At the site of Uaxactun, Peten, Guatemala, Slovak archaeologists have uncovered an anthropomorphic scepter or ceremonial blood letter bearing the image of a king. The artifact, reported in the February 2016 edition of
Mexicon, dates to ca. 10 BC.
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| Uaxactun Cache Objects Dating to About the Time of Christ |
The object is carved from dark green stone and includes 23 finely incised pre-classic glyphs.
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Artist's Rendering of Scepter or Blood Letter
26 Centimeters (about 10 inches) High |
The pointed shaft is not sharp enough to have functioned effectively as a perforator, but the concave cavity on the back of the figure's head probably functioned like a spoon to hold the king's own blood offered as a sacrifice on behalf of his people. The cultural practice of auto-sacrifice, described in
Alma 34:11, was widespread among Mesoamerican royalty.
