Rattlesnake Disk (or Alabama Disk)
Incised stone palette/gorget; Mississippian culture artifact • Mississippian culture artists from the Moundville site (Alabama)
Style & Movement
Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (SECC), Mississippian Art
Medium & Technique
Sandstone; deeply incised and engraved lines on a ground stone surface
Creation Period
Moundville III phase, approximately 1250–1450 CE
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 12.5 inches (31.8 cm) in diameter; circular tondo format (palette)
Subject Description
A central composition featuring two intertwined rattlesnakes encircling a 'Hand-and-Eye' symbol (The Portal to the Path of Souls). The snakes display distinctive rattles and cross-hatching representational scales. The hand contains an ogee symbol or eye marking in the palm, associated with the constellations and the journey to the afterlife in Native American cosmology.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good (Ancient); presents significant weathering, surface pitting, and edge chipping consistent with burial and age
Estimated Market Value
Highly variable due to heritage status; estimated $150,000 - $300,000 if legal for private trade (rare)
Auction Estimate
$100,000 - $200,000 (subject to NAGPRA regulations and provenance verification)
Provenance History
Excavated from the Moundville Archaeological Site in Hale County, Alabama, during the late 19th or early 20th century. Currently held in the collection of the Moundville Archaeological Park/University of Alabama Museums.
Art Historical Significance
One of the most iconic artifacts of Pre-Columbian North America; it provides essential evidence for the 'Hand-and-Eye' motif in Mississippian iconography and serves as a primary example of regional religious and cosmological complexity.
Notable Features
Features 17 notches around the rim; includes the classic Mississippian 'Hand-and-Eye' design which is theorized to represent the constellation Orion as a gateway for the deceased.
Condition Issues
Erosion of the sandstone surface, minor loss of detail in the finer incisions, chips along the notched perimeter, and mineral deposits from soil contact.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain in a climate-controlled environment with stable humidity to prevent further stone exfoliation; display in a custom mount to avoid pressure on fragile edges; avoid direct handling to prevent transfer of skin oils.