THE AZTECS 197 
of braided rattlesnakes. The arms are doubled up and 
the hands are snake heads on a level with the shoulders. 
Around the neck and hanging down over the breast 
is a necklace of alternating hands and hearts with a 
death’s head pendant. The head of this monstrous 
woman is the same on front and back and is formed of 
two serpent heads that meet face to face. The forked 
tongue and the four downward pointing fangs belong 
half and half to each of the two profile faces. 
Mexican Writing. The means of record employed 
in Mexican codices are in part pictographic and in 
part hieroglyphic. The sequence of the historical 
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Fig. 70. Hieroglyphs of Precious Materials: left to right, gold; 
turquoise; mosaic of precious stones; chalchihwitl, or jade; mirror of 
obsidian. 
events in these native manuscripts is often indicated 
by a line of footprints leading from one place or scene 
of action to another. Historical records of this type 
resemble old-fashioned maps and some are in fact 
known by this name. ‘The places of towns in these 
documents are represented by true hieroglyphs and 
often the character of the country is indicated by pic- 
tures of typical vegetation, such as maguey plants for 
the highlands and palms for the lowlands. The day 
or the year in which took place the foundation of the 
town or whatever event is intended to be recorded is 
usually placed in conjunction with the hieroglyph or 
picture. Conquest is often indicated by a place name 
hieroglyph with a spear thrust into it. 
