Relief of Sacrifice

myminifactory

This vivid mural adorns a wall of the Grand Ballcourt at Chichen Itza, graphically illustrating a ceremonial decapitation scene. A serpent bursts forth from the victim's neck, its body representing the lifeblood that's been shed. While it remains unclear whether the victor or vanquished warrior is the one who gets sacrificed, some research suggests it was actually the winner who fell to the knife, thereby paving the way for his family to ascend to the highest echelons of Maya society.