#sevensnakes
LightNews LightNews
patrickkapty.bsky.social
Decapitated Ball Player with Seven Serpents Sprouting from the Neck
carved stone relief
c. 400-700 CE
Classic Veracruz culture
Aparicio, Veracruz, Mexico

#handmade #carved #stone #relief #Mesoamerica #MesoamericanBallgame #Aparicio #Veracruz #Veracruzculture #decapitatedplayer #sevensnakes #symbol
The Aparicio site was built by the Classic Veracruz culture (sometimes called the Gulf Coast culture). This civilization flourished in the modern-day Mexican state of Veracruz during the Mesoamerican Classic period, roughly between about 400 to 700 CE. This civilization was intensely focused on the Mesoamerican ballgame. Their largest and most famous urban center was El Tajín, located further north of Aparicio, which boasts at least 18 individual ballcourts. Aparicio is an archaeological site located in the municipality of Vega de Alatorre in Veracruz, Mexico. The site is famous for its well-preserved, relief-carved stone plaques (ballcourt panels) depicting ball players. These famous carvings frequently depict a decapitated ball player with seven serpents sprouting from their neck, symbolizing fertility and ritual sacrifice associated with the game.
September 30, 2026 at 4:40 PM