ABSTRACT
The Ciudadela is a very large compound that some archaeologists think might have housed a palace. At the back of the main courtyard in the compound is the Temple of the Feathered Serpent (also known as the Feathered Serpent Pyramid), so named for the carved heads of the deity that adorn the monument’s surface (see Figure 13.6 on p. 346). Excavations in the 1980s revealed burials of sacrificial victims distributed symmetrically along the four sides of the temple. The grave goods found with these male victims suggest they held high-status positions related to the military. A series of skeletons was found with necklaces consisting of shell replicas of human upper jaws (maxillae). In one case, the necklace is made of actual human jaws (see Figure 13.7 on p. 346). The burials in the temple make it clear that there was a relationship between military power and prestige in
Teotihuacán. They also vividly demonstrate the role of human sacrifice in Teotihuacán ritual.
