In 1526, the Aztecs made this mask worn by the God of Death Mictlantecuhtli. Five centuries later, It's still revealing their beliefs about death

Aztec death mask: More than 500 years ago, Aztec artisans carved a wooden mask to represent Mictlantecuhtli, the god of death and ruler of the underworld. The rare mask reflects Mictlantecuhtli's role as the Aztec god of death and ruler of the underworld, as well as his connection to regeneration and resurrection.

What does the ancient Aztec death mask look like

The small wooden mask measures 6.75 by 5.5 inches and has a distinctly skull-like face, as per a report.

Its sunken eyes, black pupils and triangular nose give it the appearance of a human skull. Experts also found traces of small reddish dots on the cheeks, which may represent the signs of decay associated with Mictlantecuhtli.


The god's teeth are marked with vertical black lines, while his pierced ears reflect how Mictlantecuhtli was often shown wearing ear spools made from human bones, as per a Livescience report.

Why this Aztec mask was probably not worn

Masks played an important role in Aztec religious rituals. Some were worn to represent important gods, including deities associated with death.

But this particular mask has no openings for the eyes. Because of that, experts believe it was probably attached to a post or statue rather than worn by a person. That makes it a rare example of a sculptural Aztec mask.

Mictlantecuhtli ruled the Aztec underworld

Mictlantecuhtli was believed to rule Mictlan, the Aztec underworld. He was responsible for the souls of people who died what were considered heroic deaths, including those who died in battle, through sacrifice or during childbirth, as per the Livescience report. These souls were believed to navigate nine levels of the underworld before finding eternal rest.

Mictlantecuhtli was often depicted as a terrifying figure. He was said to be at least 6 feet tall and to wear a necklace made of human eyeballs. When shown in full, he was depicted with his arms raised, ready to tear apart the dead who entered his domain.

An Aztec myth linked death to the creation of humans

Mictlantecuhtli's role in Aztec mythology was not limited to death. In one important myth, the feathered serpent deity Quetzalcoatl travels to the underworld to retrieve the bones of deceased ancestors, as per the Livescience report.

Mictlantecuhtli agrees to give up the bones if Quetzalcoatl can blow a conch shell trumpet while travelling through the underworld. When Quetzalcoatl discovers that the shell has no holes, he quickly turns it into a trumpet and completes the task.

Mictlantecuhtli then changes his mind and refuses to hand over the bones, but Quetzalcoatl takes them anyway. The fertility goddess Cihuacoatl grinds the bones and places them in a sacred container, where the gods shed their blood into the mixture to create humans, as per the Livescience report.