The Aztec Empire was formed after the three ruling cities around the Valley of Mexico – comprising of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopa – joined forces in 1428. Tenochtitlan would quickly become the dominant military power, reigning as the capital city until all three were conquered by Imperial Spain in 1521, burying all evidence of past civilisations. More than 500 years after they disappeared seemingly forever, secrets are still emerging from the ground below what is now Mexico City, Amazon Prime’s “Secrets of Archaeology” revealed.
The series explained how a team of workers came across a gigantic oval stone in 1978 near a cathedral in Tenochtitlan, leading archaeologists to theorise Mexico City had been built on top of an old Aztec settlement.
The narrator said: “The Earth would soon yield the ancient vestiges of Tenochtitlan, an exceptional discovery comparable to the city of Troy
“The archaeologist in charge of the work was Eduardo Matos Montezuma and from the many relics he discovered, scientists are able to imagine how the magnificent ancient capital might have looked.
“The centre of Tenochtitlan was situated between the cathedral and the Palacio Nacional, on the ground plaza of the zocalo, it was mainly a place of worship, full of temples erected on the tops of pyramids with their characteristic steep stairways and colourful wall paintings.
“The city, at am elevation of over 6,500 feet, was surrounded by the lake, hills and mountains and connected to the mainland with many causeways and interlaced with navigable canals.
“It was a great metropolis with over 1,200,000 inhabitants.”
Dr Montezum demolished a whole block of the modern city, discovering thousands of relics buried below, allowing his to map out the old city.
The narrator added: “The ceremonial centre, Teocalli, had many temples dedicated to important gods.
“The most imposing was the Templo Mayor, the religious heart of Tenochtitlan, the destination for pilgrims and home for priests and divinities.
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The narrator continued: “For the Aztecs, religious rights and sacrifice were a necessity, the only way to earn the benevolence of the gods.
“They believed they were warding off famine, natural disasters and defeats in battle and the greatest sacrifice they could make was a human one.
“The priests made them lie on their backs on a sacrificial stone, then cut open their chests and pulled out pulsating heats as an offering to the idols.
“The excavation work of ancient Tenochtitlan lasted five years and brought to life over 7,000 objects, including sculptures, small artefacts, votive offerings and the skulls of sacrifice victims.
“Most of the relics are kept in Musei del Templo Mayor.”