An Aztec Temple Has Been Found Hiding Under Mexico Citys Streets

Just when you thought that Mexico City had surrendered all of its secrets, archaeologists go and discover a vast, ancient Aztec temple hiding under a 1950s hotel in the very heart of the Mexican capital’s historic centre.

Located just a stone’s throw from the wonky Catedral Metropolitana, the 500-year-old structure has been under analysis and excavation for seven years, with researchers only now releasing information to the public regarding its significance in the rich tapestry of Mexican history. They assert that the ruins are part of a circular Aztec temple, dating from around the late 15th or early 16th century, that was likely dedicated to the wind god Ehecatl. On the site, there is also evidence of one of Mexico’s famed ball courts and a surprising amount of male neck bones – 32, to be precise – which researchers consider to be remnants from ritual offerings associated with the ancient ball game.

The new temple was found close to the Catedral Metropolitana

The discovery of a temple is perhaps not surprising, given the number of them constructed during the Aztec period, before being subsequently ransacked, destroyed or simply covered up by more ‘appropriate’ Catholic edifices. Archaeologists are actually reporting that the popular Aztec serpent imagery was also likely present on this structure, with the top of the temple made to resemble a coiled snake, and the doorway its nose. However, despite shared characteristics with other temples in the area, the circular shape of this newly discovered treasure would have surely set it apart in a, well, squarely square Tenochtitlan.

Chichén Itzá’s ball court, which is likely very similar to the new discovery

If you want to visit this particular site, you might have to wait a while, although there are plans for a museum to be built there in the near future. If you just can’t hang on that long though, the hotel under which this Aztec gem was discovered is still open for business, and there are plenty of other archaeological options near Mexico City to satiate your historical thirst in the meantime.

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