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Mexican archaeologists said they have found the remains of 119 more people, including women and several children, in a century-old Aztec “tower of skulls” in the heart of the capital.
The new discovery was announced after an eastern section of the Huei Tzompantli was discovered along with the outer facade, five years after the northeast side was found.
Archaeologists believe that many of the skulls belonged to captured enemy warriors and that the tower was meant to be a warning to rivals of the Aztec empire, which was toppled by the Spanish conquerors in 1521.
Some of the remains could be of people who were killed in ritual sacrifices to appease the gods, according to experts cited in a statement released by the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
“Although we cannot determine how many of these individuals were warriors, perhaps some were captives reserved for sacrificial ceremonies,” said archaeologist Barrera Rodríguez.
The 4.7 meter diameter tower is believed to have been built in the late 15th century.
It is located in the area of the Templo Mayor, one of the main temples of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan in the historic district of present-day Mexico City.
In total, more than 600 skulls have been found at the site, which Mexican authorities have described as one of the country’s most important archaeological discoveries in years.
“At every step, the Templo Mayor continues to surprise us,” said the Minister of Culture, Alejandra Frausto, in a statement.
“The Huei Tzompantli is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive archaeological finds in our country in recent years.”
The statement noted that in Mesoamerica human sacrifice was seen as a way to ensure the continued existence of the universe.
For that reason, experts consider the tower to be “a building of life rather than death,” he said.
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