An obsidian “spirit mirror” used by a confidant of Queen Elizabeth I actually came from the Aztec culture, according to new research. An analysis of the obsidian mirror, owned by John Dee in ...

The discovery also sheds light on how the Aztec society evolved — introducing more standardized religion and control before the empire fell in 1521 — by showing how obsidian use changed over time.

An obsidian 'spirit mirror' once used in the 16th Century by John Dee, a confidant of Elizabeth I, to contact otherworldly entities, has Aztec origins, a new study revealed.

An obsidian “ spirit mirror ” used by John Dee, an advisor to England’s Elizabeth I, traces its origins to Aztec culture, a new study published in the journal Antiquity suggests.

Tulane University. "Vast Aztec trade networks behind ancient obsidian artifacts." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 May 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2025 / 05 / 250512153346.htm>.

The Aztec Empire once hosted an expansive trade network that brought volcanic glass to its capital from right across Mesoamerica, from coast to coast. The largest compositional study of obsidian ...