Disk of Mictlāntēcutli

The Disk of Mictlāntēcutli (Nahuatl: [mik.t͡ɬaːn.ˈteːkʷ.t͡ɬi] ^ⓘ), otherwise known as the Disk of Death, is a pre-Hispanic sculpture depicting Mictlāntēcutli, the Aztec god of death and ruler of Mictlān, the underworld of Aztec mythology.^[1] Archaeologists found the artwork in Teotihuacan's Pyramid of the Sun in 1963. The basaltic rock disk is partly destroyed. The disk was created between 1 CE and 600 CE. The sculpture features a skull with the tongue out and is surrounded by a pleated paper headdress.

Disk of Mictlāntēcutli
El Disco de la Muerte
Material	Basalt
Length	102 cm (40 in)[1]
Height	126 cm (50 in)[1]
Width	102 cm (40 in)[1]
Discovered	1963 Teotihuacan
Discovered by	Archaeologists
Present location	National Museum of Anthropology
Culture	Aztec

For the Aztecs, Teotihuacan was the place where the Fifth Sun was born. They conducted pilgrimages from Tenochtitlan to honor the city and leave gifts, which included the disk. The meaning of the sculpture is uncertain, although archaeologists do not rule out the possibility that it alludes to sun death or human sacrifice.^[2]

The piece is on display at Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology in the Teotihuacan exhibition.^[2]