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Ancient Mesoamerica News Updates 2011, No. 7: El Tajin, Veracruz - New Relief Panel
Discovered At the end of 2010 to relief panel, depicting a personage with left arms, was discovered in a stream some 100 meters to the west of the well-known Pyramid of the Niches at the archaeological site of El Tajín, Veracruz, Mexico. Strong rains at the end of last year had uncovered part of the panel. The sculpted panel measures 86 x 61 cm and has a thickness of some 15 cm. It dates from the period of circa A.D. 900-1200 and probably belonged to the sculptural program of the Pyramid of the Niches. The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) posted a short note on the newly discovered panel, its iconography, and its possible place of origin on their website this past Friday, February 11, 2011 (edited by AMaNU; photo: INAH):

relief discovered in the sacred character Tajin - A piece of board sculptural representation of a character with two left arms, which could be attached thousand 100 years ago to the front of the Pyramid of the Niches , was discovered by researchers National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in the archaeological zone of El Tajin, Veracruz.
The finding was recorded in late 2010 in the bed of a stream located 100 m west of the Hispanic construction when heavy rain left partially exposed a sandstone (86 cm long x 61 wide and 15 cm thick) recorded in low relief with a scene almost complete, though somewhat blurred by the effect of erosion. Iconographic
Its similarity with other boards, the latter were located in the 80 - who were located in the Pyramid of the Niches, suggests that the fragment must also have been found exposed on that building at the end of Epi and early Early Postclassic between 900 and 1200 AD, said archaeologist David Andrade Olvera, attached to the site of El Tajin.
"The character in relief, his face in profile and seen from the front trunk shows two left arms, one under the other, but clearly there is no engraving right arm. This figurative representation of the human body associates this work with the world of the sacred, and even has elements as a kind of blinkers and tusks, which eroded the image does not ensure that it is a water deity Tlaloc, "explained the Head of Legal Protection of the archaeological zone.
The fragment of the board, whose symbolism is carried out further study, may be exposed temporarily during the second quarter of this year at the Museum site of El Tajin, under the "Piece of the month", but not is possible that later become part of the permanent collection of the space.
Al elaborate on the iconography of this work, David Andrade highlights similarities with other board and, in turn, unique elements thereof, for example, "carries a rectangular headdress recalls wearing a character represented in the board 28 of the Pyramid of the Niches, however, the newly found fragment carries ear differently from the rest of the bas-reliefs of El Tajin.
addition to a necklace and bracelets trapezoidal sections, the anthropomorphic character wears a tight skirt and a sash lattice bend at the waist with a kind of knot tied with fringes falling to the front, a similar bond is also seen around one of the arms.
"Behind the head individual-archaeologist described the observed part of the body of a snake with scales carved in a realistic way, while its left side are recorded several frets or scrolls called Tajin style in the lower part protruding concentric circles representing accounts jade. "
Another aspect that leaves the boards sculptural pattern of the Pyramid of the Niches, is a symbol (in front of the character's face, seemingly suspended from a border) that is formed by a disk with three counts on the inside and a kind of tongue hanging underneath.
David Andrade said that after the abandonment of the city the board could have found detached from the Pyramid of the Niches and be swept away by strong water currents, or, at some point (also in pre-Hispanic times) as stolen and reused by the stream, then dropping it.
During the exploration of the area where the sculpture was found, to see the features of the context in which lying and know the processes and conditions of their deposition, archaeologists took samples from El Tajin related materials and soil for laboratory analysis. "When you found the piece toured the area for the missing remains of the board, but so far we have not found them," noted the expert. About
of who carved this board said that so far has not been able to determine whether its origin was El Tajin Totonac huasteco or in any event as a regional development is called Tajin culture.
With respect to the Pyramid of the Niches, Olvera Andrade concluded that it should consist of 365 niches for the days of the solar calendar, thus fulfilling a function of the time, "however, the lack of more data, not we can make a direct link about the characters represented on their boards. " (Source INAH)