The Enigma of the Mushroom Stones in Mexico and Guatemala: A Pre-Columbian Riddle
Was it all about the drugs?
The use of psychoactive mushrooms in ritual ceremonies holds a rich and intriguing history among the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica, stretching back to at least 3500 years ago. This practice was not limited to the Valley of Mexico but extended throughout Central America, with evidence found from various archaeological sites.
One such psychoactive mushroom that has been identified is k’aizalaj okox, or teonanàcatl, which was consumed by the Mayans and the Aztecs. These mushrooms contain psilocybin and psilocin, two potent compounds responsible for causing visual hallucinations and altering one’s perception of reality. The ancient civilizations believed that these mushrooms held spiritual significance and were used in various religious practices.
Archaeological evidence, in the form of artifacts known as ‘mushroom stones,’ offers a glimpse into this fascinating aspect of Mesoamerican culture. These stones are often decorated with figures and were likely components of ancient hallucinogenic mushroom cults. The earliest appearance of these stones dates back to around 1000 BC.
Mushroom stones were believed to be associated with various aspects of Mesoamerican society, including human decapitation, warfare, and the Mesoamerican ballgame. Some evidence suggests that these stones may have been used as tools in the preparation or consumption of the psychoactive mushrooms. For instance, they could have been used as pestles to grind the mushrooms into a fine powder or as vessels for holding the mushrooms during rituals.
The use of hallucinogenic mushrooms was not limited to the Mayans and Aztecs; evidence points to their consumption by various Mesoamerican cultures, including the Toltecs and possibly even earlier civilizations. The Tepantitla mural in Teotihuacán, dating back to 500 CE, provides visual evidence of the use of psychoactive mushrooms during religious rituals.
Spanish explorers who encountered Native Americans during the early exploratory period described their encounters with these ancient practices in great detail. However, over generations, many scholars dismissed these early accounts as mere fabrications. It wasn’t until the late 1930s that a young Harvard botanist named Richard Evans Schultes made history by his pioneering studies of shamanistic mushroom use among the Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Xochipilli, the god of flowers in the Aztec pantheon, is covered head to toe with various entheogenic (divine) plants, including teonanacatl mushrooms on his knees and earlobes. His trance-like face, with a clenched jaw indicating the experience of bruxism, has been interpreted as being in a state of spiritual ecstasy. Xochipilli is also sometimes referred to as the “God of drugs” in Western culture, which removes him somewhat from the culutural significance of flowers in early mesoamerican cultures.
Mushroom stones remain an intriguing mystery, with their use uncertain but likely related to their appearance as fungi. About 30 centimetres high, these sculptures were first interpreted as phallic representations before being identified as fungi. Their association with animals — jaguars, toads, or in the photo below: a rabbit and a coati — remains unclear but may represent individual figures of nahualli (the animal doubles of human beings).
A View From the Contact Period
Although the mushroom cult was primarily a Mayan phenomenon and nearly all of the mushroom stones were found within Mayan territory, the use of psychedelic mushrooms, and mushrooms of other types, were very well known to neighboring civilizations, like the Aztec. Mayan society had collapsed prior to the arrival of the Spanish, almost certainly because of climate change which led to famine. Although unrelated linguistically, the Aztecs had somehow acquired a thorough knowledge of local mushrooms and had identified a dozen or two dozen types by distinct names, which often had different uses.
The Spanish conquest brought about a clash of cultures, with the indigenous peoples’ traditions and beliefs often suppressed or eradicated. Despite this, some accounts of the use of psychoactive mushrooms survived through the writings of Spanish friars, who documented their observations of these practices.
One of the most notable accounts comes from Friar Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan missionary who arrived in New Spain (modern-day Mexico) in 1529. In his writings, Sahagún described the use of teonanàcatl in religious ceremonies, stating that the mushrooms were eaten to “see visions” and “speak with the gods.” He also noted that the consumption of these mushrooms was often accompanied by music and dancing.
Another Spanish friar, Diego Durán, wrote about the use of teonanàcatl in the Aztec calendar. According to Durán, the Aztecs celebrated a feast day dedicated to the mushroom, which was held during the month of Ochpaniztli (sweeping of the road). This feast day was associated with fertility and the renewal of life.
“The Sacrifice ends, and the temple’s steps remain bathed in human blood, all go to eat raw mushrooms, a food that makes everyone lose reason and leaves them in a state worse than if they had drunk too much wine; they were so drunk and devoid of reason that some committed suicide, and thanks to the power of these mushrooms, they presented visions, and their future was revealed to them, their demon spoke to them, while they were in a state of intoxication.” — Diego Durán
Another Spanish colonist named Toribio de Benavente made observations about the use of mushrooms by the Aztec population he encountered at the time.
“ They had another way of intoxication that made them more cruel… These mushrooms were called “teonanacatl” in their language, which means “flesh of God,” referring to the demon they worshipped.” — Toribio de Benavente in a Letter to Montilinia
During the feast, they consumed some black nanacatl mushrooms, which had the power to intoxicate, cause hallucinations, and even arouse lust… They ate the nanacatl mushrooms with honey, and under their influence, they felt themselves enflamed. Some began to dance. Others sang, while others wept because they were drunk. Some were speechless, sitting as if absorbed in the gathering place. Others believed they were dying in their hallucinations; others saw themselves being devoured by a beast; others imagined they had captured an enemy in battle; this one would be rich; that one would have many slaves. After the intoxication, they talked among themselves about their hallucinations.— Toribio de Benavente — Historia de los indios de la Nueva España
Despite these accounts, the use of psychoactive mushrooms was largely suppressed during the colonial period, beginning in 1656 when their use was officially prohibited by the Catholic church. It wasn’t until the 20th century that interest in these practices was revived, thanks in part to the work of scholars like Richard Evans Schultes and the ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson.
Wasson, in particular, played a significant role in bringing the use of psychoactive mushrooms to the attention of the Western world. In 1957, he published an article in Life magazine detailing his experiences participating in a Mazatec mushroom ceremony in Oaxaca, Mexico. This article sparked widespread interest in the use of psychoactive mushrooms, leading to a surge in ethnomycological research.
What does it all mean?
Various authors mention grinding mushrooms down to make tea from them. This seems to align with the idea that the mushroom stones themselves may have been used in a mortar and pestle system, although some are larger than others. Although Aztec society, at the time of Spanish contact was by all accounts very violent and human sacrifice was very prevalent, depictions in early Mayan art of violence are relatively rare. Mayan culture also developed a number of cultural technologies such as their incredibly elaborate astronomical calendar, the independent discovery of the number zero, a very elaborate writing system and a system of architecture that rivals any on earth. This coincidence of psychedelic use and cultural production seems to have precedence in other places, such as the ayahuasca cult and the independent discovery of ceramics in the rainforests of Brazil. We may discover more clues as lidar scanning the jungle territories of Guatemala, Mexico and Belize unveils entire new cities, lying beneath the fertile soil, untouched for millenia.
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