<< Our Photo Pages >> Tenochtitlan - Templo Mayor - Ancient Temple in Mexico in Estado de Mexico
Submitted by bat400 on Tuesday, 26 March 2019 Page Views: 42692
Multi-periodSite Name: Tenochtitlan - Templo Mayor Alternative Name: Temple MayorCountry: Mexico Region: Estado de Mexico Type: Ancient Temple
Nearest Town: Mexico City
Latitude: 19.434917N Longitude: 99.131361W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
Internal Links:
External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
Jansold visited on 17th Feb 2019 - their rating: Cond: -1 Amb: 3 Access: 5
MartinJEley visited on 16th Aug 2011 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Having already visited the amazing site of Teotihuacan I was equally pleased with the detail that could be seen in this temple and the informative adjoining museum. Situated in Mexico City the access is easy for anyone who has some time.
SolarMegalith visited on 1st Mar 2002 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 5
DrewParsons have visited here
Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 1.67 Ambience: 3.33 Access: 5
Amid the rubble they built a new city. More than four hundred years later the base of the pyramid was found during rebuilding after major earthquakes. The dig has gone on since 1978. New finds of importance occur nearly every season.
Templo Mayor was reputed to be the very core of the Aztec empire. This was the legendary location where these travelers from the north saw the reality of a prophecy - that they should build their city where they saw an eagle devouring a snake while perched on a towering cactus. The pyramid ruins lie to one side of the cathedral built by the Spanish next to the Great Marketplace. The site can be visited using a series of overlooks and footpaths. A purpose built museum lies close by, housing the amazing finds from the digs.
Multiple structures made up the pyramid complex and due to its ruined condition portions of these subcomponent buildings may continue to be uncovered. The platform atop the pyramid was the site of two chapels, for co-equal gods of the Aztec pantheon, Huitzilopochtli, the their primary god of war, and Tlaloc, the rain god. The chapels stood side by side, Tlaloc's to the north and Huitzilopochtli's to the south, with steps leading down from the buildings to the west.
As recently as 2015 portions of an immense tower of skulls began to be unearthed in the area of the Templo Mayor complex. This is now thought to be the Huey Tzompantli, a skull rack with circular base which was described by the Spanish as being located at the corner of the pyramid nearest the Huitzilopochtli chapel.
The 3m diameter Coyolxauhqui monolith was uncovered in 1978 at what would have been the base of the steps leading to Huitzilopochtli's chapel. This is a depiction of the dismembered body of Coyolxauhqui in one myth, described as the sister of Huitzilopochtli, who murdered her to prevent her attack on their mother, Coatlicue.
Website: Templo Mayor Museum. (Note: This link is to an archive page.) The location given is for the Temple Pyramid.
Note: Aztec war sacrifices found in Mexico may point to elusive royal tomb - more details in the comments on our page
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