During the excavations of the Major Temple Aztec Temple in Mexico City, archaeologists discovered a tower of 650 skulls and fragments of thousands of human remains.
The diameter of the tower is about six meters. The building was located in the corner of one of the facilities of the temple dedicated to the Aztec god Witsilopochtli of the sun and war. Excavations have not yet reached the bottom of the tower.
According to experts, the evidence of “the impressive tower of the skulls that fear Spanish conquerors” has been preserved since the time of conquest Hernan Cortez, who took over Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) in 1521.
Historians have suggested that skulls of warriors captured and executed - similar "mounds" in many cultures of pre-Columbian America. However, archaeologists have discovered in the skull tower that many of them belong to women and children.
Probably, the tower is associated with human sacrifice rituals that are common among the Aztecs. In particular, Witsilopochtli wanted regular sacrifices - it was believed that the god of the sun renewed his power to fight the dark.
Templelo Major is Tenochtitlan's largest temple complex. It was built around 1325 and was almost completely destroyed after the conquest of the Spanish city in 1521.
The temple was a double pyramid and dedicated to two gods: the sun god Witsilopochtli and the god of agriculture Tlalok. The complex also included a tower dedicated to the wind god Eekatl.
Remains of the lower part of the temple were found during cable laying work in Mexico City in 1978. The first excavations lasted until 1982, now the ruins and the museum are open to the public. The study, in which skulls were discovered, started in 2015.
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