Spondylus crassisguama shell, without human intervention (Cotom, 2020). Spondylus shells have a pinkish color and rows of spines running from the base to the rim. These were highly prized objects and were especially used to collect blood offered in self-sacrifice rituals. They were also deposited in hidden offerings (caches), with sacred objects such as jade beads, shark teeth, or stingray spines. The presence of jade inside some of them could support the theory of their use as jewelry containers, according to the interpretation given to some shell and jade assemblages discovered in some tombs (Tikal), although the symbolism of jade is closer to water and the concept of “precious”. One name that describes this shell is Yohl ik’nal, “the heart/center of the shell,” as something divine or precious (according to comments by epigraphers David Stuart and William H. Mex). * Spondylus crassisguama (formerly known as Spondylus princeps; Identification by Lic. Julio Cotom, 2020) *The hole seen on the left could be part of the shell’s natural erosion. | 
