Archaeologists Unearth Aztec Tower of Bones in Mexico

ARCHAEOLOGISTS have excavated an incredible Aztec tower made from human skulls beneath the centre of Mexico City.

The Tower was first discovered in 2015, and archaeologists recently reported finding 119 new parts of the mysterious complex.

Among the recent discoveries is a piece to be part of a skull rack known as the Huey Tzompantli, which stood in the chapel of Huitzilopochtli, the patron of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City). He was also the God of war, sun, and human sacrifice.

The Aztecs were an indigenous Mexican empire that was wiped out by Spanish invaders in the 16th century.

The vast, eerie cylindrical structure is located near the Templo Mayor, in the historic centre of the Mexican capital.

“The Templo Mayor continues to surprise us, and the Huey Tzompantli is without doubt one of the most impressive archaeological finds of recent years in our country,” Mexico’s Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto said.

Archaeologists had been expected to find the skulls of women and children, as they expected only the bones of young male soldiers. This has caused some experts to reappraise their theories about human sacrifice in the Aztec Empire.

“Although we can’t say how many of these individuals were warriors, perhaps some were captives destined for sacrificial ceremonies,” archaeologist Raul Barrera told BBC.

“We do know that they were all made sacred,” he added. “Turned into gifts for the gods or even personifications of deities themselves.”


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Oisin Sweeney

Oisin is an Irish writer based in Seville, the sunny capital of Andalucia. After starting his working life as a bookseller, he moved into journalism and cut his teeth as a reporter at one of Ireland's biggest news websites. Since joining Euro Weekly News in November, he has enjoyed covering the latest stories from Seville, Spain and further afield - with special interests in crime, cybersecurity, and European politics. Anyone who can pronounce his name first try gets a free cerveza...

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