Templo Mayor

The main temple

The Mexica understood the temple as the center of the universe

The Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenōchtitlan. It was dedicated to Huītzilōpōchtli, god of war, and Tlāloc, god of rain and agriculture, each with a shrine at the top of the pyramid.

Six rebuilds

Each new temple was built over the one before it

Construction of the first temple began sometime after 1325, and it was rebuilt six times. New structures were built over earlier ones, using the bulk of the former as a base for the latter. In 1454, the largest known expansion took place under Moctezuma I.

sixtimes the temple was rebuilt after 1325

Lost

After 1521 the temple was taken apart and its place was forgotten

After the fall of Tenōchtitlan, the Templo Mayor was disassembled to be used as construction materials for the Spanish colonial city. The temple's exact location was forgotten. Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral was built nearby.

A stone disk

Electricity workers struck a carved stone disk in 1978

On 21 February 1978, workers for the city's electricity provider were digging when, just over two meters down, they struck a massive stone disk, over 3.25 meters across. The relief showed Coyolxauhqui, the sister of Huitzilopochtli.

8.5 metric tonsthe weight of the Coyolxauhqui stone disk

The dig

13 buildings were demolished to open up the temple site

From 1978 to 1982, specialists directed by archeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma worked on the excavation. To complete it, 13 buildings were demolished. More than 7,000 objects were found, mostly offerings, now housed in the Templo Mayor Museum.

7,000objects found, mostly offerings