[QUOTE=picunurse]
A few years ago, I visited Chichén Itzá. The tour guide was a Mayan archaeology student. According to him the beating heart sacrifice was only for captured enemies. He was sedated, but alive before his heart was taken and placed in a chuchmal (sorry I couldn’t find an english website explaining it) a sort of bowl.
The priests then ate the heart, to absorb the enemy’s power.
The sacrifices in the well, were children, both male and female born during the “ghost” week in their calendar, sometime in August, IIRC. These children were raised knowing they would become godlets, so they had no fear of the sacrifice. They too, were drugged, dressed in fine clothing and weighted down with gold and silver jewlery, and dropped into the well.
I saw the well at Chichén Itzá, it was very far down to the water, then the water was very deep. They had just started to send divers into the well to retrieve some artifacts. They estimated the gold and bones went down ten to fifteen feet.
Also, about the game that the Mayans played, our guide told us that it was the captain of the *winning * team that was beheaded. To be sacrificed to the gods was an honor, not a punishment.
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I spent a few days at Chichen Itza back when I was in high school. It is an amazing ruin. We missed seeing the shadow of the serpent climb the stairs of the pyramid by about a week.
Did you go to the huge pelote(sp?) field with the “accoustic anomaly”?
As for whether it was the a member of the winning or losing team that was traditionally and ceremoniously beheaded…how do the academics prove this one way or another? Its not like the scores of the games are still available on the way-back machine.
[QUOTE=ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies]
I spent a few days at Chichen Itza back when I was in high school. It is an amazing ruin. We missed seeing the shadow of the serpent climb the stairs of the pyramid by about a week.
Did you go to the huge pelote(sp?) field with the “accoustic anomaly”?
As for whether it was the a member of the winning or losing team that was traditionally and ceremoniously beheaded…how do the academics prove this one way or another? Its not like the scores of the games are still available on the way-back machine.
[/QUOTE]
We did go to the ball court (go to the middle of the page for a photo) It was quite amazing.
I believe they found pictures and wall writings describing the game and its end.
I was there in 1992. I didn’t climb the pyramid, because I could see how easy it would be to fall. The friend I traveled with did climb it, he even climbed to a higher point where he wasn’t supposed to be. He left a large, heart shaped piece of Moldavite in a niche at the very top. I’ve often wondered if it’s still there. When he left it, it was fairly inexpensive, sold by the gram. Now it’s sold by the carat. :rolleyes: But, I digress…
Yep. She should be back after the first of the year, I hope. It’s review time for the forensic pathology fellowship of which she’s the program director, so she’s busy with real life stuff. grumpy pout
Victim: You read the what
Shaman: The Straight Dope, it’s a …
Victim: Never mind, just hurry it up
Shaman: I’m doing my best you know
Victim: You’ll need a bigger hole
Shaman: Hmmmm, can you hang on a while?, my knife, it’s a bit dull
Victim: Oh! for …
Shaman: I won’t be long, just have to put an edge on it
Victim: Yes well I’ll probably be dead when you get back
Shaman: I knew I should have stayed with the frogs
[QUOTE=picunurse]
A few years ago, I visited Chichén Itzá. The tour guide was a Mayan archaeology student. According to him the beating heart sacrifice was only for captured enemies. He was sedated, but alive before his heart was taken and placed in a chuchmal (sorry I couldn’t find an english website explaining it) a sort of bowl.
The priests then ate the heart, to absorb the enemy’s power.
[/QUOTE]
A Chacmool is the statue that looks like a guy doing cruches. Like this.
