Beneath the Mexican capital is another ancient capital

Just a few meters below the modern capital of Mexico, a series of temples, palaces and artifacts from an ancient kingdom are being excavated.

Located about 7 meters deep below the Cathedral of Mexico City is one of the largest and oldest temples in Latin America.

Since its discovery in the 1970s, the public has not been able to admire this place. Now, the area has allowed visitors to uncover ancient secrets hidden beneath Mexico's most modern metropolis.

Nearly 500 years after the Spanish general Hernán Cortés seized the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan , the remains of this ancient metropolis continue to hide beneath modern-day Mexico City.

The Spaniards began building the Cathedral in 1573 above the Aztec sacred temple (or Mexica as they called themselves) as a symbol of their conquest.

Inside the Mexico City cathedral.(Image: Lucas Vallecillos / Alamy / BBC).

Electric workers accidentally discovered a giant monolith near the church in 1978, which led to a five-year excavation.Templo Mayor special temple was discovered during this excavation.

The discovery of the old Spanish temple and records of the layout of the capital of Mexica helped archaeologists determine that there could be many structures from the period before Spain's invasion was buried near. there.

Unexpected findings

Since 1991, the Urban Archaeological Program (PAU), led by archaeologist Raúl Barrera Rodríguez, has been working relentlessly to excavate an area of ​​500 m2 to find Tenochtitlan.

By law, whenever workers repair water pipes or install underground power cables in downtown Mexico, the Institute of Anthropology and History must be notified so archaeologists can supervise them. police operation.

More buildings continue to be found in downtown Mexico.(Photo: BBC).

'The law facilitates archeology,' said Dr. Eduardo Matos Moctezuma, who led the excavation at El Templo Mayor beginning in 1978. Although the law makes the work more complicated, it also ensures that all antiques are protected.

More buildings continue to be found in the city center. The renovation of a building behind the church in 2015 helped PAU discover el gran tzompantli: a 35m-long human skull shelf. There were once Mexicans wooden pillars used to display the skulls of the sacrificed people.

During two years of excavation, nearly 700 skulls were discovered. Besides, archaeologists also found an area full of holes used to attach wooden pillars filled with skulls.

A 35m-long human skull shelf, where the sacrifices of the skull were placed outside Templo Mayor.(Photo: BBC).

In 2017, archaeologists urged the renovation of a hotel in the city center. There, they discovered an old football field, where Mexica plays Juego de Pelota with their hips. Earlier this year, several sacrifices - including the skeleton of a boy dressed in the costume of Huitzilopochtli, a Mexican war god - were discovered on the steps of Templo Mayor. The bones of jaguars, shells, and corals have also been found.

This led archaeologists to believe they found the tomb of Ahuitzotl, the Mexican emperor from 1486 to 1502.

Barrera hopes to reach an agreement with the owners of the buildings above the football field and the shelves of human skulls so that these traces can be displayed in underground museums. From 2018, visitors can descend below the cathedral on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday to see the excavated temples.

Follow the cracks to find the pyramid

In addition to the cathedral, Central American cultural relics can be found in some unusual places in Mexico City.

When you change the subway line at Pino Suárez Metro Station, you will come across a pyramid to worship Ehécatl, the Mexican wind god. On the way out of the underground car park at a shopping center in the Tlatelolco area, 4 km from the city center, you will see another pyramid worshiping Ehécatl.

Thanks to Spanish records and detailed chronicles written by some Franciscans and Mexicans, archaeologists have grasped the burial ground of Aztec temples and artifacts.

Archaeologists have relied on Spanish and Mexica records to map the ancient city of Tenochtitlán.(Photo: BBC).

Even knowing things are underground, excavating in a city like Mexico City is not an easy task. The Aztecs built their large municipality on a small island in the middle of the lake.

'In some parts of the city we find water at a depth of 5 m,' Mr. Barrera explained. This means that most of the city center is sinking around 5-7 centimeters per year, even up to 40 centimeters per year in some other areas.

'Many years ago there was a problem. The large church began to sink and the walls began to crack because of the structures from the period before Spain invaded , ' Matos explained. Although the subsidence damaged colonial buildings, it helped archaeologists identify Central American cultural structures.

'We can see cracks in buildings,' Mr. Barrera said. 'And we know if we follow those cracks we can find a pyramid.'

The Aztecs are still present in modern life

It seems that some people believe that excavation in a busy, subsidence and earthquake-prone city brings more trouble than useful.

'Such protesters are denying their own history,' Mr. Matos said. These excavations revealed that Mexico City today has many similarities with ancient Tenochtitlán.

Many buildings in the heart of urban areas today had similar functions nearly 700 years ago. The Spanish church was built on top of a Mexican temple. Meanwhile, the Mexican National Palace, where the president lives, was built on the ruins of Moctezuma II, the Mexican emperor killed during the early Spanish conquest.

'This is a very important thing because it is still a symbol of power, from Moctezuma II to this day,' Mr. Barrera said.

Nearly 700 years later, some Mexicans still celebrate the founding of Mexico's ancient capital, Tenochtitlán.(Photo: BBC).

Mr. Barrera also talked about a university built in what used to be the Aztec school. Besides, Mexica city has a central square that plays a similar role to Zocalo square today.

'The Aztecs are still present in our daily lives,' Mr. Barrera explained.