Tlatilco sculptures, diprosopus, and the emergence of medical illustrations.

Abstract

Tlatilco was a farming village on the outskirts of what is now Mexico City, and it has long been recognized as one of the earliest New World artistic centers [2]. It became a rich archeological site in 1942, after the discovery of innumerable enigmatic, anthropomorphic figurines and countless burials [3]. Dated to between 1200 and 700 BC,1 these sculptures are among the most ancient representations of the human figure in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the most aesthetically appealing [4–8].2 The majority of these objects, found in more than 500 tombs and trash pits cut into the earth, are solid, hand-modelled female figurines, many of which are designated informally as being in the “pretty lady” configuration (Fig. 1). The figurines are 6 to 30 cm high and are ceramic. Controlled excavations at Tlatilco (Nahuatl for “the place where things are hidden”) have turned up “pretty lady” terracottas in the open fields (and throughout various strata) as well, suggesting that in addition to acting as burial equipment these figurines were sown or ritually buried in the four corners of the cornfields.