The Main Temple (Spanish: Templo Mayor) was the main temple of the
Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City.
It was dedicated simultaneously to Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc,
god of rain and agriculture, each of which had a shrine at the top of the
pyramid with separate staircases. The central spire was devoted to
Quetzalcoatl in his form as the wind god, Ehecatl.
The Great Temple devoted to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, measuring
approximately 100 by 80 m (328 by 262 ft) at its base, dominated the Sacred
Precinct. Construction of the first temple began sometime after 1325, and it
was rebuilt six times. The temple was destroyed by the Spanish in 1521, and
the Mexico City cathedral was built in its place.
The Zócalo, or main plaza of Mexico City today, was developed to the southwest
of Templo Mayor, which is located in the block between Seminario and
Justo Sierra streets. The site is part of the Historic Center of Mexico City,
which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.
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Main entrance to the Templo Mayor Museum.
The museum of the Templo Mayor was built in 1987 to house the Templo
Mayor Project and its finds—a project which continues work to this day.
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In 1991, the Urban Archeology Program was incorporated as part of the
Templo Mayor Project whose mission is to excavate the oldest area of
the city, around the main plaza.
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Templo Mayor Museum.
This museum is the result of the work done since the early 1980s to
rescue, preserve, and investigate Templo Mayor, its Sacred Precinct, and
all objects associated with it while making these findings available to
the public.
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Map of the Templo Mayor.
On this map north is at the top and south is at the bottom.
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Scale model of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan.
This scale model of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan show the various
stages as it was enlarged over time.
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The process of expanding an Aztec temple was typically completed by
new structures being built over earlier ones, using the bulk of the
former as a base for the latter.
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The Aztecs began construction of Templo Mayor sometime after 1325, and
the temple was rebuilt six times.
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All seven stages of the Templo Mayor, except the first, have been
excavated and assigned to the reigns of the emperors who were
responsible for them.
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Tenochitlan and Lake Texcoco.
In the center of Tenochtitlan were the public buildings, temples, and
palaces. Inside a walled square, 500 meters (1,600 ft) to a side, was
the ceremonial center. There were about 45 public buildings, including
the Templo Mayor.
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Tenochtitlan, also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan, was a large Mexican
altepetl in what is now the historic center of Mexico City.
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The city was built on an island in what was then Lake Texcoco in the
Valley of Mexico.
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The city was the capital of the expanding Aztec Empire in the 15th
century until it was captured by the Spanish in 1521.
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See more at
Tenochtitlan - Wikipedia.
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The Sacred Precinct.
The Sacred Precinct of the Templo Mayor was surrounded by a wall called
the
coatepantli (serpent wall). Among the most important buildings
were the ballcourt, the Calmecac (area for priests), and the
temples dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca and the sun. The Templo
Mayor itself delineated the eastern side of the Sacred Precinct.
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The Calmecac was a residence hall for priests and a school for
future priests, administrators and politicians, where they studied
theology, literature, history and astronomy. Its exact location is on
one side of what is now Donceles Street.
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Seventh Temple.
Very little remains of the Seventh Temple because of the destruction the
Spaniards wrought after Hernán Cortés and his men arrived at, and
eventually sacked, Tenochtitlan in 1519.
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The pyramid was composed of four sloped terraces with a passage
between each level, topped by a great platform.
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It had two stairways to access the two shrines on the top platform.
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Section of paving in the courtyard on the south side.
Of the Seventh Temple only a platform to the north and a section of
paving in the courtyard on the south side can still be seen.
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Most of what is known about this temple is based on the historical
record.
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It was at the time the largest and most important active ceremonial
center.
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Serpent head.
Each stairway was defined by balustrades flanking the stairs,
terminating in menacing serpent heads at the base.
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The stairways.
These stairways were used only by the priests and sacrificial people.
The entire building was originally covered with stucco and polychrome
paint.
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Carved stone depicting a dismembered Coyolxāuhqui.
Scholars believe that the decapitation and destruction of Coyolxāuhqui
is reflected in the pattern of warrior ritual sacrifice.
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In Aztec religion, Coyolxāuhqui ("Painted with Bells") is a daughter
of the priestess Cōātlīcue ("Serpent Skirt"). She was the leader of
her brothers, the Centzon Huitznahua ("Four Hundred Huitznahua"). She
led her brothers in an attack against their mother, Cōātlīcue, when
they learned she was pregnant, convinced she dishonored them all. The
attack is thwarted by Coyolxāuhqui's other brother, Huitzilopochtli,
the national deity of the Mexicas.
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See more at
Coyolxāuhqui - Wikipedia.
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The Fourth Temple.
The fourth temple was constructed between 1440 and 1481 during the
reigns of Moctezuma I and Axayacatl.
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This stage is considered to have the richest of the architectural
decorations as well as sculptures.
- Most findings from the excavations date from this period.
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The third temple.
The third temple was built between 1427 and 1440 during the reign of
Itzcoatl. A staircase with eight stone standard-bearers is from this
stage bearing the glyph with the year Four-Reed (1431).
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These standard bearers act as "divine warriors" guarding the access to
the upper shrines.
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The right shrine.
The right shrine was dedicated to the god of the sun and war,
Huitzilopochtli.
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The figure of Huitzilopochtli was modeled from amaranth seeds held
together with honey and human blood. Inside of him were bags
containing jade, bones, and amulets to give life to the god.
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This figure was constructed annually, and it was richly dressed and
fitted with a mask of gold for his festival.
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At the end of the festival, the image was broken apart and shared
among the populace to be eaten.
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The left shrine.
The left shrine was dedicated to the rain and agriculture god Tlaloc.
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Representing fire and water respectively, this pair of deities
probably symbolized the concept of "burning water," a metaphor for
warfare and sacrifice.
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House of the Eagle Warriors.
On the sides of the Templo Mayor, archeologists have excavated a number
of palatial rooms and conjoining structures. One of the best preserved
and most important is the Palace (or House) of the Eagle Warriors.
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Eagle warriors or eagle knights or cuāuhmeh were a special
class of infantry soldier in the Aztec army, one of the two leading
military special forces orders in Aztec society, the other being the
Jaguar warriors.
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See more at
Eagle warrior - Wikipedia.
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The staircases of the House of the Eagle Warriors.
This area dates back to the fourth stage of the temple, around 1469. It
is a large L-shaped room with staircases decorated with sculptures of
eagle heads.
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To enter this main room, one had to pass through an entrance guarded
by two large sculpted representations of these warriors.
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The Eagle Warriors were a privileged class who were dedicated to the
god Huitzilopochtli, and dressed to look like eagles.
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Red Temple.
Adjoining the House of the Eagle Warriors is the temple for these
warriors—also known as the Red Temple.
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This temple shows clear Teotihuacan influence in its paintings (mostly
in red) and the design of its altar.
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Interior walls of the House of the Eagles.
Almost all the interior walls of the House of the Eagles are decorated
with beautiful paintings and contain long benches, which are also
painted.
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Benches of the House of the Eagles.
These benches are composed of two panels. The upper one is a frieze with
undulating serpents in bas-relief.
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Benches of the House of the Eagles.
The lower panel shows processions of armed warriors converging on a
zacatapayolli, a grass ball into which the Mexica stuck bloody
lancets during the ritual of autosacrifice.
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Autosacrifice, the letting of one’s own blood, is the most common
daily ritual practice among the Aztec. The significance of
bloodletting is similar to human sacrifice in that it is grounded upon
the concept of reciprocity and exchange with the underworld and
deities. By repaying the debts to the supernatural world, the Aztec
believed that it would aid their farming, fertility, health, and
longevity. By engaging in these sacrificial acts, it was believed that
the Aztecs would earn merit, and they had to earn merit because they
were merited with life from the gods. "Ye ica otopan tlamaceuhque" is a phrase in Nahuatl used to describe a reason for autosacrifice,
meaning "because on us [the bones from which humans were created],
they did penance". The main instruments used for bloodletting among
the Aztec people were sharp obsidian blades as well as maguey (agave
plant) spines, however, the Aztec rulers used eagle or jaguar bones. A
person would use the spine or blade to pierce their skin and release
blood, and then "the bloodies spines were put on fur branches
(acxoyatl) or stuck in balls of plaited zacate grass
(zacatapayolli)."
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The museum building.
The museum building (top left) was built by architect Pedro Ramírez
Vázquez, who envisioned a discreet structure that would blend in with
the colonial surroundings.
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The museum has four floors, three of which are for permanent
exhibitions and the fourth houses offices for the director, museum
administration and research staff.
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Other departments are located in the basement, where there is also an
auditorium.
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Blandine Gautier presents us with a replica of Chacmool.
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Replica of Chacmool.
A chacmool (also spelled chac-mool) is a form of pre-Columbian
Mesoamerican sculpture depicting a reclining figure with its head facing
90 degrees from the front, supporting itself on its elbows and
supporting a bowl or a disk upon its stomach.
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These figures possibly symbolised slain warriors carrying offerings to
the gods; the bowl upon the chest was used to hold sacrificial
offerings, including pulque, tamales, tortillas, tobacco, turkeys,
feathers and incense.
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In an Aztec example, the receptacle is a cuauhxicalli (a stone
bowl to receive sacrificed human hearts).
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Chacmools were often associated with sacrificial stones or thrones.
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Aztec chacmools bore water imagery and were associated with Tlaloc,
the rain god.
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Their symbolism placed them on the frontier between the physical and
supernatural realms, as intermediaries with the gods.
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Templo Mayor area.
View of the Templo Mayor area from the museum building. Behind you can
see the Metropolitan Cathedral.
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Reproduction of the Coyolxāuhqui Stone.
Painted reproduction
of the Coyolxāuhqui Stone at the entrance to the museum building.
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The Coyolxāuhqui Stone is a carved, circular Aztec stone, depicting
the mythical being Coyolxāuhqui ("Bells-Her-Cheeks"), in a state of
dismemberment and decapitation by her brother, the patron deity of the
Aztecs, Huitzilopochtli.
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It was rediscovered in 1978 at the site of the Templo Mayor of
Tenochtitlan, now in Mexico City.
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This relief is one of the best known Aztec monuments and one of the
few great Aztec monuments that have been found fully in situ.
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The original coloration of the stone disk is based on chemical traces
of pigments.
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See more at
Coyolxauhqui Stone - Wikipedia.
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Tlaltecuhtli monolith.
In 2006, a massive monolith of Tlaltecuhtli was discovered in an
excavation at the Templo Mayor.
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Tlaltecuhtli is a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican deity worshipped
primarily by the Mexica (Aztec) people.
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Sometimes referred to as the "earth monster," Tlaltecuhtli's
dismembered body was the basis for the world in the Aztec creation
story of the fifth and final cosmos.
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In carvings, Tlaltecuhtli is often depicted as an anthropomorphic
being with splayed arms and legs.
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Considered the source of all living things, she had to be kept sated
by human sacrifices which would ensure the continued order of the
world.
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Tlaltecuhtli monolith.
The sculpture measures approximately 4 x 3.6 meters (13.1 x 11.8 feet)
and weighs nearly 12 tons, making it one of the largest Aztec monoliths
ever discovered—larger even than the Calendar Stone. The sculpture,
carved in a block of pink andesite, presents the goddess in her typical
squatting position and is vividly painted in red, white, black, and
blue. The stone was broken into four pieces by the weight of a colonial
building that once sat above it. Reassembled, one can see Tlaltecuhtli's
skull and bones dress and the river of blood flowing from her mouth.
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Tlaltecuhtli is typically depicted as a squatting toad-like creature
with massive claws, a gaping mouth, and crocodile skin, which
represented the surface of the earth.
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In carvings, her mouth is often shown with a river of blood flowing
from it or a flint knife between her teeth, a reference to the human
blood she thirsted for.
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Her elbows and knees are often adorned with human skulls, and she
sometimes appears with multiple mouths full of sharp teeth all over
her body.
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In some images, she wears a skirt made of human bones and a star
border, a symbol of her primordial sacrifice.
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See more at
Tlaltecuhtli - Wikipedia.
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Room 2.
Room 2 is dedicated to the concepts of ritual and
sacrifice in Tenochtitlan..
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This room contains urns where dignitaries where interred, funerary
offerings, as well as objects associated with self and human
sacrifice—such as musical instruments, knives and skulls.li>
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Sacrificial knives.
In the Aztec culture, a tecpatl was a flint or obsidian knife
with a lanceolate figure and double-edged blade, with elongated ends.
Both ends could be rounded or pointed, but other designs were made with
a blade attached to a handle.
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It can be represented with the top half red, reminiscent of the color
of blood, in representations of human sacrifice and the rest white,
indicating the color of the flint blade.
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Sacrificial knives.
The Tecpatl knife was traditionally used for human sacrifice by the
Aztecs, but it also was the short-range weapon of the jaguar warriors.
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Although it may have seen only limited use on the battlefield, its
sharp edges would have made it an effective sidearm.
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See more at
Tecpatl - Wikipedia.
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Model of Templo Mayor inside the museum building.
Situation of the Templo Mayor (upper centre) in the central district of
Tenochtitlan.
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In the center of the city were the public buildings, temples, and
palaces. Inside a walled square, 500 meters (1,600 ft) to a side, was
the ceremonial center.
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There were about 45 public buildings, including: the Templo Mayor,
which was dedicated to the Aztec patron deity Huitzilopochtli and the
Rain God Tlaloc; the temple of Quetzalcoatl; the tlachtli (ball game
court) with the tzompantli or rack of skulls; the Sun Temple, which
was dedicated to Tonatiuh; the Eagle's House, which was associated
with warriors and the ancient power of rulers; the platforms for the
gladiatorial sacrifice; and some minor temples.
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Skull rack.
A tzompantli or skull rack was a type of wooden rack or palisade
documented in several Mesoamerican civilizations, which was used for the
public display of human skulls, typically those of war captives or other
sacrificial victims. It is a scaffold-like construction of poles on
which heads and skulls were placed after holes had been made in them.
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Cuauhxicalli in the shape of an eagle.
A cuauhxicalli, meaning "eagle gourd bowl", was an altar-like
stone vessel used by the Aztec to hold human hearts extracted in
sacrificial ceremonies.
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A cuauhxicalli would often be decorated with animal motifs,
commonly eagles or jaguars.
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Another kind of cuauhxicalli is the Chacmool-type, which is
shaped as a reclining person holding a bowl on his belly.
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See more at
Cuauhxicalli - Wikipedia.
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Pot of Tlaloc.
Tlaloc kept the water in pots, as if they were a matrix full of vital
liquid. This polychrome ceramic pot shows the most outstanding and
characteristic iconographic features of this deity. Carries large
rectangular earmuffs with an earring in the center. The blue color,
present in almost the entire vessel, is an attribute of water and in
particular of this god.
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Usually these would be broken. The ritual was to fill these Tlaloc
pots with water and then hang them up, and bash them to break them to
simulate rain.
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See more at
Tlaloc - Wikipedia.
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Stone offering box and contents.
Most of the objects found in the Templo Mayor were offerings. Although
many are of Mexica design, there are also abundant items from other
peoples, brought in as tribute or through trade.
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Sculptures, flint knives, vessels, beads and other sumptuary
ornaments—as well as minerals, plants and animals of all types, and
the remains of human sacrifice—were among the items deposited in
offerings.
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Offerings.
The offerings were usually contained in cavities, in stone urns, and in
boxes made of slabs. These are found under floors; in platforms,
architectural bodies, stairways and in temples.
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These offerings were placed accompanied by complex rituals following
set temporal, spatial and symbolic patterns, depending on the
intention of the offering.
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Cylindrical vessel sculpted by cut and wear.
It is a Vase with the soulager representation of the god of the
underworld, Mictlantecuhtli. This piece was found in offering 6 of the
Templo Mayor located at the foot of the monumental sculpture of
Coyolxauhqui.
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Mictlāntēcutli, meaning "Lord of Mictlan", in Aztec mythology, is a
god of the dead and the king of Mictlan (Chicunauhmictlan), the lowest
and northernmost section of the underworld. He is one of the principal
gods of the Aztecs and is the most prominent of several gods and
goddesses of death and the underworld.
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The worship of Mictlantecuhtli sometimes involved ritual cannibalism,
with human flesh being consumed in and around the temple.
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Other names given to Mictlantecuhtli include Ixpuztec (“Broken Face”),
Nextepehua (“Scatterer of Ashes”), and Tzontemoc (“He Who Lowers His
Head”).
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See more at
Mictlāntēcutli - Wikipedia.
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Ceramic sculpture representing Mictläntecuhtli, God of Death.
Ceramic sculpture representing Mictläntecuhtli, God of Death, conceived
by the Aztecs as a half-gaunt being in a position of attack, with claws
and curly hair, probably placed using the holes he has in his head.
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The liver hangs under his thorax, because according to Aztec beliefs,
this internal organ was closely related with Mictlan or the
Underworld, place where this deity resided.
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Natural sized ceramic sculpture representing an Eagle Warrior.
It retains remains of the stucco that covered it, simulating feathers of
the authentic suits.
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The Eagle Warriors and the Jaguar Warriors were the two most important
sections within the Aztec army.
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The Eagles were associated with the Sun and the Jaguars with the Earth
and night.
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See more at
Eagle warrior - Wikipedia.
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Coyolxauhqui Stone.
The Coyolxāuhqui Stone is a carved, circular Aztec stone, depicting the
mythical being Coyolxāuhqui ("Bells-Her-Cheeks"), in a state of
dismemberment and decapitation by her brother, the patron deity of the
Aztecs, Huitzilopochtli.
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The Coyolxauhqui stone would have served as a cautionary sign to the
enemies of Tenochtitlan. According to Aztec history, female deities
such as Coyolxauhqui were the first Aztec enemies to die in war. In
this, Coyolxauhqui came to represent all conquered enemies. Her
violent death was a warning for the fate of the those who crossed the
Mexica people.
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Sacrificial victims crossed this stone before walking up the stairs of
the temple to the block in front of Huitzilopochtli's shrine.
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Scholars also believe that the decapitation and destruction of
Coyolxauhqui is reflected in the pattern of warrior ritual sacrifice,
particularly during the feast of Panquetzaliztli (Banner Raising). The
feast takes place in the 15th month of the Aztec calendar and is
dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. During the ceremony, captives’ hearts
were cut out and their bodies were thrown down the temple stairs to
the Coyolxauhqui stone. There, they were decapitated and dismembered,
just as Coyolxauhqui was by Huitzilopochtli on Coatepec.
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Coyolxāuhqui Stone (bottom) and Tlaltecuhtli Monolith (top) on
display in the Museum of the Templo Mayor.
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Tlaloc effigy vessel.
This polychrome ceramic pot shows the most outstanding and
characteristic iconographic features of this deity. Carries large
rectangular earmuffs with an earring in the center. He wears on his head
a headdress with white projections, which apparently represent the
hills, where the god kept the water. The blue color, present in almost
the entire vessel, is an attribute of water and in particular of this
god. Inside were found mother-of-pearl shells and green stone beads,
symbols of precious water.
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Tlaloc kept the water in pots, as if they were a matrix full of vital
liquid.
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Tlaloc effigy vessel.
View from the other side.
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Censers.
Censers dedicated to the rain god Tlaloc.
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Fragments of a Tlaloc brazier.
It was part of the basement of the Templo Mayor. Tlaloc wears a paper
headdress crowned with feathers; as well as some symbols related to fire
(xiuhtototl: turquoise bird) located on his forehead.
- The position of his hands is Teotihuacan style.
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Made with tezontle and decorated with ocher, red and blue colors
applied on a white stucco base.
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Cholula style ceramic vase.
Cholula, officially Cholula de Rivadavia, is a city and district located
in the metropolitan area of Puebla, Mexico.
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Cholula is best known for its Great Pyramid, with the
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios sanctuary on top, as
well as its numerous churches.
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Tlatelolco market.
The Mexicas achieved a great agricultural-urban development, for
example, they enlarged the original islet through the system of
chinampas, which allowed them intensive agricultural production,
the construction of houses and buildings on these lands reclaimed from
the lake.
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Organized trade was another of the important economic activities of
the Mexica people.
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The merchants, called pochteca, were characters who, in
general, were held in high esteem and their social level was high
enough.
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The main commercial activity was carried out in the Tlatelolco market,
which had an impact on the conquerors, as they show in their stories.
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Tlatelolco market.
This room also exhibits numerous objects used by current indigenous
communities, in order to exemplify the farming utensils that the Mexicas
must have used for agriculture, as well as for their economic support.
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South view of the Templo Mayor.
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See also
Sources
Location
