Head of maize god found in Mexico
Among the ruins of the city of Palenque, the ancient capital of the Baakul kingdom (III-VIII centuries) on the territory of modern Mexico, archaeologists have discovered a sculpted head of the god of maize, or corn. The find belongs to the late classical period of the Mayan culture. The researchers came across the sculptural image while exploring the palace in the ceremonial complex. When the workers were clearing one of the corridors, they saw a row of stones, under which the face of a deity lay in a rectangular pit.
The length of the lying artifact is 45 cm, the width is 16 cm, and the height is 22 cm. The image is very elongated, reminiscent of a corn head. The artificially deformed elongated shape of the skull was characteristic of the Mayan people, especially the representatives of the nobility. The face has a narrow chin, protruding cheekbones, elongated eyes, lips slightly parted. This is the first such head-sculpture found in Palenque. During the study, historians found that the object was the center of a rich offering, surrounded by a pond. The reservoir symbolized a water mirror reflecting the sky.
The importance of maize in Maya culture is evidenced by the legend from the sacred text Popol Wuj, according to which, after several unsuccessful attempts to create a person from clay and wood, the gods did create a successful specimen by molding it from maize dough. These people could write and count, worshiped their creators and gradually settled nearby lands, spreading across the territories of modern Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. As for the city of Palenque, most of the ruins that have survived to this day date back to the 7th and 8th centuries. For the first time, large-scale excavations began here in 1949, but the study of the ruins still surprises. On Violity you can purchase ancient finds from different cultures.
The length of the lying artifact is 45 cm, the width is 16 cm, and the height is 22 cm. The image is very elongated, reminiscent of a corn head. The artificially deformed elongated shape of the skull was characteristic of the Mayan people, especially the representatives of the nobility. The face has a narrow chin, protruding cheekbones, elongated eyes, lips slightly parted. This is the first such head-sculpture found in Palenque. During the study, historians found that the object was the center of a rich offering, surrounded by a pond. The reservoir symbolized a water mirror reflecting the sky.
The importance of maize in Maya culture is evidenced by the legend from the sacred text Popol Wuj, according to which, after several unsuccessful attempts to create a person from clay and wood, the gods did create a successful specimen by molding it from maize dough. These people could write and count, worshiped their creators and gradually settled nearby lands, spreading across the territories of modern Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. As for the city of Palenque, most of the ruins that have survived to this day date back to the 7th and 8th centuries. For the first time, large-scale excavations began here in 1949, but the study of the ruins still surprises. On Violity you can purchase ancient finds from different cultures.
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