Some good friends of ours had a really awesome New Year's party last year that was Central American-themed. On a whim, I decided to build a Mayan-style temple as a sort of centerpiece.
After the basic building was done, I decorated the diorama with foliage to suggest how the jungle is cleared away from the temple. Then I hauled out my Islanders with Native American heads (a more realistic combo, IMHO) and posed them as whimsy dictated.
The really fun part was when I decided that this somewhat serene scene needed a touch of historically accurate barbarism. The pyramid can be removed to reveal. . .
HUMAN SACRIFICE!! We will appease the gods through the gift of your still beating heart in my hands!"