In most places, corn is just food. But in Mexico, especially among its Indigenous communities, corn—or maíz—is life, ancestry, memory, and god. Welcome to the Sacred Corn Festivals, where ancient traditions still sing the praises of the golden grain.

Picture this: rows upon rows of human skulls stacked neatly on wooden racks, bleached by the sun, staring out into the sacred courtyards of ancient Tenochtitlan. This isn’t a scene from a horror movie — it’s history. Meet the Tzompantli, one of the most chilling and misunderstood relics of Aztec civilization.