The Sun Stone Ring features the face of a figure that is displayed in the center of the Aztec Sun Stone, which is the most well-known and prized artifact of the pre-contact Mesoamerican Aztec society. The face is believed to represent an Aztec deity and the tongue may symbolize a thirst for blood and sacrifice, as an Aztec tongue also symbolizes a sacrificial blade/knife. Many pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures used hallucinogenic cactus, plants and mushrooms for medicinal and religious purposes. It is believed that the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice, and even incorporated hallucinogen use into sacrificial rituals. Mesoamerica’s history and culture is important to the research involved with medicinal plants, as it has helped build a better understanding on how psychedelic plants influenced ancient societies and religion.
