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Templo Mayor Dig Yields 43 Mezcala Figures in Moctezuma I–Era Offering

The conserved deposits, dated to 1440–1469, will be housed at the Templo Mayor Museum for continued research.

Overview

  • The Proyecto Templo Mayor and INAH presented findings that offerings 186, 187 and 189 together likely constitute the largest ritual deposit attributed to Moctezuma I.
  • The three tepetlacalli contain 43 Mezcala‑style green‑stone pieces, with 15 in offering 186, 15 in 187 and 13 in 189.
  • Researchers identified shells and other mollusk remains from Pacific coasts, reinforcing Tláloc‑related themes of rain, fertility and maritime abundance.
  • Accessing the deposits required lifting monumental serpent sculptures weighing roughly 600 to 1,000 kilograms using ropes, levers and wooden rollers.
  • Conservators stabilized red and white pigments with controlled humidity and natural fixatives over six to eight months, after which the materials enter museum care for further study.