CARVED OBSIDIAN SKULL, 20th century, Mexico, hand-carved into the shape of a human skull, 20cm diameter Obsidian was commonly used among most of the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations, however, more so by the Aztecs, to whom it was embodied by Tezcatlipoca - the god of the night and the patron of kings. Obsidian was used across all walks of life, and more so death, in Aztec society. Jagged shards would adorn the Machuahitl, large wooden clubs carried by the jaguar warriors of Tenochtitlan, but would also be carried by priests in ritual sacrifices. The accounts on Tenochtitlan also describe enormous carvings of obsidian, depicting the Aztec pantheon, all of which have been lost during the fall of the city to the Spanish conquistadors in 1521.