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Aztec tower of skulls unearthed in Mexico

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Michelle Sandberg
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« on: July 03, 2017, 10:31:00 pm »




Aztec tower of skulls unearthed in Mexico
Posted on Monday, 3 July, 2017 |



The site is next to Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral. Image Credit: CC BY 2.0 Francisco Diez
Archaeologists have located the site of a gruesome structure that was built from hundreds of human skulls.
Thought to have been built from the skulls of defeated warriors, the infamous tower, which was sure to have struck fear in to the hearts of anyone who happened to come across it, was famously referenced in the historical accounts of Spanish conquistadors during their 16th-century conquest of Mexico.

Discovered at a site next to Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral, the structure has so far yielded 676 skulls, including, much to the team's surprise, those of women and children.

"We were expecting just men, obviously young men, as warriors would be, and the thing about the women and children is that you'd think they wouldn't be going to war," said Rodrigo Bolanos, one of the researchers who has been investigating the site.

"Something is happening that we have no record of, and this is really new, a first."
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Michelle Sandberg
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« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2017, 10:31:40 pm »

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« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2017, 10:32:38 pm »

Exciting find!  Smiley
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Michelle Sandberg
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« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2017, 01:08:24 pm »

Tower of human skulls found by archaeologists in Mexico, throwing Aztec history into doubt

Long-lost structure was recorded by Spanish conquistadors

    Will Worley
    @willrworley
    Saturday 1 July 2017 19:40 BST

      
   
      
      
      
   
      
   3K
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The Independent US
skulls-mexico.jpg
Skulls found at the site included women and children, perplexing archaeologists REUTERS/Henry Romero

The sinister discovery of a tower of human skulls in Mexico City has cast doubt on traditional readings of Aztec history.

More than 675 skulls of men, women and children have been unearthed by archaeologists following an investigation of one and a half years.

The structure is believed to be part of the Huey Tzompantli, a rack of bones which became the stuff of legend among Spanish conquistadores as they colonised Mexico. Their writings mentioned a tower of skulls.

Andres de Tapia, a Spanish soldier who fought with Cortes in the 1521 conquest of Mexico, almost certainly recorded the structure, archaeologist Raul Barrera told Reuters. De Tapia wrote that there were thousands of skulls, and researchers believe they will find more as the excavation continues.
skulls-mexico-view.jpg
Archaeologist Lorena Vazquez works at the site (REUTERS/Henry Romero)

But they have always believed the skulls belonged to male warriors killed in inter-tribal combat before the arrival of the Spanish.

The discovery of younger and female skulls has perplexed archaeologists.
Read more

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"We were expecting just men, obviously young men, as warriors would be, and the thing about the women and children is that you'd think they wouldn't be going to war," said Rodrigo Bolanos, a biological anthropologist investigating the find.

"Something is happening that we have no record of, and this is really new, a first in the Huey Tzompantli," he added.

The structure lies close to the Templo Mayor, one of the main Aztec temples in their capital Tenochtitlan, which developed into Mexico City. Templo Mayor was used for human sacrifices as part of the ancient Mesoamerican religion.
World news in pictures

    75 show all

The find is the second major discovery in Mexico City in less than a month.

In June, an Aztec ball game court was found nearby underneath a hotel. Thirty-two neck bones were also discovered, believed to have been from players who were sacrificed.

Reuters contributed to this report.

    More about:
    Mexico
    Mexico City
    Archaeology
    Aztecs
    History
    South America
Tower of human skulls found by archaeologists in Mexico, throwing Aztec history into doubt

Long-lost structure was recorded by Spanish conquistadors

    Will Worley
    @willrworley
    Saturday 1 July 2017 19:40 BST

      
   
      
      
      
   
      
   3K
Click to follow
The Independent US
skulls-mexico.jpg
Skulls found at the site included women and children, perplexing archaeologists REUTERS/Henry Romero

The sinister discovery of a tower of human skulls in Mexico City has cast doubt on traditional readings of Aztec history.

More than 675 skulls of men, women and children have been unearthed by archaeologists following an investigation of one and a half years.

The structure is believed to be part of the Huey Tzompantli, a rack of bones which became the stuff of legend among Spanish conquistadores as they colonised Mexico. Their writings mentioned a tower of skulls.

Andres de Tapia, a Spanish soldier who fought with Cortes in the 1521 conquest of Mexico, almost certainly recorded the structure, archaeologist Raul Barrera told Reuters. De Tapia wrote that there were thousands of skulls, and researchers believe they will find more as the excavation continues.
skulls-mexico-view.jpg
Archaeologist Lorena Vazquez works at the site (REUTERS/Henry Romero)

But they have always believed the skulls belonged to male warriors killed in inter-tribal combat before the arrival of the Spanish.

The discovery of younger and female skulls has perplexed archaeologists.
Read more

    Ancient Islamic city found in town thought to be 'home to giants'
    Centuries-old ovarian tumour discovered in Lisbon grave
    400,000 year-old 'Neanderthal' fossil discovered by archaeologists

"We were expecting just men, obviously young men, as warriors would be, and the thing about the women and children is that you'd think they wouldn't be going to war," said Rodrigo Bolanos, a biological anthropologist investigating the find.

"Something is happening that we have no record of, and this is really new, a first in the Huey Tzompantli," he added.

The structure lies close to the Templo Mayor, one of the main Aztec temples in their capital Tenochtitlan, which developed into Mexico City. Templo Mayor was used for human sacrifices as part of the ancient Mesoamerican religion.
World news in pictures

    75 show all

The find is the second major discovery in Mexico City in less than a month.

In June, an Aztec ball game court was found nearby underneath a hotel. Thirty-two neck bones were also discovered, believed to have been from players who were sacrificed.

Reuters contributed to this report.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world-0/tower-human-skulls-found-archaeologists-mexico-aztec-history-doubt-a7818841.html
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Michelle Sandberg
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« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2017, 01:09:25 pm »



Archaeologist Lorena Vazquez works at the site (REUTERS/Henry Romero)
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