The Templo Mayor was built by the Aztecs in the early 14th century. They chose its location after seeing an eagle sitting on a cactus and eating a snake. This was a sign from the gods that this was the place to build the temple. The Great Temple took nearly two centuries to complete. Around it was built the city of Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Aztecs. The temple was built over a lake and it flooded sometimes. Building the temple symbolized the energy of creation for the Aztecs.
The Great Temple was made up of two step pyramids, one on top of the other, with a base at the top. Here, there were two twin temples. Two stairways lead up to the temples but are guarded by stone snake carvings at the bottom. The Aztecs called this pyramid the “Hill of the Serpent”. There was also a Wall of Skulls; the skulls being from the victims that were sacrificed. At the top, there was stone eagle carving where the victim’s heart was placed as an offering. After the victim was killed and the heart saved, the body was thrown down the stairs of the pyramid.
The Templo Mayor was dedicated to two gods: Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. Huitilopochtli was the god of war and Tlaloc the god of water. Huitilopochtli was the one who sent the eagle and snake message to the Aztec so they knew where to build the Great Temple. Coyolxauhqui , the moon goddess, was Huitilopochtli’s sister; he killed her after she killed their mother. A stone symbolizing her dismembered limbs was kept at the bottom of the stairway of the pyramid.
The temple was the center of the Aztec’s religious life and where the sacrifices took place. It was one of the most important buildings in the whole city. The Spanish Conquest brought Cortes and other new people to the area and they were after Tenochtitlan, the capital city. It had a population of over 200,000 people at the time. The Spanish tore down the walls and buildings of the city. Templo Mayor was damaged and nearly destroyed by the Spaniards.
After the Spaniards arrived in the Aztec Empire and destroyed most of the city, the Templo Mayor had become lost, buried in the debris of the city and its own rubble. It remained covered for hundreds of years until the 20th century. Finally in 1978, Templo Mayor was accidentally re-discovered, followed with an excavation by archeologists. The temple is in modern day Mexico City, Mexico. Many unexpected remains were found in the ruins of Templo Mayor. Although Templo Mayor still stands, many of the pieces and artifacts are now in museums.
Comments