The Ometochtli Complex and its Presence in the Offerings of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan

Summary

In 1971, H.B. Nicholson classified the Mesoamerican pantheon of god’s by their symbolic elements and functions. One of the most important groups of this classification is the "Ometochtli Complex", which is exclusively constituted of gods related to the most significant alcoholic beverage in pre-Hispanic México, the octli or pulque. This drink is created through the fermentation of the agave juice. Thus, pulque gods are easily identifiable due to key elements present in their attire.

At the archaeological site of Templo Mayor, located in the heart of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, a significant number of excavated offerings includes many recovered artifacts related to the "Ometochtli Complex". Thus, these offerings are associated with the principal imagery located at the edges of Tenochtitlan’s main temple. Some of the artifacts recovered in these offerings are connected to pulque and have a particular meaning by their relation to other elements composing the ritual deposit. This paper will show the importance and symbolic attributes represented by the gods of pulque in connection with the two most important Mexica gods: Tláloc and Huitzilopochtli.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Ancient Mexico and the Legacy of Henry B. Nicholson

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14780