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Standing Male Figure
Not on view
The objects in this case were found in a tomb at the center of a large stepped-pyramid platform delimiting the northern border of La Venta’s ceremonial center. The tomb chamber was constructed of thirty-eight monumental basalt columns and contained two mortuary bundles. Archaeologists recovered rich offerings, including these figures and ritual implements made of high-quality jadeite. Stingray spines, here imitated in jade, were integral tools for bloodletting rituals, a key component of Mesoamerican religious practice.
Una figura masculina erguida, una figura femenina sentada y otros objetos fueron encontrados en una tumba en el centro de una plataforma de pirámide que delimita la frontera Norte del centro ceremonial de La Venta. La cámara funeraria fue construida con treinta y ocho columnas monumentales de basalto y contenía dos sepulturas mortuorias. Los arqueólogos encontraron numerosas ofrendas, incluyendo estas figuras y objetos rituales hechos de jadeíta de alta calidad. Las espinas de mantarraya, aquí imitadas en jade, eran herramientas esenciales para los ritos sacrificiales, componentes clave de las prácticas religiosas mesoamericanas.
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