Once the implement was covered with blood, it was inserted in straw balls called Zacatapayoli. [5][7][11], The second temple was built during the reigns of Acamapichtli, Huitzilihuitl and Chimalpopoca between 1375 and 1427. His special interests include pottery, architecture, world mythology and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share in common. / iwet8239. The north (right) side shrine was dedicated to Tlaloc, the god of rain and the other, on the south (left) side, was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the god of war. Huitzilopochtli was the supreme Aztec god and considered the god of the sun, war, gold, rulers, and he was patron of Tenochtitlan. [3], Most of the objects found in the Templo Mayor were offerings. Subsequently the Templo Mayor grew enormously both in size and elaboration, resulting in the impressive structure seen by … The sacrificed Spaniards were flayed and their faces – with beards attached – were tanned and sent to allied towns, both to solicit assistance and to warn against betraying the alliance. Representing fire and water respectively, this pair of deities probably symbolized the concept of "burning water," a metaphor for warfare. [4] Cortés, who had ordered the destruction of the existing capital, had a Mediterranean-style city built on the site. Despite being found in fragile pieces, they were both reconstructed and are on display at the on-site museum. I learned more about the Aztecs on my 3-4 hour meander and tour than I ever thought I would. [13] While Cortes left for Veracruz to confront Spaniards looking to arrest him, Pedro de Alvarado learned of a plan to attack the Spaniards, and staged a pre-emptive attack on the Aztecs in the Sacred Precinct while they celebrated a religious festival. It is a large L-shaped room with staircases decorated with sculptures of eagle heads. This city is currently Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. It had two pyramidal towers on top, one dedicated to the rain god All of these fulfilled a specific function within the offering, depending on the symbolism of each object. The circular monolith of Coyolxauhqui also dates from this time. Widespread throughout the entire population, this practice was performed by perforating certain fleshy parts of the body—such as the earlobes, lips, tongue, chest, calves, et cetera—with obsidian blades, agave needles or bone perforators. Tenochitlan was built on swampy ground. Web. [24], The oldest Mexica objects, located in the second temple, are two urns which contain the remains of incinerated bones; one of the urns was made of obsidian and the other of alabaster. These buildings included other pyramids, gathering places, ornamental walls, shops and, of course, bathrooms. Written by Mark Cartwright, published on 05 February 2016 under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Pyramide des Templo Mayor. Just over two meters down, the diggers struck a pre-Hispanic monolith. [5] This museum is the result of the work done since the early 1980s to rescue, preserve and research the Templo Mayor, its Sacred Precinct, and all objects associated with it. The most prized work is a large pot with the god's face in high relief that still preserves much of the original blue paint. As the temple grew over the years, offerings and precious goods were ritually buried within its ever-expanding layers. It was dedicated simultaneously to Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture, each of which had a shrine at the top of the pyramid with separate staircases. [24], Images of the gods Huehueteotl-Xiuhtecuhtli, together with Tlaloc, presided over most of the offerings found in the Templo Mayor. One was dedicated to Tlaloc, the god of water on the left side (as you face the structure), and one to Huitzilopochtli, deity of war and of the sun, on the right side. [11], The pyramid was composed of four sloped terraces with a passage between each level, topped by a great platform that measured approximately 80 by 100 meters (262 by 328 feet). However, the discovery did not generate great public interest in excavating further, because the zone was an upper-class residential area. The lower panel shows processions of armed warriors converging on a zacatapayolli, a grass ball into which the Mexica stuck bloody lancets during the ritual of autosacrifice. [9], The excavated site consists of two parts: the temple itself, exposed and labeled to show its various stages of development, along with some other associated buildings, and the museum, built to house the smaller and more fragile objects. On the south side, there is a sacrificial stone called a "téchcatl" and a sculpted face. However, the Templo Mayor was there all the time, with its main building just 25-30 meters away from the Cathedral side.... only that its top was (is) 2 or 3 meters below ground. He finished some of the updates made by Tizoc and made his own; as shown on the carvings of the "commemoration stone of the huei teocalli", showing the two tlatoqueh celebrating the opening of the temple during the last day of the month Panquetzaliztli dedicated to Huitzilopochtli; day 7 acatl of the year 8 acatl (19 Dec 1487). Within each shrine was a wooden statue of the god. Templo Mayor. So too, many artefacts, purposely buried by the Aztecs, have been excavated at the site, and these include fine pottery, figurines, jade and mother-of-pearl jewellery, animal skeletons which include fish, a crocodile, two golden eagles and a jaguar, and prizes from earlier Mesoamerican civilizations such as one Olmec mask and another from Teotihuacan. Related Content [10][17], The sacred ballcourt and skull rack were located at the foot of the stairs of the twin temples, to mimic, like the stone disk, where Huitzilopochtli was said to have placed the goddess' severed head. Cite This Work Objects associated with human sacrifice are the "face blades" or knives decorated with eyes and teeth, as well as skull masks. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and Michigan State University and University of Missouri. When the Spaniards arrived in Tenochtitlan in 1519, the Aztec capital’s main shrine stood 150 feet high. [4], Fray Toribio de Motolinía, a Spanish friar who arrived to Mexico soon after the invasion, writes in his work Memoriales that the Aztec feast of Tlacaxipehualiztli "took place when the sun stood in the middle of [the Temple of] Huitzilopochtli, which was at the equinox". The measurements in the Templo Mayor confirmed the veracity of this comment. [5] In 1933, Emilio Cuevas found part of a staircase and beam. Start studying Templo Mayor, Aztec. Construction of the first Templo Mayor began sometime after 1325. The Birth of Huitzilopochtli. This is easily verifiable by anyone going to visit the Templo Mayor ruins, so no argument about it (other than Wikipedia's article being wrong about it being dismantled and the church being built exactly over the temple). The Templo Mayor was first constructed in the reign of Itzcoatl (r. 1427-1440 CE), improved upon by his successor Motecuhzoma I (r. 1440-1469 CE), and again enlarged during the reign of Ahuitzotl (r. 1486-1502 CE). The Pyramid was similarly built on an east-west axis so that when at the top of the stairway one would face the east and see both Mt. [5], The seventh and last temple is what Hernán Cortés and his men saw when they arrived to Tenochtitlan in 1519. The Offerings of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan, The Fifteenth Month: Aztec History in the Rituals of Panquetzaliztli, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. In excavations at the Templo Mayor, different types of offerings have been found and have been grouped by researchers in terms of Time (the period in which the offering was deposited); Space (the location of the offering within the structure); Container (type and dimensions of the receptacle containing the objects); internal distribution (placement of objects within the offering) and value of the items. The entrance of each temple had statues of robust and seated men which supported the standard-bearers and banners of handmade bark paper. [5] The site is part of the Historic Center of Mexico City, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. The orientation of stage II, the earliest of the archaeologically attested construction phases, is different from that adopted by stage III and preserved in all subsequent stages. The two temples were approximately 60 meters (200 feet) in height, and each had large braziers where the sacred fires continuously burned. [5][7][12], The deities were housed inside the temple, shielded from the outside by curtains. His shrine at the temple was the most important and largest. A staircase with eight stone standard-bearers is from this stage bearing the glyph with the year Four-Reed (1431) These standard bearers act as "divine warriors" guarding the access to the upper shrines. The Sacred Precinct of the Templo Mayor was surrounded by a wall called the "coatepantli" (serpent wall). The site continues to be excavated to the present day with regular new findings adding to the history of this greatest of Aztec monuments. These stairways were used only by the priests and sacrificial people. Das Zentrum der Stadt sollte ein riesiger Tempel bilden, der Templo Mayor. The entirety was probably placed in ceremonial boxes—tepetlacalli—as an offering to the gods. The entire building was originally covered with stucco and polychrome paint. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Templo_Mayor/. Also many of the offerings found at the Templo Mayor were or were made from various plants and animals. [14], After the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521, the lands controlled by the Aztecs became part of the Spanish empire. [19] The Templo Mayor itself delineated the eastern side of the Sacred Precinct. Das gigantische Bauwerk des Templo Mayor entstand um 1325 und wurde im Verlauf der Jahre mehrmals erweitert und vergrössert. The pyramid was razed following the Spanish Conquest - the Aztecs had used it as a rallying point and defended it vigorously - and a Christian cross had been placed on top of it. Huitzilopochtli was victorious, slaying and dismembering his sister. Tlaloc was also associated with mountains and it is probable that the Templo Mayor was conceived as a literal architectural mountain in homage to this facet of the rain god, a man-made imitation of Tonacatepetl, Tlaloc's 'Mountain of Sustenance'. The precinct may have contained as many as 78 different structures but the Templo Mayor was by far the tallest and must have dominated the city skyline. Essential elements of the old imperial center, including the Templo Mayor, were buried under similarly key features of the new city in what is now the historical downtown of the Mexico City. The Templo Mayor was first constructed in the reign of Itzcoatl (r. 1427-1440 CE), improved upon by his successor Motecuhzoma I (r. 1440-1469 CE), and again enlarged during the reign of Ahuitzotl (r. 1486-1502 CE). [6], After the destruction of Tenochtitlan, the Templo Mayor, like most of the rest of the city, was taken apart and the area redeveloped by new structures of the Spanish colonial city. Templo Mayor | © Paul Sableman/Flickr. Inside of him were bags containing jade, bones and amulets to give life to the god. Finally, coronations took place at the temple, notably that of the last true Aztec king Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, better known as Montezuma, in 1502 CE. June 20, 2015. [3], The ball field, called the tlachtli or teutlachtli, was similar to many sacred ball fields in Mesoamerica. This palace specifically imitates much of the style of the Burnt Palace, located in the ruins of Tula. Construction of the temple began in 1325, around the same time as the founding of the grand Aztec capital, and over the next 200 years, Templo Mayor would undergo multiple reconstructions, enlargements, and revisions. The Temple of Quetzalcoatl was located to the west of the Templo Mayor. Started around 1430 and enlarged by successive Mexica rulers, it probably looked like this from around 1502 so it was only in its full glory for about two decades before Cortés destroyed it. Between 1325 and 1519, the Templo Mayor was expanded, enlarged, and reconstructed during seven main building phases, which likely corresponded with different rulers, or tlatoani (“speaker”), taking office. The Sacred Precinct was walled off and this wall was decorated with serpent heads. Related to Room 6, Room 7 contains exhibits of the agricultural technology of the time, especially in the growing of corn and the construction of chinampas, the so-called "floating gardens". Ancient History Encyclopedia. The Templo Mayor (Spanish for "[the] Greater Temple") was the main temple of the Aztec people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. The Templo Mayor was one of the most important temples in the sacred precinct of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire which became Mexico City after the Spanish conquest. At the end of the festival, the image was broken apart and shared among the populace to be eaten. Nine of these were built in the 1930s, and four dated from the 19th century, and had preserved colonial elements. Although many are of Mexica design, there are also abundant items from other peoples, brought in as tribute or through trade. [8] Efforts coalesced into the Templo Mayor Project, which was authorized by presidential decree. This figure was constructed annually and it was richly dressed and fitted with a mask of gold for his festival held during the Aztec month of Panquetzaliztli. The Templo Mayor that the Spanish conquistadors witnessed in 1521, was supposedly the seventh and final version of the great temple. 12 Feb 2021. [24], The museum of the Templo Mayor was built in 1987 to house the Templo Mayor Project and its finds—a project which continues work to this day. For the Aztecs the best way to gain favour with these two powerful gods was to honour them with a suitably impressive temple monument and to regularly offer sacrifices to satiate their lusty appetites and perpetuate the harmony between gods and humanity. Located at the centre of Tenochtitlan the Templo Mayor was the religious and social heart of the Aztec empire. Templo Mayor: a temple built eight times (HM1QD5). The temple on the north side, painted with blue stripes, was dedicated to Tlaloc and marked the summer solstice (symbolic of the wet season) whilst Huitzilopochtli's south-side shrine, painted red, marked the winter solstice (symbolic of the dry season and a time for warfare). The museum has four floors, three of which are for permanent exhibitions and the fourth houses offices for the director, museum administration and research staff. Most offerings from the excavations are from this time. [4], The Zócalo, or main plaza of Mexico City today, was developed to the southwest of this archeological site, which is located in the block between Seminario and Justo Sierra streets. "[18] Matos Moctezuma supports his supposition by claiming that the temple acts as an embodiment of a living myth where "all sacred power is concentrated and where all the levels intersect." The seven major building phases of the Templo Mayor began with a simple structure, probably dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, built in 1325 when Tenochtitlan was founded. [17], The various levels of the Temple also represent the cosmology of the Aztec world. In 1991, the Urban Archeology Program was incorporated as part of the Templo Mayor Project whose mission is to excavate the oldest area of the city, around the main plaza. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. He ordered a Catholic cross placed on the Templo Mayor. When word of the massacre spread throughout the city, the people turned on the Spaniards, killing seven, wounding many, and driving the rest back to their quarters. These offerings were placed accompanied by complex rituals following set temporal, spatial and symbolic patterns, depending on the intention of the offering. It was then discovered that the pyramid was in fact a succession of pyramids each built over a smaller predecessor and even the original primitive platform, dated with the aid of a stone hieroglyph to 1390 CE, was discovered. It had two stairways to access the two shrines on the top platform. [10][17] This indicates the place where the plane of the world that humans live in intersects the thirteen levels of the heavens, called Topan and the nine levels of the underworld, called Mictlan.[10]. Sometimes new constructi… The Eagle Warriors were a privileged class who were dedicated to the god Huitzilopochtli, and dressed to look like eagles. This first temple is only known through historical records, because the high water table of the old lake bed prevents excavation. Huixachtlan and was used to light the sacred fire atop the Templo Mayor before being transferred to all subsidiary temples in the city. [8] The Templo Mayor and Sacred Precinct were demolished and a Spanish church, later the main cathedral, was built on the western half of the precinct. The city of Tenochtitlan was established in 1325 on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco (much of which has since been filled in to accommodate Mexico City which now exists on this site), and with the city’s foundation the original structure of the Templo Mayor was built. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Der Templo Mayor bzw. [5], The sixth temple was built during the reign of Ahuizotl. This room contains various images of him as well as offerings. According to these records, the first pyramid was built with earth and perishable wood, which may not have survived to the present time. [7], The Templo Mayor was partially a symbolic representation of the Hill of Coatepec, where according to Mexica myth, Huitzilopochtli was born. The offerings were usually contained in cavities, in stone urns, and in boxes made of slabs. Templo Mayor was only one of perhaps 75-80 buildings in Tenochitlan. Games were played barefoot, and players used their hips to move a heavy ball to stone rings. Other structures descend into the earth at a rate of about 20 feet per century, but Templo Mayor remains more still. Books These are found under floors; in platforms, architectural bodies, stairways and in temples. Their temple, dedicated to the god Tezcatlipoca, lies under the current Museo de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público to the south of the Templo Mayor. The great temple was destroyed by the Spanish during the construction of a cathedral.