Temalacatl

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Temalacatl was a large stone fighting platform used in Mesoamerica. It was a flat disc with a central handle where a prisoner could be tied for combat. The Aztec stones called the Stone of Tizoc and the Stone of Motecuhzoma I are thought to be temalacatl, with Motecuhzoma I’s stone being the larger one. There is debate about whether temalacatls were only places for fighting or also used as sacrificial vessels. Recent studies suggest they were mainly fighting platforms and monuments to Aztec conquests, not tools for killing prisoners. Some researchers even think the Aztec Sun Stone could be a temalacatl.