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Skeletal Deity

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Houston Museum of Natural Science
Houston, TX, United States

Aztec, 1500 A.D. The Aztec skeleton represents Tlahiuzcalpantecuhtli, a god associated with the Venus star and the Feathered Serprent, Quetzacoatl. The Aztecs believed he devoured people out late at night. Such images were also used to teach children obedience. A test called thermoluminescence confirms this artifact was made in the early 1500s.

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  • Title: Skeletal Deity
Houston Museum of Natural Science

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