Posted on 06/27/2018 8:00:41 PM PDT by BBell
The full horror of the Aztec 'skull tower' revealed: Archaeologists say THOUSANDS of human sacrifices had their still-beating hearts cut out before their heads were severed and added to a monument the size of a basketball court
Archaeologists previously found 650 skulls in Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, which became Mexico City
New research shows find was just a small part of massive array of what was once thousands of skulls
New details of the gory rituals have also been revealed, which include turning skulls into masks
Aztec human sacrifices were far more widespread and grisly that previously thought, archaeologists have revealed.
In 2015 archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) found a gruesome 'trophy rack' near the site of the Templo Mayor, one of the main temples in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, which later became Mexico City.
Now, they say the find was just the tip of the iceberg, and that the 'skull tower' was just a small part of a massive display of skulls known as Huey Tzompantli that was the size of a basketball court.
The new research is slowly uncovering the vast scale of the human sacrifices, performed to honor the gods.
According to the new research detailed in Science, captives were first taken to the city's Templo Mayor, or great temple, where priests removed their still-beating hearts.
The bodies were then decapitated and priests removed the skin and muscle from the corpses' heads.
Large holes were carved into the sides of the skulls, allowing them to be placed onto a large wooden pole.
They were then placed in Tenochtitlan's tzompantli, an enormous rack of skulls built in front of the Templo Mayor, a pyramid with two temples on top.
After months or years in the sun and rain, the skulls would begin to fall
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
evicted
Thanks BBell. Second topic, but best excerpting. The Aztecs also had this long structure on the plaza extending away from the pyramid, which they euphemistically called "the corncrib" -- same deal, filled with 100s of 1000s of disarticulated human remains. Y'know, it seems as if the smell would have been enough to knock a buzzard off a ****wagon.
Yes, Fronds! My typo.
One of the best books I have ever read is The Hummingbird and the Hawk. There was a General named Tlacaelel behind the Aztec throne that instituted much of the sacrifice and slaughter long before Cortez arrived. Tlacaelel advised and influenced Moctezuma I and Moctezuma II. The Aztecs conquered all the other cultures and tribes. They never completely conquered the Tlaxcalans. They used them to ‘practice’ war and train the troops. So, when Cortez arrived they were more than ready and willing to join forces against the Aztecs.
Actually, scholars know ‘em pretty well, but the PC can’t credit what was learned about the Aztecs.
They were an aggressive, human-sacrificing, cannibalistic empire that constantly provoked and waged war on its weaker neighbors for sacrifices and tribute.
Wanna know where the rest of those victims are?
The priests got the head of the sacrifice which was displayed in the skull racks.
The person who provided the sacrifice got an arm or a leg.
The knightly orders (Eagles, Jaguars, etc.) got the remaining limbs.
The torso went to feed to the emperor’s menagerie.
This is what Cortez and his conquistadors destroyed, God bless him.
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