Note: This post contains photos of human bone.
During the archaeological excavations
at Calixtlahuaca, Dr. Michael Smith and his team uncovered two different
burials of bone rasps sometimes called Omichicahuaztli by the Aztecs. These
bone rasps have been examined and analyzed by Kristin Nado, PhD Student with
the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University.
Her studies include details of both burials involved in the 2006-07 excavations
as well as comparisons with burials found at the same site by Garcia
Payon during his excavations in the 1930’s. She then makes a comparison of the
burials found in Calixtlahuaca to bone rasps uncovered at a site in Zacapu
Michoacán, Mexico.
Several secondary burials at
Calixtlahuaca contain bone rasps. Some, discovered by Garcia Payon, are formal
offerings near public architecture, including complete human femurs, tibias and
crania. One secondary burial found by Dr. Smith and
his team was found in a terrace deposit with fragmented arm and leg bones and partial crania. The fragmented
bones show evidence of green bone breakage, meaning they were ritualistically
killed or “broken” after just a few years of use. A second (and most
interesting) burial was also discovered by Dr. Smith’s team and it was found in
a colluvial deposit and consists of fragmented bones, possibly of a child, with
green bone breakage and partial crania. What makes this burial different is
that all the notched bones showed distinct signs of wear and were burned. In
contrast the bone rasps discovered in Zacapu Michoacán were of adults and young
adults and consists of humerus, ulnas, femurs and tibias with no mention of crania. The bones show clear signs of mass
use as well as green bone breakage. Unfortunately, context is not well known.
 |
| Terrace Deposit Burial |
 |
| Colluvial Deposit Burial |
What was the purpose of the Omichicahuaztli to the Aztecs? That
question is still under debate. Major consensus is that they were used in mortuary
rituals and symbolized the myth of Quetzalcoatl’s gathering of the bones of
past creations to recreate human beings. The examinations of the Omichicahuaztli
burials at Calixtlahuaca are still in its infancy, as studies progress these
enigmatic bones will surrender even more information. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Michael
Smith, Ms. Angela Huster, Ms. Juliana Novic and the
rest of the Calixtlahuaca excavation crew as well as a special thanks to
Kristin Nado, whose power point presentation this information is based on, for
without their dedication, expertise, and sense of curiosity the Calixtlahuaca
project and this blog would not be possible.
Brenda Smalley
Undergrad Intern
Calixtlahuaca project
Arizona State University
