According to an Associated Press story, Mexican archaeologists have discovered an entryway to an Aztec tomb, buried beneath damaged Spanish colonial buildings near the zocalo in downtown Mexico City.
Mexico City was originally the capital of the Aztec empire, called Tenochtitlan and constructed in the 14th century AD on an island in the middle of a marshy lake. Archaeological excavations conducted in Mexico City have been ongoing for quite a while. Last November lead excavator Leonardo Lopez Lujan (senior researcher and professor at the Museo del Templo Mayor, INAH, Mexico City) discovered a stone monolith dedicated to Tlaltecuhtli, the goddess of the earth. Carved on the Tlaltecuhtli monolith is the glyph representing the date Ten Rabbit, which is the year that the Aztec ruler Ahuitzotl died (1502). Ahuitzotl ruled from AD 1486-1502; he was the ruler when Columbus landed, and the last ruler who didn't have to deal with Spanish conquistadors.
A six-by-six foot entryway was discovered descending 15 feet below the monument, but it is presently blocked by rubble and standing water. Archaeologists used ground penetrating radar, and detected four subterranean rooms. Because of the date on the monolith, archaeologists believe that the underground rooms represent the burial place of Ahuitzotl; and, if so, it is possible that the tomb is intact.
No other royal Aztec burials have ever been found and in fact there are only a few remnants of Aztec construction left in Mexico City. That is a direct result of the aggressive efforts of the Spanish colonizers who wanted to erase the Aztec religion from the city. But luckily, the 16th century Spanish didn't have bulldozers. It will take a while before the tomb can be opened: remember the city is built on a marshy lake, and groundwater is still quite near the surface.
If the remote sensing is correct, if the four subterranean rooms indeed represent a tomb, if it is Ahuitzotl and if it hasn't been completely looted, this discovery would indeed be of importance to understanding Aztec ritual and burial customs.
Mexico City was originally the capital of the Aztec empire, called Tenochtitlan and constructed in the 14th century AD on an island in the middle of a marshy lake. Archaeological excavations conducted in Mexico City have been ongoing for quite a while. Last November lead excavator Leonardo Lopez Lujan (senior researcher and professor at the Museo del Templo Mayor, INAH, Mexico City) discovered a stone monolith dedicated to Tlaltecuhtli, the goddess of the earth. Carved on the Tlaltecuhtli monolith is the glyph representing the date Ten Rabbit, which is the year that the Aztec ruler Ahuitzotl died (1502). Ahuitzotl ruled from AD 1486-1502; he was the ruler when Columbus landed, and the last ruler who didn't have to deal with Spanish conquistadors.
A six-by-six foot entryway was discovered descending 15 feet below the monument, but it is presently blocked by rubble and standing water. Archaeologists used ground penetrating radar, and detected four subterranean rooms. Because of the date on the monolith, archaeologists believe that the underground rooms represent the burial place of Ahuitzotl; and, if so, it is possible that the tomb is intact.
No other royal Aztec burials have ever been found and in fact there are only a few remnants of Aztec construction left in Mexico City. That is a direct result of the aggressive efforts of the Spanish colonizers who wanted to erase the Aztec religion from the city. But luckily, the 16th century Spanish didn't have bulldozers. It will take a while before the tomb can be opened: remember the city is built on a marshy lake, and groundwater is still quite near the surface.
If the remote sensing is correct, if the four subterranean rooms indeed represent a tomb, if it is Ahuitzotl and if it hasn't been completely looted, this discovery would indeed be of importance to understanding Aztec ritual and burial customs.
More Information
- AP Exclusive: Aztec leader's tomb found, Mark Stevenson from the Associated Press. There are no photos of the new entry way, but this story does have photos of the monolith discovered last November.
- Museo Templo Mayor, INAH, which has some additional information on the ongoing research in Mexico City, albeit in Spanish and is just a cool website anyway
- Aztec Kinglist
- Tenochtitlan, moreon the history of this Aztec capital city
- Aztec Civilization Study Guide, a mass of info on Aztecs
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