Archaeologists uncover post-conquest Aztec altar in Mexico City

Mexico City, Dec. 2 (BUS): Sometime after Hernán Cortes’ conquest of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan in modern Mexico City in 1521, an indigenous family who survived the bloody Spanish conquest arranged an altar containing incense and a bowl with human ashes.

Mexico’s Ministry of Culture said Tuesday that archaeologists have found the remains of this elaborate display near what is today Piazza Garibaldi, famous for its roaring mariachi music.

In the aftermath of the fall of Tenochtitlan, likely during 1521 and 1610, an offering was made by the family of the people of Mexico to “witness the end of their life cycle and their civilization,” the culture ministry said in a statement, according to Reuters.

The inner courtyard where the rituals are held is located about four meters (13 feet) below ground level, according to a team of archaeologists who spent three months analyzing the site.

The statement said they had found different layers of what had been a home over the centuries, along with 13 incense burners, 5 bowls, a cup, a dish and a bowl with cremated remains of a skeleton.

The discovery coincides with the 500th anniversary of the Spanish conquest, which the government of Mexico celebrated by building a towering replica of the Templo Mayor, the most sacred site in the Aztec civilization, in downtown Mexico City.

A number of ancient discoveries in the Mexico City area in recent years, including some in the capital’s bustling downtown, have shed light on Aztec civilization. They include the remains of a ceremonial ball court, a gold-adorned sacrificial wolf, and a tower of human skulls.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had previously requested an apology from Spain and the Vatican for human rights violations committed during the invasion of what is today Mexico.

HF