Monolith of Tlaltecuhtli

This monumental relief (1486–1502) depicts Tlaltecuhtli, Aztec goddess of the earth, fertility, and sacrifice. Shown in a birthing pose, she devours blood from a chest wound, evoking the cycle of life and death. Symbols of night, Venus, and bones adorn her skirt and limbs, while skulls and claws link her to the underworld. Her placement at the base of the Templo Mayor emphasized her cosmic centrality.