andme’s subscription service, which shares historical matches with users, and one of my historical matches is a sacrificial victim from chichén itzá 😶🙂🙃

[revistatmx]

🌊 #QuintanaRoo.- Localizan restos del #turista, que se encontraba desaparecido desde el domingo pasado en #PlayaChacmool, al ser arrastrado por una ola al intentar salvar a una #mujer, que logró salvar la vida.

🛜 Se presume fue deborado por #tiburones, ya que solo su cabeza y parte del esqueleto se encontraban flotando a la orilla de la #playa.

🚩 Cabe destacar que Playa Chacmool es conocida por sus fuertes olas, aunque hay salvavidas, las corrientes peligrosas son un problema recurrente.

🌐 RevistaTMX.Com

[katestomb]

Chapter 4: Mexico

Level 11: Unnamed Days Level 12: Xibalba Level 13: The Midgard Serpent Level 14: Land Of The Dead

Sceenshots

In the ruins of "Xibalba" in Mexico, Lara finds both Thor's belt−which powers the gauntlets and is protected by more Thralls−and ancient carvings detailing the myth of Jörmungandr, who will flood the world before fighting Thor, with both dying. In the ruin of "Valhalla" on Jan Mayen, Lara recovers Mjolnir, then confronts Natla.

History & Archaeology

XIBALBA: Xibalba (Mayan pronunciation: [ʃiɓalˈɓa]), roughly translated as “place of fright”, is the name of the underworld (or K'iche’: Mitnal) in Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. 

Learn more

Xibalba is a location Lara visits.

SHRUKEN HEAD: A shrunken head is a severed and specially prepared human head that is used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes.Headhunting has occurred in many regions of the world, but the practice of headshrinking has only been documented in the northwestern region of the Amazon rainforest. Jivaroan peoples, which includes the Shuar, Achuar, Huambisa and Aguaruna tribes from Ecuador and Peru.

Learn more

There are many of these around the temples.

CUAUHXICALLI: A cuauhxicalli or quauhxicalli (Nahuatl: [kʷaːʍʃiˈkalːi], meaning “eagle gourd bowl”) was an altar-like stone vessel used by the Aztec to hold human hearts extracted in sacrificial ceremonies. A cuauhxicalli would often be decorated with animal motifs, commonly eagles or jaguars. Another kind of cuauhxicalli is the Chacmool-type, which is shaped as a reclining person holding a bowl on his belly.

Learn more

This creature, which is depicted as a jaguar, is part of the calendar puzzle. Lara needs to attach it's head.

MAYAN CALENDAR: The Maya calendar is a system of calendars used in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and in many modern communities in the Guatemalan highlands, Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico.

Learn more

This was used as a puzzle to enter Xibalba.

MIDGARD SERPENT: In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr (Old Norse: Jǫrmungandr, pronounced [ˈjɔ̃rmoŋˌɡɑndr], meaning “huge monster”), also known as the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent (Old Norse: Miðgarðsormr [ˈmiðˌɡɑrðsˌormr]), is a sea serpent and the middle child of Loki and the giantess Angrboða.

Learn more

This mythical beast was referenced during the exploration into Thor's catacombs.

[youwakeupinadungeon]

Cavern guide in Cenote Chacmool, Riviera Maya, Mexico

[lestatth]

Chac Mool - Misteriosas esculturas prehispánicas | Fragmentos de la Noche

#ChacMoolMisteriosasesculturasprehispánicas #FRAGMENTOSDELANOCHE #criminalistanocturno #misterio 🟧 #ChacMool 🟧 ◄ 🟧 ▶ | | ☑ #terror #leyendas #historiasdeterror #ChichénItzá #AugustusLePlongeon #1874

[yuricrispi]

Cavern guide in Cenote Chacmool, Riviera Maya, Mexico