Chac Mool

The term Chac Mool was invented in 1875 by the Auguste explorer the Dive to indicate a type of statue found with Chichen Itza. This eminently whimsical name, which means “large red yucatèque Maya jaguar”, continues to be employed by the archeologists quite simply because it was devoted by the use.

The sculpture represents a laid down man, being pressed on its elbows, the folded up legs and the head turned with 90° towards the side. It holds a plate on the belly. This type of statues makes its appearance in Mésoamérique at the beginning of Postclassique and is associated with the Toltèques. The majority of the known specimens were found with Tula or Chichen Itza, where one found a dozen of it. Besides this type of statues forms part of the arguments which feed the debate on the relations between these two sites. At the time of the excavations of the Templo Mayor with Mexico City, one found of it a specimen Aztec in front of the sanctuary of Tlaloc dating from phase II of this monument. Preserved well by constructions of the following phases which covered it, it preserved its colors. One found several other Aztec specimens of them. Most known and best preserved was found in 1943 apart from the ceremonial center of Tenochtitlan, from where it could be withdrawn after the Spanish conquest. The face carries a mask of Tlaloc. Rather than a plate, it holds in its hands a “cuauhxicalli” (vase intended to receive the heart of the sacrificed victims) typically Aztec, but instead of being hollow, it also has a flat top decorated him with a mask of Tlaloc. Lastly, the base of the monument is also decorated with Tlaloc.

The most current theory is that the plate is intended to receive the heart of the sacrificed victims. It is also possible that Chac Mool was used as sacrificial stone.

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