Posted on 10/14/2006 12:22:36 PM PDT by blam
Mexican archeologists find largest Aztec figure
By Gunther Hamm
Fri Oct 13, 7:39 PM ET
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican archeologists unveiled the largest Aztec idol ever discovered on Friday and said it could be a door to a hidden chamber at a ruined temple under the heart of Mexico City.
The Aztecs, a warlike and deeply religious people who built numerous monumental works, ruled an empire stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and encompassing much of modern-day central Mexico.
The 12.4 tonne stone slab, 46 feet in surface area, was partially uncovered this month at the main Templo Mayor on the edge of the capital's central Zocalo square. Aztecs used the temple for worship and human sacrifice.
Excavators have been astonished by the size of the piece and its elaborate engraving of the earth god Tlaltecuhtli as they uncovered more of the slab in recent days.
Asked on Friday if it was the most important Aztec piece found, anthropologist Alvaro Barrera said: "For its size, yes, for the importance ... we have to wait to see what we discover and its context."
When it was discovered, officials said the monolith and an adjacent 15th century altar comprised the most significant Aztec find in decades.
Now, with the realization that the monolith is likely a giant stone idol, some are calling it one of the greatest archeological finds in a country that also boasts pyramids like Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan.
Last year scientists found a 2,600-year-old, 30-tonne idol in Tamtoc, San Luis Potosi, belonging to an older culture.
"These two finds, Tamtoc and this stone, on a national level are the most important ever. We still haven't completely uncovered it, but we are getting very excited," said Alberto Diez, a member of the archeological team.
The scientists believe the monolith could cover the entrance to a chamber and may soon announce more finds.
"Most likely we will find an enormous offering below it. If there is a chamber, we will find a series of impressive offerings," Diez said.
The Aztecs' often bloody reign began in the 14th century and ended when they were subjugated in 1521 by the Spanish, led by Hernan Cortes.
Aztec rulers began building the pyramid-shaped Templo Mayor in 1375. Its ruins are now yards from downtown's choking traffic.
The temple was a center of human sacrifice. At one ceremony in 1487, historians say tens of thousands of victims were sacrificed, their hearts ripped out.
Spanish conquistadors destroyed the temple when they razed the city and used its stones to help build their own capital. Archeologists say the Spaniards came within feet of discovering the idol.
Now the site is surrounded by Spanish colonial buildings like Mexico City's cathedral and the historical National Palace as well as convenience stores and fast-food restaurants.
Templo Mayor ruins and reconstructed image.
It's always a comforting thought that, when discovering ancient history, a chalupa is close by.
...and fries. Don't forget the fries.;-)
"The temple was a center of human sacrifice. At one ceremony in 1487, historians say tens of thousands of victims were sacrificed, their hearts ripped out."
10k victims at one ceremony?
Wow. Thank God the Spanish wiped them out.
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***The scientists believe the monolith could cover the entrance to a chamber and may soon announce more finds. ***
Entrance to the hidden underground city of the Aztecs?
Described by Lew Wallace in his novel THE FAIR GOD,
mentioned in APACHE GOLD AND YAQUI SILVER by J. Frank Dobie, AKA La Ciudad Enterrada, ( General Mexhuira's Ghost).
"historians say tens of thousands of victims were sacrificed, their hearts ripped out."
"They really knew how to party."
Where do you think the expression "party hearty" came from? ;-)
"Where do you think the expression "party hearty" came from?"
Ouch.
But take heart because the article tells us that they were "deeply religious".
Oh, well, then it's all okay, right?
Aztec heathenism = the OTHER Religion of Peace.
I think God had a hand in it too.
Historical Review: Megadrought And Megadeath In 16th Century Mexico (Hemorrhagic Fever)
"The epidemic of cocoliztli from 1545 to 1548 killed an estimated 5 million to 15 million people, or up to 80% of the native population of Mexico (Figure 1). In absolute and relative terms the 1545 epidemic was one of the worst demographic catastrophes in human history, approaching even the Black Death of bubonic plague, which killed approximately 25 million in western Europe from 1347 to 1351 or about 50% of the regional population."
"The cocoliztli epidemic from 1576 to 1578 cocoliztli epidemic killed an additional 2 to 2.5 million people, or about 50% of the remaining native population. Newly introduced European and African diseases such as smallpox, measles, and typhus have long been the suspected cause of the population collapse in both 1545 and 1576 because both epidemics preferentially killed native people. But careful reanalysis of the 1545 and 1576 epidemics now indicates that they were probably hemorrhagic fevers, likely caused by an indigenous virus and carried by a rodent host."
By 'offferings" do they mean the bones of slaughtered sacrifices? weren't they the offereings to their gods?
I'm envisioning the Tarzan movies shown on B&W TV in the 50's, Tarzan discovering the hidden jungle temple buried for hundreds of years.
"Watched a program on PBS Spanish (several hundred) confronting 80k Aztecs.
This is slightly inaccurate historically. When I was studying in Mexico in 1957 and 1958, I read both Cortez's "Five Letters to King Carlos of Spain", and Beranal Diaz's account of his days with Cortez. They had a very large contingent of angry Tlaxcalans and other tribes who were sick of being sacrificed and marched with the Spaniards.
The Aztecs had a prime minister who made it state policy to engage in periodic warfare and bring home large numbers of captives for sacrifice and distribution as food to the populace. There were no large food animals in Mexico, so the protein was welcomed. He said something like "Let Tlaxcala be our grainery, and the Tlaxcalans our bread."
On the subject of diseases, Syphilis probably came to Europe from the New World.
When I was there in the 1950's our archeology club went on a field trip to the country where we saw a huge statue, I would say larger than the one in this article lying on its back. Years later when I went back to Mexico City, it had been erected in an open area along the Avenida Reforma, not far from the entrance to Chapultapec Park.
On the subject of diseases, Syphilis probably came to Europe from the New World.Otherwise -- talk about Montezuma's Revenge! ;') Yeah, that's correct AFAIK, syphilis in Europe antedates 1492. Hazy memory dep't, I think signs of advanced syphilis have been identified in one set of fossil human remains. But dunno for sure.
They had a very large contingent of angry Tlaxcalans and other tribes who were sick of being sacrificed and marched with the Spaniards. The Aztecs had a prime minister who made it state policy to engage in periodic warfare and bring home large numbers of captives for sacrifice and distribution as food to the populace.A Latin Am history teacher I had referred to those as "Flower Wars", a translation of the Aztec term for 'em.
Mexican archeologists make major Aztec find
Reuters on Yahoo | 10/4/06 | Gunther Hamm
Posted on 10/04/2006 11:25:18 PM EDT by NormsRevenge
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