Why Was This Human Skull Covered in Turquoise?

This isn't modern art. It is a remarkable human skull from Mexico, dating to around 1400–1521 CE and associated with Aztec-Mixtec traditions. According to the British Museum, the entire skull was decorated with thousands of small pieces of turquoise and lignite, attached using pine resin. Its other details are just as remarkable. Red Spondylus shell was placed inside the nose, while the eye sockets contained shiny pyrite surrounded by white conch shell. Inside the skull, a lining made from deer skin and maguey fibres was found, along with long leather straps that once showed traces of red pigment. But who was it made for? The British Museum suggests that the skull may represent Tezcatlipoca, the Aztec deity known as the "Smoking Mirror". However, this identification is not certain. The Museum considers it possible that the skull was used as a back ornament. Its modern history is also fascinating. The object was recorded in 19th-century Europe as part of the collection of collector Bram Hertz, and later entered the British Museum through Henry Christy in 1865. Interestingly, the Museum's records do not provide information about the skull's original archaeological findspot. 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archevault 📺 Main Channel: @Archevault