Tower of skulls erected by the Aztecs raises questions about human sacrifices Archeologists in Mexico have unearthed a new section of a human tower of skulls, with more than 100 skulls from men, women and children
Author of the article: National Post Staff
Publishing date: Dec 15, 2020 • December 15, 2020 • 1 minute read • A photo shows parts of an Aztec tower of human skulls, believed to form part of the Huey Tzompantli, at the Templo Mayor archaeology site, in Mexico City, Mexico September 22, 2020. Photo by National Institute of Anthropology and History/Handout via REUTERS
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Archeologists in Mexico have unearthed a new section of a human tower of skulls with more than 100 skulls from men, women and children built during the Aztec empire.
Aztec tower of skulls discovered in Mexico
12:25pm Dec 14, 2020
Archaeologists have discovered 119 more human skulls in the Aztec tower of skulls. (Mexico s National Institute of Anthropology and History [INAH]))
More than 100 human skulls have been found by archaeologists in an Aztec in Mexico.
119 skulls were discovered on the east side of the Huei Tzompantli, a grisly Aztec trophy rack, which is near the Templo Mayor in Mexico City.
The Huei Tzompantli was the main trophy rack of sacrificed humans in the ancient city of Tenochtitlan.
Two towers of mortared skulls flanked the rack.
The skulls are believed to date to between 1486 and 1502.
Facade of Aztec skull tower uncovered in Mexico torontosun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from torontosun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Gruesome Tower of Skulls Discovery in Mexico Unearths Over 100 Aztec Sacrifices
AFP
13 DECEMBER 2020
Mexican archaeologists said Friday they had found remains of 119 more people, including women and several children, in a centuries-old Aztec tower of skulls in the heart of the capital.
The new discovery was announced after an eastern section of the Huei Tzompantli was uncovered along with the outer facade, five years after the northeastern side was found.
Archaeologists believe that many of the skulls belonged to captured enemy warriors and that the tower was intended as a warning to rivals of the Aztec empire, which was overthrown by Spanish conquistadors in 1521.
Human Sacrifice: The Ultimate Tool of Social Control
The Aztec priesthood were a bloodthirsty lot who used to grab folk from the streets at their whim, from any social class, to service the gods. Generally captive warriors were laid on their backs on sacrificial stones and the priests used razor-sharp obsidian blades to cut through their abdomens before opening their chests and offering their still-beating hearts to the wanton war god Huitzilopochtli. According to an article on
History.com, when the life had drained from the sacrificial victims , their lifeless bodies were tossed down the steps of the towering Templo Mayor, and the heart, still beating, was held towards the sky to honor the god.