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TRAVEL IDEAS
Templo Mayor and museum (Centro)
The Templo Mayor is one the best things to experience in Mexico City. The former main temple of the Aztecs, it was destroyed by the Spaniards during their invading conquest of the Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlan (now, Mexico City!). Walking through the Templo Mayor and its site museum is incredible, with some of the most amazing art you will ever see! Plus, you get a little sense of what the Aztec capital would have been like before 1521.
Click on any image to read more about what you are seeing and where to find it at the Templo Mayor (with the caveat that archaeological work is ongoing and as a result, things do shift inside the museum on occasion).
View towards Templo Mayor, with the Metropolitan Cathedral in the background
Model of the Templo Mayor
I love this model that the museum now has in the entry area, before you walk through what remains of the Templo Mayor then on to the museum. The model provides an excellent idea of what the building behind it once looked like. Notice the inner layers? My kid thought it looked like a layered cake—and that is spot on! Each Aztec ruler (or what was called the chief speaker, or huey tlatoani) expanded the temple. But they didn't destroy the earlier temple—nope, they covered over it and built on top of it. So like a layered cake or an onion, all those earlier versions remained.
When the Spaniards razed the temple—at its biggest version—they basically cut it off at a point. It was covered over (with many different things over centuries). When archaeologists began to excavate the temple in 1978, they found a ton of things from the different stages of the temple. Sometimes, they even found the same type of object at the same location in each layer—this clued archaeologists in to the importance of these objects. One of them is the famous Coyolxauhqui stone (more on that later!).
When the Spaniards razed the temple—at its biggest version—they basically cut it off at a point. It was covered over (with many different things over centuries). When archaeologists began to excavate the temple in 1978, they found a ton of things from the different stages of the temple. Sometimes, they even found the same type of object at the same location in each layer—this clued archaeologists in to the importance of these objects. One of them is the famous Coyolxauhqui stone (more on that later!).
Tlaltecuhtli monolith
One of the more recent monumental artworks discovered in front of the Templo Mayor. This absolutely massive stone object shows the earth "lord" or "monster" Tlaltecuhtli, who actually was thought to have male and female characteristics. Here, Tlaltecuhtli is shown splayed, with arms twisted out and upward and the legs positioned to look like bent frog legs. Tlaltecuhtli's mouth is open and a stream of blood comes from it. In this instance, Tlaltecuhtli is bare chested and wears a skirt (on which are bones and stars). And check out those talons! Also, notice those monster-face joints. She also has huge ear spools in her ears, and her hair is shown as matted or curly, with paper decorations in it. And you can still detect traces of paint that would have animated this sculpture even more.
Tlaltecuhtli is a deity associated with the origin of the world and the cosmos.
When this monolith was discovered, a fantastic offering was found underneath it. Some of the things inside it are on display around the monolith.
Tlaltecuhtli is a deity associated with the origin of the world and the cosmos.
When this monolith was discovered, a fantastic offering was found underneath it. Some of the things inside it are on display around the monolith.
Tlaltecuhtli monolith from above
One of the more recent monumental artworks discovered in front of the Templo Mayor. This absolutely massive stone object shows the earth "lord" or "monster" Tlaltecuhtli, who actually was thought to have male and female characteristics. Here, Tlaltecuhtli is shown splayed, with arms twisted out and upward and the legs positioned to look like bent frog legs. Tlaltecuhtli's mouth is open and a stream of blood comes from it. In this instance, Tlaltecuhtli is bare chested and wears a skirt (on which are bones and stars). And check out those talons! Also, notice those monster-face joints. She also has huge ear spools in her ears, and her hair is shown as matted or curly, with paper decorations in it. And you can still detect traces of paint that would have animated this sculpture even more.
Tlaltecuhtli is a deity associated with the origin of the world and the cosmos.
When this monolith was discovered, a fantastic offering was found underneath it. Some of the things inside it are on display around the monolith.
Tlaltecuhtli is a deity associated with the origin of the world and the cosmos.
When this monolith was discovered, a fantastic offering was found underneath it. Some of the things inside it are on display around the monolith.
Mictlantecuhtli, the Lord of the Underworld
One of the most amazing sculptures in the museum. This is the Lord of the Underworld, Mictlantecuhtli. He's made of ceramic, which was then covered in plaster. If you get up close enough to him, you will see he is also leaning forward, with clawed hands, an open chest, and a mouth full of bared teeth. Oh, and his face is skeletal. Notice those holes on his head? They would have held paper banners for his hair. If you think he looks a tad terrifying, you are not wrong—he was supposed to intimidate!
This sculpture was once located with another one to either side of an entranceway to a room inside the House of the Eagles. This was an important space, that you can walk through on site! It was reserved for important classes of Aztec warriors, like eagle and jaguar warriors.
Mictlantecuhtli is a deity of the Underworld, Mictlan.
This sculpture was once located with another one to either side of an entranceway to a room inside the House of the Eagles. This was an important space, that you can walk through on site! It was reserved for important classes of Aztec warriors, like eagle and jaguar warriors.
Mictlantecuhtli is a deity of the Underworld, Mictlan.
Eagle Warrior
Bat deity, from the Mixtec region, Oaxaca
Eagle cuauhxicalli
Figures made of copal incense
Human skull mask
Olmec mask
A mask made more than a thousand years before the Aztecs that was then reburied in an offering at the Templo Mayor.
Teotihuacan mask
A mask made at the city of Teotihuacan hundreds of years before the Aztecs. Reburied at the Templo Mayor in an offering. The Aztecs felt that Teotihuacan was the birthplace of the gods.
Coyolxauhqui monolith
In 1978, electrical workers were digging and accidentally discovered this monolith. It kicked off the excavations of the Templo Mayor! It shows the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui dismembered and decapitatated. She is also largely nude, yet wears fancy sandals, bracelets and earrings. She also has an impressive headdress.
What happened to her? Well, in Aztec myth, she tried to kill her mother Coatlicue after discovering that she was pregnant. At the moment Coyolxauhqui and her brothers thought to strike Coatlicue, a fully grown and armed deity named Huitzilopochtli sprung from his mother and slayed Coyolxauhqui. He threw her body off snake mountain (Coatepec).
This monolith was found at the bottom of the Huitzilopochtli side of the Templo Mayor—at the very place a body would fall if thrown off a mountain. Plus, a bunch of snake sculptures decorated the Templo Mayor and Huitzilopochtli's side—transforming the temple into a snake mountain!
Interestingly, other sculptures showing Coyolxauhqui in a similar way existed at earlier levels of the Templo Mayor.
Originally, it would have been painted.
What happened to her? Well, in Aztec myth, she tried to kill her mother Coatlicue after discovering that she was pregnant. At the moment Coyolxauhqui and her brothers thought to strike Coatlicue, a fully grown and armed deity named Huitzilopochtli sprung from his mother and slayed Coyolxauhqui. He threw her body off snake mountain (Coatepec).
This monolith was found at the bottom of the Huitzilopochtli side of the Templo Mayor—at the very place a body would fall if thrown off a mountain. Plus, a bunch of snake sculptures decorated the Templo Mayor and Huitzilopochtli's side—transforming the temple into a snake mountain!
Interestingly, other sculptures showing Coyolxauhqui in a similar way existed at earlier levels of the Templo Mayor.
Originally, it would have been painted.
Xiuhtecuhtli (Fire Serpent)
Urn
Tlaltecuhtli
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