Beyond Templo Mayor, the archaeological riches of Mexico City
Mexico City is famous for its world-class museums, excellent cuisine, and vibrant nightlife. However, as anyone who has even skimmed the history of this megalopolis knows, its roots trace back further than any other city on its scale in North America.
Well before there was Mexico City, also known as CDMX, there was the mighty Tenochtitlan, the majestic capital of the Aztec Empire. While the ruins of once grand temples can be seen today in what used to be known as the Templo Mayor; the metropolitan area of CDMX is full of contemporary Prehispanic sites and others that predate the construction of Tenochtitlan by over 2000 years.
Related: Join us in Mexico City Dec. 1-7, 2024, for an archaeology extravaganza.
The following are some of the most fascinating archaeological sites in Mexico City’s metropolitan area, which was dominated by the Aztec Triple Alliance and its vassals on the banks of Lake Texcoco in the 15th century.
Tlatelolco
Tlatelolco is known to have hosted an enormous market where people from across Mesoamerica would gather to sell and trade basic and exotic goods. Though only a tiny section of Tlatelolco’s central plaza has been restored, archaeologists continuously discover the remains of grand temples beneath nearby shopping malls and apartment buildings.
Given its proximity to the heart of Tenochtitlan (roughly three miles), Tlatelolco was among the first cities to be folded into the Aztec Empire. However, unlike today, Tlatelolco existed on an island, thus requiring more than a simple ground assault by the Aztecs.
Mixcoac
In the middle of Mexico City’s concrete jungle lie the remains of a ceremonial center dedicated to one of Mesoamerica’s most unique deities, the mighty Mixcóatl. Near the pyramid is the main ceremonial chamber, which, according to historical records, was adorned with stucco. Its throne was painted in red and covered in animal pelts that survived until roughly the 1940s.
Like with other major deities, ritual sacrifice and bloodletting were big parts of the cult of Mixcóatl. One interesting (if gruesome) aspect of human sacrifice during the Aztec period was the embodiment of a deity in a human subject. The surviving sections of the ceremonial center of Mixcoac itself are relatively small but surely sprawled much further in every direction. The site is also notable for seamlessly integrating with a small but particularly ingeniously designed museum.
Cuicuilco
Located near Mexico’s Autonomous National University campus, Cuicuilco is home to one of the oldest archaeological sites in Mesoamerica. It dates back to around 1000 BCE and thus predates nearby Aztec sites by roughly 2,500 years. The city, once home to about 20,000 people, was abandoned after a devastating volcanic eruption around 250-315 CE, which covered the area in lava. Ironically, the lava flow helped preserve the site, protecting it from further erosion.
The origins of Cuicuilco have been lost to time, though some scholars believe the original settlement may have served as an outpost for the Olmec, whose heartland is over 400 miles away.
Tenayuca
Tenayuca was a major ceremonial center for the Aztecs and the site of a temple dedicated to the god Huitzilopochtli. The temple was rebuilt several times, with its final iteration being completed just decades before the Spanish conquest.
These days, the archaeological remains of Tenayuca are divided into two separate archaeological sites roughly a mile apart. The first of these, Tenayuca 1, is home to a massive pyramid that served as a template for the largest pyramid in what today is Mexico City’s Templo Mayor complex. Tenayuca 2 is made up mostly of elite residential structures and is well worth visiting, though it is nowhere as impressive as the first section of the site.
Acatititlan
Santa Cecilia de Acatitlán is a fascinating archaeological site in Mexico State, near the southern edge of Mexico City. It’s best known for its well-preserved pyramid, which dates back to the Toltec period (around 900-1200 C.E.).
The top of the temple is crowned with skulls that resemble an elevated tzompantli, or skull rack, characteristic of cultures from central Mexico but also seen in sites much farther afield, such as Chichén Itzá in Yucatán. This suggests the structure was likely dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the god of war Huitzilopochtli.
Acozac
Considerably further afield, Acozac is a little-known archaeological site in Nezahualcoyotl. A contemporary of Teotihuacan, located at the opposite end of the lake of Texcoco, it is likely that Acozac served as a satellite city-state and line of defense to ward off possible invasions.
The site boasts several impressive structures, though many have not been restored. Perhaps the most remarkable temple at Acozac lay at the far end. From its features, a large round platform was almost certainly dedicated to the wind deity Ehécatl.
But wait, there is more … so much more!
Several other impressive archaeological sites in Mexico City’s metropolitan area include Chimalhuacán and Talpizahuac. But there are also myriad fascinating structures and stone sculptures sitting in plain sight on the corners of streets and even in subway stations, which often go unnoticed in this amazing city’s hustle and bustle.
To learn more, check out the video lecture below delivered by yours truly:
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer, adventure leader, and PhD candidate. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
