To repay the gods, Aztecs made human sacrifices in order to make it possible for mankind to live. Evidence of such brutal rituals has been found in Mexico City.
A ceramic pot with cremated remains and an alter from the 16th-century near Plaza Garibaldi was found.
Each side of the pot has a handle, and the large opening at the bottom clearly displays the burnt remains.
An archaeologist team led by Mexico’s National Institute for Anthropology and History, (Inah) also discovered 13 incense burners used in ancient rituals.
Scroll down to see the video
Each side of the pot has a handle. The large opening at the bottom clearly shows what remains are there.
Mara Becerra an archaeologist working on the site said, ‘The set 13 incense burners conveys a particular symbolism. They were placed on two levels in two different orientations. Some in an east-west and some in a south-south directions, in an evocation to the 2013 that comprised the tonalpohualli, a 260-day Mexican ritualcalendar.
“Likewise, the number 13 was used to refer to the heights of the sky.
“The Nahua view of the universe is also reinforced by incense-burning characteristics, such as the openwork cross in the incense cup that represents the quincunx (symbol of the axis mondi).
The hallow handles are painted in with red, black and blue and was used as a wind instrument.
Near Plaza Garibaldi was an alter that dates back to 16th-century. This was the place where human sacrifices were performed.
Mexico’s National Institute for Anthropology and History (Inah), led by an archaeologist, discovered 13 decorative incense-burners that were part of the ancient rituals.
Another potter, as well as cups and bowls, was also found on the spot. In the middle is the ceramic pot with the charred remains of a human.
Its finish is marked by the head of a water serpent, which refers to the forces that are underworld.
After digging through layers of debris from a former home, Beccerra found the sacrifice altar 13 feet beneath the surface.
The alter features one room adjacent to a patio and a corridor connecting to five rooms, all of which still have the original stucco floors and walls.
One of the rooms, according to team members was used for cooking.
It is 13 by 10 feet. Archaeologists estimate that it was bigger when first built. Parts have deteriorated over the years.
Archaeologists discovered other Aztec ceramic artifacts that were made hundreds of year ago by archaeologists
Two stages are evident in these architectural layers: the Late Postclassic occupation and the Spanish occupation in the first century between 1521-1510.
This means the alter dates back to the time after the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, was conquered by Spanish explorers.
In Central Mexico, from 14th through 16th centuries, the Aztecs lived. Their famed agriculture included introducing irrigation and draining swamps, as well creating artificial islands within lakes.
Many of the pyramids and temples that they built are still intact today.