This copper turtle is an example of the intricate rattle-making tradition in Paquimé. Like many others, it was crafted using the lost-wax technique, where a wax model is used to create a mold, then melted away to form the final metal piece. Because the lost-wax method destroys the mold in the process, no two rattles are exactly alike. The artifact was discovered in Ballcourt 1 at Paquimé, also known as Casas Grandes, a major pre-Hispanic settlement in northern Mexico that thrived between 1200 and 1400 AD. It was unearthed during excavations led by American archaeologist Charles Di Peso between 1958 and 1961, in what remains the most extensive research campaign at the site. Similar pieces have been found at other ancient sites, showing Paquimé’s trade connections with Mesoamerican cultures. This rattle has a hollow interior, and its tail forms a loop, suggesting it was designed to be worn or hung as an ornament.
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