LOST TRIBE

Though technically they aren't "lost" - they know exactly where they are - this population near the Peruvian/Brazilian border has had no known contact with the "outside world" until last month. Recent aerial photos taken in May 2008 offer the first proof of their existence and provide some clues to their way of life - for starters: they don't like airplanes.

Mail Online article

CRYSTAL SKULLS

There are several sculpted quartz crystal skulls - portraying human skulls in both natural and miniature scales - that are reportedly of ancient Mesoamerican origin. Of the examples made available to scientific scrutiny, none have been proven to be of ancient manufacture nor Mesoamerican origin - instead, most are of 19th-20th century European origin, displaying traces of modern tools/machinery and modern grinding/polishing compounds. None of the known crystal skulls in museum (or private) collections have documented proof of their origins - such as being found in an archaeological excavation, etc. Though some skulls may have stories or legends of archaeological provenience - such as the famous Mitchell-Hedges Skull [photo above] - no known archaeological field reports verify these claims.

At a stylistic level [note: I am a specialist in Mesoamerican iconography, having a PhD dissertation and academic publications on the subject], the lapidary/art style of the crystal skulls does not reflect the style of known Mesoamerican stone artifacts. In simple terms - they do not look like Mesoamerican stone objects, they are stylistically "off." Also, though some artifacts of quartz crystal have been recovered from Mesoamerican archaeological sites, quartz (and crystals) do not appear to have been of great importance among ancient Mesoamerican societies (beyond novelty and some aesthetic appeal) - there are no (legitimate) sources that indicate that crystals figured into ancient Mesoamerican religious or spiritual beliefs. However, several modern Mesoamerican religious practices do incorporate crystals (such as some Yucatec Quiché Maya divination practices).

1950's ADVENTURE ART

The 1950's reveled in adventure stories. In a used bookstore, I found this great 1950's book on famous scientific expeditions. The pith helmets are a nice touch.

THE UDJAT / WADJET

The Udjat / Wadjet (spelled w3dyt in hieroglyphic texts) - Also known as the "Eye of Horus," this ancient Egyptian motif originates from an early predynastic deity, the cobra goddess Wadjet, who would later be viewed as the patron and protector of Lower Egypt. Being an early goddess prototype, many of her features were "inherited" by later goddesses; the goddesses Bastet (a lion-headed solar/lunar goddess), Hathor (Mehturt) (a cow-goddess who represented the Milky Way), and Mut (a primordial creation goddess) are often portrayed with the eye of Wadjet. The falcon-headed Sun god and creation deity Ra (Rê) (and later Horus) was associated with the Wadjet eye - several of the features of this eye motif appear to be derived from the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus).

The "right eye" orientation of this motif usually represents the Sun, while the left eye represents the Moon - the two combined represent the right and left eyes of the sky. There is a range of stories regarding the Sun's (Ra (Rê)) loss of his eye - lost during an eclipse or a prolonged storm - and the ibis-headed god of judgement Thoth (ḏḥwty) restored the eye to the face of the Sun. A similar story relates that Set (swtḫ), the evil god of the desert and chaos, swallowed the crescent Moon, and Thoth hit him with a spear, forcing him to vomit up the Moon. Both of these stories convey the role of Thoth as a custodian/guardian of the Wadjet eyes.

The frequency of Wadjet eye amulets in the archaeological record is a testament to its importance in dynastic Egyptian society. Made of a range of materials - from precious gold to common faience - these pendants were worn by both the living and the dead (mummies), to bestow upon the wearer the divine power of the stability of the Sun and/or the Moon. Chapter 140 of the Book of the Dead instructs to place two Wadjets (one of lapis lazuli and one of amethyst or carnelian) upon the deceased (the mummy), which will ensure him a seat upon the Barge of Ra (which travels across the heavens) and thus make him a god. Painted Wadjet eyes appear on Egyptian sarcophagi and funerary materials as early as the 6th Dynasty.

It is likely that this eye motif is related to (and may be the origin of several examples of) "divine/protective eye" and "evil eye" motifs throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Some suggest that this motif is the origin of the modern Rx (℞) "prescription symbol."

Resources:
• E.A. Wallace Budge, "Amulets and Superstitions."

• The Wikipedia page on the Eye of Horus.

ZOMBIES

Zombie (zäm-bē) - Though "zombie" is now used as a general term for a person (or animal) that has reanimated after death, the term "zombie" has a specific meaning in the world of Vodou, Vodun, and Voodoo. The word "zombie" comes from the Louisiana or Haitian Creole term "zonbi" (zän•bē), which refers to a person who died and was reanimated by supernatural means, and moves about under the control of a bokor (a priest-sorcerer). This term "zonbi" is likely related to the word for "spirit" or "ghost" among certain languages of the Bantoid language subfamily of Africa - for example the Kimbundu word "nzúmbe" (nzüm•bā) "ghost," or the Kikongo word "nzambi" (nzȯm•bē) "spirit of a dead person."

In 1982, Canadian ethnobotanist Wade Davis (then a graduate student at Harvard) traveled to Haiti to investigate the claims of "zombification" - turning someone into a zombie by pharmacological means. In his work among Haitian Vodou priest-sorcerers, Davis discovered that a powder called "coup de poudre" ("strike of powder") - when introduced into the blood stream (through an open wound, etc.) - produces a death-like state for several days, though the poisoned person remains conscious and aware during this period. Further analysis of samples of these powders revealed a common pharmacological agent - tetrodotoxin. Tetrodotoxin (te•trō•də•ˈtäk•sən) is a strong neurotoxin (which generates paralysis) found naturally in the tissues of several animals; in the case of coup de poudre, it appears to have come from local species of pufferfish. Days later, the victim is claimed in the cemetery, buried in a coffin. The victim is then exposed to a second compound, composed of datura - this compound revives the victim from the tetrodotoxin paralysis and can generate amnesia and dissociation, putting the "zombified" person into a controllable stupor.

Davis's work also focussed on a case study of zombification, a Haitian man by the name of Clarivius Narcisse. Narcisse had been poisoned and presumed dead on May 2, 1962. He was recovered from his burial, drugged with a datura-based compound, and was made to work as a slave (among other zombies) on a sugar plantation. The bokor who controlled him died two years later, and Narcisse had eventually recovered (most of) his faculties and rejoined his family.

According to How Stuff Works: "Article 246 of the Haitian Penal Code classifies the administration of a substance that creates a prolonged period of lethargy, without causing death, as attempted murder. If the substance causes the appearance of death and results in the burial of the victim, the act is classified as murder." This is anti-zombification legislation.

Resources:
• Wade Davis, "The Serpent and the Rainbow".

• Wikipedia pages on Clairvius Narcisse and zombies.

• The How Stuff Works page on zombification.

• Max Brooks, "World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War" a brilliant fiction work about a zombie pandemic.

THE PERALTA STONE MAP (part I)

(©2008 Timothy King)

[See Part II-V below for images and descriptions of each stone]

Opening Remarks
The origin of the Peralta Stone Map is vague and anecdotal at best. This lack of substantial provenience has not prevented countless hobbyists and avid "authorities" from claiming with great certainty that it is indeed genuine (or fake). What the Peralta Stone Map suffers from, more than anything, is the need for formal scientific investigation by qualified researchers having a high standard of proof.

Personally, never having seen the map in person and having limited knowledge of it, I suspect that it may be genuine - however, I doubt that it reveals the location of the Lost Dutchman's Mine (which itself does not extend much beyond urban rural legend) and there is little evidence to associate it with its namesakes, Pedro and (son) Miguel Peralta (the names Pedro and Miguel are inscribed on one of the stones) . Whether or not this map is a modern (or antique) hoax, I have little hesitation in stating that whoever made this map was brilliant. At a graphic level: if it is a fake, it is not a casual one.

And for the record, if any of the materials below assist you in finding whatever treasure this map reveals, do the right thing and give me some minor credit and share some of the treasure with me.

Origins
The origins of this five-part stone tile map lay somewhere between legend and chaos. According to some sources, the Peralta Stone Map was found in the Summer of 1949 by a vacationer identified only as "Jack" (or a man named Travis Tumlinson) - a walkable distance from a highway (some sources specifically state Highway 60), somewhere within view of the "Weaver's Needle" in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. Jack had climbed atop a hill to get a view of the Weaver's Needle and found beneath his feet two stone tiles - what would later be referred to as the "Horse Stone" and the "Priest (Witch) Stone" (see below). He returned to this location the next year to find three more stones: the "Heart Stone," the "Trail Stone," and the "Stone Heart" (see below). In 1956 Jack died and his widow gave the stones to a man named Travis Marlowe. In 1964 (June 12), Life Magazine ran the first large public article on the stones, entitled "Mysterious Maps to Lost Gold Mines." Currently, the stones are at the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum in Phoenix, Arizona; apparently the stones are not on display (though you can ask to see them).

General Considerations
Either as an interested reader or as a motivated hunter, there are some general suggestions I would like to offer regarding this map (for the sake of argument - because I have a PhD in Anthropology and my research specialization is on writing systems and graphic communication of the ancient and modern worlds). Much of the goal of this post is to provide an inventory of what can be reasonably surmised from these stone tablets - to create a list of what can be said about these tablets:

• It is clear that this is a map of some type, which contains coded information and which focuses on a specific location - perhaps a treasure. At least three of the stones are rendered with landmark information, and these three stones fit together into one cohesive map. The two remaining stones (the "Horse Stone" and the "Priest (Witch) Stone") appear to offer instructional or supplementary information.

• A common assumption is that this map leads to a mine. There is nothing on these stones that specifically indicates this. There is even less to substantiate that this map leads to the Lost Dutchman's Mine(s) (which may not even exist beyond modern tales). If this map leads to some type of treasure, perhaps it has not been found because searchers are looking for the wrong thing.

• The evidence linking this map to local historical figures Pedro and Miguel Peralta is limited to the names "Pedro" and "Miguel" inscribed on one of the stones - consider the frequency of the names "Pedro" and "Miguel" in that area over that last 200+ years. The Peraltas were two among perhaps tens of thousands of Pedros and Miguels that have been through the region.

• The age of the stones cannot be determined. Radiocarbon dating cannot be used to date these stones - not necessarily because they are too new, but because they have been removed from their origin/context and have been handled for years (all it takes is cigarette or wood smoke to corrupt the radiocarbon profile of an object).

• They could be proven to be new/fake by linguistic means (examination by a professional/academic/researcher with an expertise in regional Spanish terminology - use of a new or distinctively modern Spanish term would suggest they are fake) or stylistic means (recently developed font or graphic features that indicate modern origin).

• The identification of modern machinery traces on the stone may not prove that they are fake - these stones have been in the possession of several people and there is the chance that someone has tried to "clean" them with power tools or has attempted to add more information to the inscriptions as a means of "hiding the treasure." A specialist in archaeological lithics (or something related) with experience in lithic microscopy needs to have a look at these stones.

• There is no way of knowing if all of the stones have been found. There is the possibility that there are missing pieces of this map, that could provide further information. However, given the amount of publicity and interest in this map, any "newly discovered stone maps" should be looked upon with suspicion.

• Aside from the actual variation in the size of the different stones, the descriptions of the sizes vary across sources: between 18"x12"x2" and 22"x17"x3". Also, I have not been able to track down what type of stone (local?) these tablets are made of.

THE PERALTA STONE MAP - THE HORSE STONE (part II)

The following illustrations are by the author, in response to the current absence of clear illustrations of the stones available on line.

(©2008 T.King - (Re-)publishing these images, in part or in whole, is not permitted without expressed consent from the author).

For clear online photos of these stones, take a look at this article by Jim Hatt.

The Horse Stone


• The horse is facing to the viewer's left, with its tail to the right. Within the torso of the horse is what may be the number 3 or some type of "double-bump" sign. Behind the horse's tail is a letter E and behind the horse's back left leg is another number 3 (or "double-bump" sign). Above the horse's neck is a circle O with a dot in its center. A wavy line in the middle of the left side of the stone connects to the horse's face (*suspicion: perhaps this wavy line and this horse are a portrayal of certain mountains or hills, that this image portrays the silhouette of certain hills, perhaps one that looks like a horse OR this wavy line represents a trail or road).

• On the left side of this stone: on the upper left is a number 5 with three equally-spaced holes/dots surrounding it. Below this 5 is an uneven line with the word RIO (Spanish río - "river, stream") written beneath it. Thus, perhaps this line portrays a river. Between the line marked RIO and the wavy line in the middle of the left side of the tile are two O signs (with dots in their centers) and a sign that looks a little like an Omega Ω (*suspicion: this sign may mark some land feature, such as a hill, cave, or cairn).

• Below the wavy midline on the left side of this stone, near the left edge, is a cross † (*suspicion: perhaps this marks a known settlement or church, along a trail or river).

• On the bottom left side of the stone is the Spanish expression EL COBOLLO DE SANTAFE. The term is likely to be "el caballo de Santa Fe," meaning "the horse of Faith." According to the work of Gene Botts, in earlier Spanish, this expression had a meaning like "I am a servant of the Faith."

• On the upper right of the stone is the expression YO PASTO AL NORTE DEL RIO "I graze to the north of the river." (*suspicion: This phrase and the one on the left lend themselves to a double meaning in Spanish: "The horse of Faith, I graze to the north of the river" and perhaps "The servant of Faith, I shepherd to the north of the river.")

• Below this expression on the right is what looks like a letter G, or a number 6.

• *Overall suspicions: If the text refers to a "servant of Faith" who "grazes/shepherds north of the river," both of these items may be reflected on the map features of this stone: a cross † marking the location of a church or mission, and the river where this "servant of Faith grazes/shepherds . . . to the north."

THE PERALTA STONE MAP - THE WITCH STONE (part III)

The Priest (Witch) Stone


• On the left side of this composition is a complex figure in a long pointed ("witch") hat with a band across it, in a cape or robe with sleeves, with a cross on the right shoulder/sleeve, holding a cross outright, right hand in front of the left hand. The lower torso and legs of this figure appear to represent a stack of blocks, a foundation, or a pedestal. (*Suspicion: though there are likely to be dozens of pronounced pointy landmarks in the area, this figure's hat reminds me of the Weaver's Needle). (*Suspicion: if this figure is meant to portray a witch (Spanish brujo/a), perhaps it is a play on the word brújula "compass.")

Here's an image of a cairn by Richard Robinson - something like this may be what the "witch" figure refers to.

• At the base of this figure, on the bottom "block" are inscriptions. The only portion I can read (from the photos I used create this illustration) is the number 1847. Perhaps this is a date, perhaps not. This number is also repeated on the "Heart Stone."

• Beneath the cross in the hands of the "witch" is a series of associated signs that create a curving line from the head of the cross to a set of letters and numbers near the bottom of the composition. A curved line ) appears to come from the head of the cross, followed below it by a ring O, followed to the left by a rectangle with a cross in it (which looks like a reference to the back side of the Heart Stone), followed to the left by another curved line (, followed below by another ring O, followed below and to the right by a heart with either a cross † or a number 4 within the heart (which may be a portrayal of the Stone Heart). (*Suspicion: at least part of this sequence may be instructions on how to fit the Stone Heart into the heart-shaped recess in the Heart Stone (see below); given that the Heart Stone has a few different holes in it, maybe these rings O and even the cross represent some now lost elements that also (physically) fit into this piece of the map.)

• Beneath this series of signs is the sequence 8-N-P or possibly B-N-P.

• The text in the middle and upper right of the tablet says ESTA BEREDA ES PELIGROZA or Esta vereda es peligrosa "this path is dangerous." The second line reads YO BOY 18 LUGARES or Yo voy (a) 18 lugares "I go (to) 18 places/locations." The third line BUSCA EL MAPA "seek the map." This is where an amateur making a fake could have made an easy mistake, by saying la mapa instead of el mapa. And the final line, BUSCA EL COAZON [sic] or busca el corazón "seek the heart." This conjugation of the Spanish word buscar "to search for, to seek" is a command form - busca "(you must) seek." Though in this text we see a substitution of B for what is usually V in modern Spanish, (based on my own experience with Colonial Mexican documents) it is not uncommon to see this (semiliterate) spelling variation for the sound /v/, which is pronounced like a /b/ in many Spanish dialects; variation in the usage of S and Z is also common. The misspelling of corazón may be an understandable typo - once the A was rendered, looking similar to an R, the author had overlooked the R and moved-on to the Z.

• Below the word COAZON is an image of a heart with what appears to be an arrow pointing up to the word COAZON. To the left of the heart is a Ω-like sign that also appears on the Horse Stone and the Stone Heart. To the right of the stone is a faint/blurred __M sign. Not included in this illustration is a blurred area to the right of the text, which may be the area where the names "Pedro" and "Miguel" are inscribed (the photos I used to make this illustration are quite blurry in this area).

• *Overall suspicions: this tablet refers to the assembly of the map (the Stone Heart set into the Heart Stone). The text tells us that "The path is dangerous, I go to 18 locations, seek the map, seek the heart." The idea of going to 18 locations could mean many things, however on the combined Stone Heart-Heart Stone-Trail Map (see below) there appears to be 18 evenly-spaced trail markers along the trail to the treasure (see below), perhaps this "witch figure" represents a cairn trail marker - which would explain the "pedestal" appearance of the bottom half of the figure.

THE PERALTA STONE MAP - THE HEART STONE and the STONE HEART (part IV)

The Heart Stone

• The most notable feature of this stone is the deep recessed heart shape in the center. Within this heart is the number 1847 (also seen on the Priest (Witch) Stone) and below it the number 10 in a lighter and thinner font. To the right of the number 10 is a ring O found on most of the other stones. Below these is a triangle.

• Along the left side of the composition is an image of what may be a dagger, the hilt of the dagger appears to have an arrow that points to the recessed heart.

• Below the recessed heart is a curving dotted line, which appears to be a trail marked by evenly spaced trail markers.

• In the center of the left side of the stone is a small (apparently deep) hole, on the right are two holes, and on the bottom (right of center) is a hole that penetrates the stone at an angle.

• Across the top of the stone is a broad undulating line, which may represent a river or trail, and may be labeled with the letter R on the right (río - "river"; see the Horse Stone).

• Surrounding the recessed heart are a series of wavy and undulating lines, which may represent features of the local terrain.

• A large cross is carved into back side of this stone. The Priest (Witch) Stone may have a portrayal of the Heart Stone on it, depicting a rectangular stone with the cross in the center of it.


The Stone Heart

• This small thin stone fits within the heart-shaped recess of the Heart Stone. The back side of the Stone Heart (above right) has a diagonal column of six rectangles. The front side of the Stone Heart (above left) appears to provide the crucial information for finding the treasure - namely, the end of the marked trail. The trail terminates in a ring O element. A Ω-like sign appears to the left of the O; as stated before, this Ω element may mark the location of a distinctive land feature such as a cave or hill.


• When the Stone Heart is placed within the recess of the Heart Stone, the map becomes clear. A long curved arrow points (from the left) to the O at the end of the trail dotted with markers.

THE PERALTA STONE MAP - THE TRAIL STONE (part V)

The Trail Stone

• An undulating horizontal line cuts across the bottom of the composition. This may indicate a river or a trail.

• Below this line, to the left, is a "toaster-like" rectangular sign, above it is a cross in parentheses (†).

• Below this undulating line is an arrow pointing upward to the start of a winding trail that is evenly punctuated by markers (?).

• Below the "river/trail" line is a series of jagged lines which may represent mountains, hills, canyons, or other terrain features. Within this collection of jagged lines is what looks like an equation: 2=3-O-18=7.

• Above the "river/trail" line is another series of jagged lines, and distributed among these jagged lines are an assortment of letters and numbers: a number 3, two Xs, an upside-down 4, a sideways 8, and what may be an enlarged F. These figures almost appear to be "white noise" added to the map make it appear more complex and to possibly confuse the reader.

• In the upper portion of the stone, near the midline, is a large deep hole. Its purpose is unclear.

• When the Trail Stone is placed below the Heart Stone (with the Stone Heart in place), a more extensive (and perhaps complete) map is formed - displaying the head of the trail near a building marked with a cross, a trail with 18 evenly-spaced markers, and the end of the trail marked with a O which is next to a land feature marked with a Ω.



• And finally, the back of the Trail Map has the large letters D O N carved into it.

DENGUE FEVER

Dengue Fever (dɛŋgeɪ) - also called "Break-Bone Fever," is a set of four closely related viruses (four closely related virus serotypes) of the genus Flavivirus - a genus that also includes West Nile virus, Yellow Fever, and others which cause encephalitis. Dengue Fever generates a rapid onset of fever and will usually last from six to seven days, accompanied by muscle ache and joint pain, and red petechiae (spots of broken capillaries) along the legs and torso. It may also include gastric symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting. Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a variant of this disease that can include hemorrhagic phenomena (bleeding in the lungs), thrombocytopenia (low level of blood platelets that can cause bleeding from gums, etc.), bloody stool, vomiting blood, spontaneous bruising, etc. This form of Dengue Fever is very dangerous and can lead to Dengue Shock Syndrome, which can be fatal. Taking aspirin for the symptoms of Dengue can be dangerous, given that aspirin can increase the tendency to bleed.

This disease is transmitted by mosquito (or blood transmission) and only from an infected person who is still febrile (in the thralls of the disease). Dengue Fever is distributed across equatorial (and most often tropical) environments, namely Central America, Northern South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Central Asia, Northern Australia, Indonesia, and Western Polynesia. The distribution of Dengue fever is not limited to rural areas - outbreaks commonly occur in urban areas within these latitudes. Given that Dengue Fever can be caused by one of four serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, DEN-4), a person who has contracted Dengue will only be immune to that specific strain/serotype (cross-immunity appears to be very short lived or non-existant) and can contract it again, from one of the other three serotypes.

Dengue is commonly transmitted by the Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) [photo above] which feeds in the daytime, and in some cases the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus).

Resources:
• The CDC Travelers' Health page on Dengue Fever.

• The CDC page on Dengue.

THE VENUS FLYTRAP

The Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) - is a carnivorous plant native to bogs of the southeastern United States (North and South Carolina). The genus Dionaea is monotypic, meaning that there is only one extant member of this genus - the Venus Flytrap.

Its carnivorous trap is an adaptation to the nutrient poor soil of bogs - relatively pure spring water flushes out many of the nutrients in the soil, making bogs an especially nitrogen-poor environment. The Venus Flytrap has evolved "traps" which catch and digest insects and arachnids as a means of gaining nutrients (other members of the order Droseraceae have carnivorous adaptations to bog environments also). The Venus Flytrap usually has four to nine traps, radiating from a center, and attached to the center by long flat stems. Each trap is a modified leaf and is composed of two lobes hinged by a midrib. When an insect touches the exposed trichome hairs on the surface of the trap lobes, the lobes snap together (as fast as 0.1 seconds). To prevent debris or rain from triggering a trap, two of the trichome hairs must be touched simultaneously, in succession, or one must be touched twice. To further prevent debris or rain from being trapped and digested, the continued stimulation of trichome hairs (the squirming of a trapped insect) encourages the trap to close tighter and for digestive fluids to be excreted across the surface of the lobes. If the trichome hairs are not stimulated once a trap has closed, it may open within 12 hours to release the accidentally trapped debris or rainwater. This is also why "feeding" small pieces of meat to a Venus Flytrap rarely works.


Though Dionaea muscipula is the only member of its genus, several distinctive cultivars have been produced by breeders; that is, Venus Flytraps have a range of different forms and features. One of the most popular cultivars among collectors is the Akai Ryu "Red Dragon" form, having notably large traps and dark red leaves. (link to purchase a "Red Dragon" Venus Flytrap)

Resources:
• Purchase a Venus Flytrap from California Carnivores.

• The Wikipedia entry for Dionaea muscipula.

• The definitive book on carnivorous plants and their cultivation, Peter D'Amato's "The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants."

• MyVenusFlytrap.com

• The Botanical Society of America's page on Dionaea muscipula.

COATLICUE

Coatlicue (kō•ä•tlē•kwā) "Snake Skirt" - A Precolumbian Aztec (and Central Mexican) primordial creation deity. She is often portrayed with the head of a serpent (or double-serpent); a necklace of human hearts, hands, and skulls; a skirt of woven / intertwined snakes; and clawed hands and feet (for digging graves). She gave birth to the Aztec gods Quetzalcoatl, Xolotl, Coyolxauhqui, the four hundred Çentzon Huitznahua, and the solar hero-god Huitzilopochtli.

After the birth of her first set of children, Coatlicue became pregnant from a ball of feathers (generated while she was sweeping out a temple), and her eldest daughter Coyolxauhqui viewed this as an abomination and attempted to murder her mother (with the assistance of her four hundred other siblings, the Çentzon Huitznahua). The newborn Huitzilopochtli emerged from his mother fully grown and armed for combat. He dismembered his elder sister Coyolxauhqui for her treachery (and threw her head into the sky to become the Moon) and the Çentzon Huitznahua were cast into the southern skies to become the stars.

The above statue of Coatlicue was found in 1790, below the Zocalo (city plaza) of Mexico City.

Resources:
• The Wikipedia entry for Coatlicue.

• Mary Miller and Karl Taube's "An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya."