"The six volcanic-stone boxes, known as tepetlacalli, are about 50cm square. Two were discovered in the late 1970s (the boxes numbered 18 and 19), another in the 1990s (97) and the last three (186, 187 and 189) during excavations that began in 2023. All the boxes were found in Construction Phase IV, which is the best preserved, as the most recent phases were destroyed after the Spanish conquest."
"Offerings were key to Aztec cosmogony, forming part of the ritual calendar or marking the rise of a ruler, a conquest or a disaster. More than 200 offerings have been discovered at the site, yet this latest find provides new clues about the Aztecs."
"Experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History's Templo Mayor Project (PTM) recently revealed that the six volcanic stone boxes containing the offering-three of them discovered in 2023-formed part of a grand ceremony during the reign of Moctezuma I. The discovery marks the first time a complete offering assemblage associated with a specific ruler has been identified at the site."
Archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History uncovered six volcanic stone boxes (tepetlacalli) at Templo Mayor in Mexico City containing a complete ritual offering from the reign of Moctezuma I (1440-1469). The assemblage includes greenstone sculptures from Guerrero, thousands of marine shells, copal spheres, and snake-shaped pendants. Three boxes were discovered in 2023, while others were found in the late 1970s and 1990s. This marks the first time a complete offering associated with a specific ruler has been identified at the site. The discovery provides new insights into Aztec cosmogony and ritual practices. Templo Mayor, an ongoing archaeological project since 1978, continues yielding significant finds despite challenges from shifting terrain, destruction, and earthquakes.
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