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Skull tower
Last Friday, Mexican archaeologists found the remains of 119 people, including women and many children, in a century-old “tower of skulls” from Aztec times in the heart of the capital.
The new discovery was announced after the eastern part of Huei Tzompantli was found along with the outer facade, five years after the discovery of the northeast side.
Skull tower
Archaeologists believe that many of the skulls belonged to captured enemy warriors and that the tower served as a warning to rivals of the Aztec Empire, which was overthrown by the Spanish conquerors in 1521.
Some of the remains may have been of people killed in ritual sacrifices to please the gods, experts said in a statement issued by the National Institute of Anthropology and History.
“Although we cannot determine the number of these individual warriors, some of them may have been prisoners who were set apart for sacrificial ceremonies,” said archaeologist Barrera Rodríguez.
Skull tower
The tower, which has a diameter of 4.7 meters, is believed to have been built in the late 15th century. It is located in 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 were found at the site, which Mexican authorities have described as one of the most important archaeological finds in the country in years.
“At every step, the president of the Templo Mayor continues to surprise us,” said the Minister of Culture, Alejandra Frausto, in a statement. Without a doubt, Huei Tzompantli is one of the most impressive archaeological discoveries of our country in recent years.
The statement indicated that human sacrifice in Central America was seen as a means to ensure the existence of the universe.
This is said to be why experts regard the tower as a “building of life, not death,” according to “ScienceAlert.”
