This magnificent head of a wrinkled, old deity (variously known as a bakab or pawahtuun, plural pawahtuunoob) was once part of a full-body sculpture. Pawahtuunoob are often depicted in Maya art in their role as skybearers, crouching and lifting with their hands sky or earthbands above them. This was one of two such representations in very large scale found at Structure 11, and it has been proposed that the pair once held aloft a "celestial monster" (a large reptilian symbolizing the sky) across the doorway of the temple atop this structure. The head of the second Pawahtuun, unfortunately, rolled down all the way to the plaza below when the temple collapsed, becoming all but destroyed in the process. |