Archaeologists have found signs that the tomb of an Aztec emperor could be beneath recently excavated stone monolith showing a fearsome, blood-drinking god. This would be the first burial site found of a leader of the 1427-1521 Aztec empire.
The stone was unearthed at the western face of the Templo Mayor, the Aztec’s main religious site. It was found in the spot where the Aztecs were believed to have cremated their leaders and buried their ashes. A date carved on the stone suggested it contained the remains of Emperor Ahuizotl, 1486-1502 who was the father of Montezuma. Carvings on the stone also show the Aztec god of the earth, Tlaltecuhtili, depicted as a woman with huge claws. Tlaltecuhtli was believed to devour the dead and then give them new life. The god was so fearsome that the Aztecs normally buried depictions of her face-down in the earth.
It will be interesting to see if more tombs are to be found in this location.
The stone was unearthed at the western face of the Templo Mayor, the Aztec’s main religious site. It was found in the spot where the Aztecs were believed to have cremated their leaders and buried their ashes. A date carved on the stone suggested it contained the remains of Emperor Ahuizotl, 1486-1502 who was the father of Montezuma. Carvings on the stone also show the Aztec god of the earth, Tlaltecuhtili, depicted as a woman with huge claws. Tlaltecuhtli was believed to devour the dead and then give them new life. The god was so fearsome that the Aztecs normally buried depictions of her face-down in the earth.
It will be interesting to see if more tombs are to be found in this location.
