Tenochtitlan

The Aztecs built their capital city, called Tenochtitlan, in the center of enormous Lake Texcoco. The Aztecs believed they were the “chosen people” of Huitzilopochtli and did everything that he desired of them. "During the fourteenth century, Huitzilopochtli told the Aztec chieftain that their new homeland would be on the island in Lake Toxcoco, and when they reached the island they were to look for an eagle eating a snake perched on a cactus growing from a rock or cave surrounded by water. This would be the location where they were to build their city and honor him.[i]” They found this location and began to build their city around the year 1325 AD.

The city of Tenochtitlan continued to grow, having an estimated population of 200,000. The city grew to a point where there was no more room for expansion on the island and they were forced to move out into the lake areas. The agricultural portion of this expansion was successful because of the invention of the chinampas or floating gardens. “The floating gardens were constructed by bunching twigs together then stacking mud on top of the twigs. They were not anchored at first and could be towed until the plants roots anchored into the lake floor.[ii]”

The Aztecs connected the island to the mainland by three causeways that ran next to dikes that were built to keep the fresh water of Lake Texcoco separate from other salty lakes of the area. The dikes also protected the agricultural chinampas. Canals ran between the chinampas; they were used to convey traffic through the city, including to and from the market of Tlatelolco.

The city flourished until the year 1521 when Hernandez Cortes and his Spanish army invaded and captured the city. “They did this because the Aztecs fought only with lances and swords unlike the Spanish who had crossbows, arquebuses and armor-clad horses. The Spanish also had two other advantages: a lot of tactical skills on behalf of Cortes and smallpox, which devastated the Aztec population.[iii]” After he defeated the Aztecs, Cortes destroyed most of the buildings that they had built and constructed the new Spanish city on top of the ruins, even using many of the original Aztec building materials in the new construction. “He built his home on top of Montezuma’s palace and his cathedral on top of the Aztec temple. After a battle in 1692 the Spanish destroyed most of the art of the Aztecs in the name of Christianity.[iv]”

Most of the great city remained buried until the year 1790, when excavation for water pipes uncovered two Aztec sculptures, the Sun Stone and the Statue of Coaticue or the mother goddess. These artifacts were uncovered only a few blocks from the area where the Great Temple or Templo Mayor stood. These were great finds though the statue of Coatlicue was re-buried by Dominican priests who feared the possible effects it could have on the people of the area. In 1803, it was recovered at the request of Alexander von Humboldt, a German explorer, who had a great interest in prehispanic culture.

On February 21, 1978 workers employed by the Electric Light Company discovered the Coyolxauhqui Stone. They suspended all work in the area and contacted the Department of Salvage at INAH. The stone is three and one quarter meters in diameter and is the carved relief of a dismembered female. It is believed that this dismembered female is the Goddess Coyolxauhqui. The stone was formerly located at the base of the stairway at Templo Mayor. Its original purpose was to stop the bodies that were rolled off the sacrificial area atop Templo Mayor. This discovery spurred the excavation of Templo Mayor.

Professor Eduardo Matos Moctezuma coordinated the excavations of Templo Mayor since the stone was discovered. He has his Masters Degree in archeology and anthropology receiving it from following universities the National School of Anthropology and History and the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He is the Director of the excavation of the Templo Mayor site and is the Director of the Templo Mayor Museum. He has also held many other highly respectable positions like the Director of the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

The site of Templo Mayor is very near the town square of the city called Zocalo. It was the central religious center for the city of Tenochtitlan. Many sacrifices occurred on the top of this structure. The temple is also called the Pyramid of Huitzilopochtli, named after the god that led them to their chosen land. In recent excavation of Templo Mayor a major artifact was uncovered. “On August 8, 2000 a team of archaeologists found a prehispanic hand-made textile piece. It was discovered inside an Aztec offering related to Tlaloc, the ancient God of the Rain.[v]”

Today, the ruins of Tenochtitlan are a very spectacular site, being located under the present-day Mexico City, Mexico. After nearly five hundred years little has been found of the ancient capital city of the Aztecs though excavation continues in hopes that more will be uncovered and give more pieces to the puzzle of who the Aztecs were and why did the do what they did.

(só um aparte, o Cortez era um gajo muito porreiro....)