Jaguar shaped Cuauhxicalli in the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico

A cuauhxicalli or quauhxicalli ([kʷaːwʃiˈkalli] meaning "Eagle gourd bowl" in Nahuatl) was an altar-like stone vessel used by the Aztecs to contain human hearts extracted in sacrificial ceremonies. A cuahxicalli would often be decorated with animal motifs, commonly eagles or jaguars. Another kind of cuauhxicalli is the Chacmool-type which is shaped as a reclining person holding a bowl on his belly. Nahuatl is a native language of central Mexico. ... The Aztecs is a term used for certain Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican peoples of central México. ... Human sacrifice is known to have been an aspect of Aztec culture, although the extent of the practice is debated by scholars. ... Chac Mool statue from the Chichen Itza site A chacmool at Chichen Itza Chac-Mool is the name given to a type of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican stone altar. ...