An Aztec omichicahuaztli from Tenochtitlan made out of a spider monkey bone

Abstract

This article examines an unusual small-sized omichicahuaztli from Tenochtitlan. Omichicahuaztlis are artifacts that were made out of long bones with incisions and, likely, functioned as musical instruments. The referred bone from the Mexica (Aztec) culture (1250–1521 CE) is exhibited at the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. It has been identified either as a human or as a monkey bone. However, until now, it has not been studied in detail to test both contentions. Our morphological and morphometric analyses indicate that this specimen is from a platyrrhine femur (conferred to a Mexican spider monkey), and to our knowledge, it is the only of its kind among the Mexica and elsewhere in Mesoamerica. Archeoprimatologicaly, this unique omichicahuaztli stands together with confirmed findings of spider monkeys skins from a couple of offerings of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan, and with other primate osteological remains apparently found in two other Mexica sites. Ethnohistorically, among the Mexica (Aztec), the spider monkey is the most represented primate and is usually related to the notion of fertility. The Mexica perception of primates ranges from the use of bones and skins in medicine to the connection of giving birth on a particular day related to musical inclinations. In summary, the symbolic connotations of Mexica perceptions of primates appear to be embodied in this specimen. This omichicahuaztli also serves as evidence of the circulation of an allochthonous mammal from the tropical lowlands to Tenochtitlan highlands.