Templo Mayor

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An illustration of the Templo Mayor's possible original appearance

The nested remains of successive phases of construction.

The Templo Mayor (commonly known by this Spanish name, meaning "Great Temple") was the main temple of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City). The temple rose 60 m (197 ft) above the city's ritual precinct, surmounted by dual shrines to the deities Huitzilopochtli (god of war and sun) and Tlaloc (god of rain and fertility).

It was mostly destroyed in 1521 after the conquest of the Aztec empire by the Spanish conquistadores under the leadership of Hernán Cortés. Remains of the lower portions of the temple complex have been discovered by modern archaeologists buried under a portion of modern Mexico City.

Numerous smaller buildings and platforms associated with the temple formed a closely-situated complex around its base. A stucco relief depicting a tzompantli, or "skull rack", decorated one platform leading to the temple.

The temple was enlarged several times, and for the last time in 1487.

The Templo Mayor was excavated between 1978 and 1987 in a major project directed by Eduardo Matos Moctezuma.

[edit] References

Díaz del Castillo, Bernal [1632] (1963). The Conquest of New Spain, J.M. Cohen (trans.), 6th printing (1973), Penguin Classics, Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-044123-9. OCLC 162351797.

Matos Moctezuma, Eduardo (1988). The Great Temple of the Aztecs: Treasures of Tenochtitlan, Doris Heyden (trans.), New Aspects of Antiquity series, New York: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-39024-X. OCLC 17968786.

Matos Moctezuma, Eduardo (1998). Vida y muerte en el Templo Mayor, 3rd edition, México D.F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica. ISBN 968-16-5712-8. OCLC 40997904. (Spanish)

Oficina de la Presidencia de la República, México (2008-06-08). "Most Important Offering in Past 30 Years Discovered in Great Temple". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.

[edit] Gallery

Carving of Mayahuel at the Templo Mayor site's museum	Disk depicting a dismembered Coyolxauhqui which was found during construction in 1978 in Mexico City. Its discovery led to the excavation of the Templo Mayor.	Scale models of chinampas used by the Aztecs in the lakes surrounding Tenochititlan on display at the museum of the Templo Mayor.	Model of the Aztec island city of Tenochtitlan outside of the Templo Mayor in Mexico City
View of Templo Mayor ruins in Mexico City	View of ruins of the "Eagle" building of the Templo Mayor complex. The roof is there to protect the remains of paintings that are inside.	View of Eagle building and building A in the Templo Mayor complex. The ruins of the main temple are in the background.	Inside the protected area of the Eagle Building of the Templo Mayor complex in Mexico City. Remants of the original paint can still be seen.
Close up of bas reliefs of eagle warriors in the Eagle building of the Templo Mayor complex. Some of the original paint can still be seen.	View of the ruins of the main temple of the Templo Mayor complex. The main city cathedral is visible just behind the ruins and the top of the Torre Latino is visible in the background.	Scale model of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan showing the various stages as it was enlarged over time.	Scale model of downtown modern Mexico City. In the center back is the Cathedral. The Zocalo (main plaza) is immediately to the left of the cathedral. The Templo Mayor site is at the 4 o'clock position from the cathedral.
Wall display of stone masks found at the Templo Mayor site on display at the Templo Mayor museum in Mexico City.	Stone blades called "pederales" on display at the museum of the Templo Mayor in Mexico City. These blades were created for ritual uses, including human sacrifice and often decorated with faces.	Stone box and contents found at the Templo Mayor in Mexico City. This was only one of the many offerings found here.