MEXICO: Archaeologists say ancient ruins in Mexico City may be an Aztec pyramid

Construction workers in Mexico City unearthed ancient walls in the busy Iztapalapa neighbourhood in June, which government archaeologists said on Wednesday (August 1) may be part of the main pyramid of the Aztec city, destroyed by conquistador Hernando Cortes in the 16th century. Iztapalapa, now infamous for violent crime and drug dealing, has grown into a sprawling, poor district of the capital, obscuring the ruins. "With all this space, we are detecting that same level of ground, which indicates that it's a plaza with colossal dimensions, that could correspond to a sacred place in Iztapalapa city where these structures were located. The most important one being was the "Templo Mayor" of this pre-Hispanic city and of course other buildings, mainly ceremonial ones," said government archaeologist Jesus Sanchez, who is director of the site. Sanchez said that the government needs to plan how new discoveries will be cared for. "These findings will need governmental development planning and programs, involving the population, its aspects, so that this may be transformed from what it is now, we all know, the most conflict-ridden area in Mexico City and probably the country. The level of crime is very high, the cultural level is very low." Iztapalapa's ruler, Cuitlahuac, nearly annihilated Cortes and his Spanish troops in 1520 in what became known as the Sad Night. After his eventual victory, Cortes destroyed the city. Sanchez hopes he has found the city's main pyramid just below the neighbourhood's central plaza and garden. He and his team will spend more than a year investigating before deciding whether to excavate. Mexico City is littered with pre-Hispanic ruins. In October, archaeologists in the city's central Zocalo square unearthed a 15th century Aztec altar and a 12-ton stone idol just yards from choking downtown traffic. The Aztecs, a warlike and deeply religious people who built monumental works, ruled an empire stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean and encompassing much of modern-day central Mexico.

ITN Source | August 12, 2007

Tags:. .built. .stone. .garden. .victory. .troops