The Mexica people formed their capital when they saw the sign they had been promised: an eagle perched on a cactus.
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica was anything but homogenous—people in this region spoke more than 125 different languages!
Mesoamerica, an introduction
Thirty-three feet long, the Codex Borgia records historical, ritual, mythological, and botanical information.
Codex Borgia
Capable of being male or female, the Earth Lord Tlaltecuhtli is shown here as a woman who has given birth.
Monolith of Tlaltecuhtli (Earth Lord)
This Mexica water goddess was believed to have presided over the fourth, or most recent, sun.
Stone kneeling figure of Chalchiuhtlicue
Identifying which god this mask represents has proven a slippery task.
Serpent mask of Quetzalcoatl or Tlaloc
Jade was a prized material for the Olmec, and their carving has been found throughout Mesoamerica and beyond.
Olmec Jade
The turquoise, shell and other materials used on this mask were collected from the far reaches of the Aztec empire.
Mosaic mask of Tezcatlipoca
This rare survival of a Mesoamerican pre-Hispanic book records the life and times of ruler Eight Deer Jaguar-Claw.
Codex Zouche-Nuttall
Carved lintels were commissioned by elites and attest to ritual activities, like bloodletting.
Maya: The Yaxchilán Lintels
Vessels like this are an important source of information about Maya society since few of their books survive.
Maya: The Fenton Vase
Snakes shedding their skin was a powerful metaphor for the Aztecs and is reflected in their pantheon of gods.
Double-headed serpent
Dress for the job you want, not the one you have: could this mask pendant turn its wearer into a god?
Olmec stone mask
Olmec figurines are known for their baby faces, as well as a mixture of feline and human traits.
Olmec figurine
This vessel represents the goggle-eyed deity associated with rain and crops, critical for the agricultural Aztecs.
Tlaloc vessel
Look up! This elaborate carving could be seen as one walked into the temple, but only VIPs had access.
Chakalte’, Relief with Enthroned Ruler
This fabulously-dressed mirror-bearer imitates the humans who performed this function in the royal courts.
Mirror-Bearer
During ceremonies, the user of this cup might be invited to share the story depicted here in Maya glyphs.
Vessel with a mythological scene
These seventeen baby-faced figures may have represented a priestly ritual, a sacrifice, or a procession.
Offering #4, La Venta
One of many Maya city-states, Palenque rose to prominence in the seventh century thanks to an ambitious local lord.