Templo Mayor & Museo del Templo Mayor

The Templo Mayor was the heart of the Aztec empire and must not be missed. The site consists of two parts: the outdoor section, encompassing the excavated, stabilized ruins of the great temple complex, which you can view from a series of elevated walkways; and the wonderful Museum of the Templo Mayor, next to the ruins, where the amazing treasures recovered from the temple are stored and displayed. This beautiful museum tells the story of the temple complex through artifacts and clear interpretive text.            In Aztec times, the great Templo Mayor stood in the sacred walled precinct in the middle of Tenochtitlán. Today this sacred area is the central plaza of modern Mexico City, but before the arrival of the Spanish invaders this was the actual and symbolic center of the ancient capital city and heart of the Aztec world. The immense pyramid, topped with two important temples, dominated the skyline of the metropolis. The elaborate temples were dedicated to the worship of the two gods who represented the power sources of the Aztec empire: Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc—gods of war and rain, of tribute and sustenance. Archaeologists knew there was a temple located somewhere near the modern plaza in Mexico City, but buildings constructed in Colonial times covered the structures of ancient Tenochtitlán and for centuries the Templo Mayor lay buried. In February of 1978, two electrical workers digging in the central plaza of the city discovered an immense round carved stone (over 3 meters in diameter) and notified the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico. It was soon determined that the stone was carved with a depiction of the dismembered body of Coyolxauhqui, moon goddess and sister of Huitzilopochtli. It had once been situated at the foot of the pyramid steps below the temple dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. This serendipitous discovery of the spectacular carved stone concretely located the position of the great temple and initiated one of the most impressive archaeological excavations ever to take place in Mexico.             The Templo Mayor project focused on the excavation of the magnificent double pyramid complex and the interpretation of its objects. From the excavations it was clear that the great temple had been constructed in seven stages. The first stage related to the earliest temple built in A.D. 1325 when Tenochtitlán was founded and the last to the final reconstruction or building period that produced the temple seen and recorded by the Spanish in 1519. This last temple was almost completely destroyed by the invading Spaniards, both in defiance of the ancient gods and to provide building stones for the Colonial city. The various rebuildings and embellishments of the original small pyramid into the final massive structure were done by a succession of Aztec kings to honor the gods and to enhance their own power and status in the empire. Archaeologists found many precious offerings buried within the walls of the various construction periods of the pyramid. These offerings were dedicated to Tlaloc, the god of rain, earth, and fertility, who was responsible for the success of the crops that fed Tenochtitlán; and Huitzilopochtli, god of war and the sun, who was responsible for the fruits of warfare that sustained the Aztec state. Items representing water, such as green jade beads, shells, mother-of-pearl ornaments, and bones of aquatic animals, reflect the role of Tlaloc as provider of sustenance for humans. Items such as sacrificial knives, weapons, and skulls relate to Huitzilopochtli as provider of sustenance for the empire itself in the form of sacrificial blood and the wealth of conquest.            The iconography of the tall pyramid of Huitzilopochtli and the magnificent carved stone found at its foot refer to an ancient Aztec legend that tells of the birth of the great god Huitzilopochtli on top of the hill of Coatepec and his defeat of his sister, the moon, and his brothers, the stars. The pyramid represents the hill of Coatepec, and the carved stone found at its base is the image of Coyolxa­uhqui's dismembered body. The defeat of the stars and moon, symbols of darkness and the night sky, by Huitzilopoch­tli, warrior of the sun, was the epic act that assured the place of the sun in the daytime sky. This legendary drama was reenacted in special ceremonies on top of the pyramid. A victim was sacrificed, his heart torn from his chest, his blood offered as sustenance to the sun, and his body was thrown down the steep “hill” of the pyramid onto the surface of the stone of Coyolxauhqui, thus re-creating the symbolic battle between the sun and moon.