Tomb offerings for a young adult
Maker: Maya
Medium:Jade and shell
Geography: Altun Ha, Belize District, Belize
Date: 250-275 AD
Object number: L967.25.18
Gallery Location:Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific
DescriptionIn the 1960s and 1970s, the ROM excavated at the Maya site of Altun Ha. A number of intact burials were discovered that often featured jade objects. Although made up largely of shell disc beads, this necklace from Tomb F-8/1 also features jade beads carved as human faces. An alligator-shaped center pendant completes the object. The meticulous excavations allow us to reconstruct what the necklace looked like, even after its string had decomposed long ago.
