Standing masked ballplayer,

300 BCE–400 CE

The Late Formative–period cultures of western Mexico—in the present-day states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima, and Michoacán—shared a tradition of burying the deceased in deep shaft tombs, often located under homes. These tombs could accommodate generations of family members: When someone died, the bones of their ancestors were moved aside to create room for the new ancestor. A great variety of ceramic objects accompanied the dead. Human figures might represent loved ones or key moments in the history of the interred. Ceramic animals might have been perceived as providing sustenance in the afterlife, or they may have been seen as eternal companions. Archaeological excavations in the region have uncovered these ceramic objects in contexts other than tombs, however, raising the likelihood that at least some “tomb sculptures” had other functions prior to their interment.