Archaeology of Teotihuacan, Mexico
Offerings at the Feathered Serpent Pyramid:
Greenstone Cones
Eighteen cones were found within a specific area of
Grave 14. They were discovered exclusively under the left upper arm
of individual 14-F. The location suggests that all of them were
associated with this individual. However, it is also possible that
they were parts of general offerings which were put together over the
bodies of several individuals in the central part of the grave.
They are homogeneous in
terms of material, form, and incised surface motif, except for one
extremely small cone which did not have any incisions. The remaining
seventeen cones are similarly decorated with triangle motifs in a row
on their sloped exterior surfaces along the bottom edge. Except for
the bottom, the entire surface of these cones is well polished. The
summits of the cones are sharply pointed. Greenstone cones have not
been found anywhere else in Teotihuacan. They seem to have been rare
in Mesoamerica as well. No meanings or functions attached to them are
apparent.
Last Update: 8/20/2001
Saburo Sugiyama: Arizona State University, Dept. of Anthropology,
Tempe, AZ 85287
Oralia Cabrera: Arizona State University, Dept. of Anthropology,
Tempe, AZ 85287
©Copyright 1996 Project Temple of Quetzalcoatl, Instituto
Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico/ ASU
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Eighteen cones were found within a specific area of
Grave 14. They were discovered exclusively under the left upper arm
of individual 14-F. The location suggests that all of them were
associated with this individual. However, it is also possible that
they were parts of general offerings which were put together over the
bodies of several individuals in the central part of the grave.
They are homogeneous in
terms of material, form, and incised surface motif, except for one
extremely small cone which did not have any incisions. The remaining
seventeen cones are similarly decorated with triangle motifs in a row
on their sloped exterior surfaces along the bottom edge. Except for
the bottom, the entire surface of these cones is well polished. The
summits of the cones are sharply pointed. Greenstone cones have not
been found anywhere else in Teotihuacan. They seem to have been rare
in Mesoamerica as well. No meanings or functions attached to them are
apparent.