Day 2- Temple Major

We began our day visiting Iturbide’s home? Palace?  He declared himself king until he was ousted by Santa Anna and Mexican independence six months later. The building is now owned by a Mexican Bank (Bankomex- they are everywhere.) There was an exhibition of ornate silver works- jewelry, kitchen ware, various vessels of all shapes and sizes, saddles and even traditional Mexican costume with silver decoration. Featured artists were from Taxco, a town know for silver work and Mexico City. 

The main feature of the day was Temple Major and the Aztec history, Aztec art and of course the Aztec ruins of  Teocalli- the vast temple. On the east side of the great cathedral is a large three dimensional map of the city of Tenochitilan- the future Ciudad di Mexico.  A couple hundred islands surrounded by a lake. The islands are actually next to canals that crisscross the land. Near the center is a larger island with several pyramids. Also to the west a bit is another group of pyramids. I never found out about those pyramids. But as Truckee and I were conversing a gentleman approached us and asked us if we wanted to hear a talk on the Aztec city.  Many in the city make a living,  performing little services like this for tourists. I asked him how much. He said that we could pay what we thought that it was worth.  He gave us a great deal of information about the makings of the city of Tenochitilan, of the various Aztec rulers and of the entry of Spanish into the city. I loved this man’s clear thick accent. When he pronounced Aztec names like Huizoopochtli, the Aztec war god, he pronounced them slowly and with care Hoo-zoo—pocch- chet- teel-li. He did not keep to his word, but charged us $100 pesos for the lecture.

We entered the vast ruins. In 1978 an electrical worker excavating the property where we stood, came upon the head of a giant snake. It turned out that the snake was one of three that guarded the main giant Aztec temple of the city. It was then that the city began its excavations of the site.  To get an idea of design of the temple, one must imagine a series of shells within each other. It was actually a series of five temples built within each other. The first (perhaps it is the second.)  was built in about 1400 CE and is the one in tact today. It is in tack because as the Spanish razed the temple to the ground, rubble and the shells of these subsequent temples covered the remains of the one we see in the excavation. 

It is thought that there is yet another temple beneath the one we saw, but the water table in Mexico City does not allow excavation.  As each succeeding ruler build another layer on top of the preceeding temple, they filled the space in between with gravel- along with the gifts of tribute from the lands all around Mexico.  Generally the sacrifices were made at the top of the pyramid.  The blood was saved and thought to be sacred. We know that the heart were pulled out and put in a sacred place. 

See below: The Priest's Ceremonial Room

 

Temple Major contains a vast number of artifacts from the diggings at this site. They fall into several categories, sacred instruments used by the priests, icons and statues of various Aztec dieties along with their mythical stories and the offerings of communities from all over Mexico- masks, icons, beads, ceremonial items, jewelry, anything of value that these people would give their conquerors.  It is the number and variety of these items that impressed me most. 

In looking at the geography of the area I was amazed at the size of the giant lake that surrounded the city. And that city was not the only one.  Probably about 100 different communities thrived on the lake living in similar island cites, many connected with one another.  Many of these communities had their own pyramids of similar design. 

When the Spanish came, they came as conquerors.  They banned anyone of native blood from the city. They destroyed the temple and built their own temples and estates over them.  They were the conquistadors. 

Miclantecuhtli, the God of Death, his skinny threatening frame beckons people to the underworld. His liver hangs out as that was the organ thought by the Aztecs to be closely associated with the underworld.