August 27, 2020
The Maya practiced auto sacrifice of blood by their rulers to connect to the supernatural. Blood sustained the gods. Bloodletting opened a path to the supernatural world bringing trances and visions. Stingray spines connected the sea with the waters of the underworld.
Foreign material on the spine can cause necrosis. But the ruler risking his life Was a way of attaining privilege. This kind of bloodletting probably only took place to try and achieve divine favor. The ruler was on the line between life and death. And the ruler became a mediator with the gods.
Jstor has the report here;
https://daily.jstor.org/stingray-spines-and-the-maya/
Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Maya News on Tumblr
http://mikeruggerisacientmayanew.tumblr.com
MIKE RUGGERI'S ANCIENT AMERICAS NEWS 