The symbolism of the animals found inside Offering 125 of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan

Summary

In the seventh field season of the Templo Mayor Project, we discovered various ritual deposits in an inverted pyramidal monument located west of the monolith of the Tlaltecuhtli Goddess. We determined that this space symbolized the threshold to the underworld, or realm of the dead. In this space we made the exceptional discovery of the Offering 125, associated with the ruler Ahuítzotl (1486-1502 CE). In this offering we found three flint knives that were dressed like Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl (God of Wind). Two knives are decorated with spider monkey skin (Ateles geoffroyi) and in one case, a green stone duck effigy pendant. These elements were in association with two golden eagle skeletons (Aquila chrysaetos) and a wolf skeleton (Canis lupus). The employment of different symbolisms os animals refer to various aspects of Mexica cosmology. The animals occupy a specific location in the interior of the offerings and thus play a specific role within the offering’s narrative.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Animals and the Sacred Precinct of Tenochtitlan: Biology, Archaeology, History, and Conservation

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14680