2. Water and Fire: Archaeology in the Capital of the Mexica Empire Leonardo Lopez Luján The archaeology of México- Tenochtitlan Tenochtitlan made up for the lack of archae- As recently as two decades ago, systematized ological exploration on a large scale. For example, information on Mexico-Tenochtitlan, the the graphic and written information on the metropolis of the most important Mesoamerican Templo Mayor (Great Temple) of Tenochtitlan state at the time of the Europeans' arrival, was was enough to reveal the history of the most extremely scarce. Unlike other cities such as Tikal, important religious building of the empire from its Monte Albán and Teotihuacan, the capital of the founding, through its multiple extensions and Mexica (Aztec) empire was never the site of right up to the time when it was completely extensive excavation projects that were to bring its dismantled. In fact, no other monument in Ancient principal remains to light. The explanation for this Mexico so commanded the attention of both archaeological ignorance is very simple. In 1521, natives and outsiders alike or was the subject of the island occupied by the twin cities of Mexico- such lengthy descriptions as this double temple Tenochtitlan and Mexico-Tlatelolco fell into the dedicated to Huitzilopochtli (the God of Sun and hands of the Spanish conquerors (fig. 8). After the War) and Tláloc (the Rain God). All kinds of victory, Hernán Cortés took the historie decision information relating to the Great Temple can be to destroy the metropolis which had been home to found in the indigenous pictographic documents between 200,000 and 300,000 inhabitants and and Náhuatl language texts; in the accounts of the covered an area of 13.5 square kilometres (Rojas European conquerors who saw it functioning and 1992: 31-5, 57-84). On its ruins was founded witnessed its destruction; in the narra tives of the Mexico City, the capital of New Spain and, from Spanish friars, which were often based on the 1821 onwards, the capital of the Mexican native tradition; and even in the fantastical Republic. Obviously, colonial and modern writings, illustrated with extravagant engravings, buildings caused problems for archaeologists. which circulated in Europe from the sixteenth In fact, it was only in exceptional circumstances century (León-Portilla 1987). and in relatively limited areas that it had been Little by little, the information contained in possible to bring to light small portions of the historical sources was augmented by the remains prehispanic city. of the Mexica culture accidentally dug up during Despite this serious constraint, those development work and the construction of researching Mexica society have one clear buildings. But it was not until the end of the advantage over colleagues studying the Maya area eighteenth century that spectacular finds such as or sites like Monte Albán and Teotihuacan: the Stone of the Sun, the sculpture of Coatlicue and numerous documentary sources from the sixteenth the Stone of Tízoc prompted scholars of century. In some ways, it could be said that the prehispanic Mexico to compare archaeological abundance of historical records of life In data and historical data in a systematic way. ~ Water and Fire: Archaeology in the Capital of the Mexica Empire 33 Lake Texcoco \ 8 Map of the Basin of Mexico. The islands on which the twin cities of Mexico- Tenochtitlan and Mexico- Tlatelolco were built are visible on Lake Texcoco. (Drawing by Fernando Carrizosa) Unfortunately, many of the accidental discoveries situ and were rescued by archaeologists during made during the nineteenth and twentieth salvage work, thus becoming part of the centuries were destroyed or else fell easy prey to collections of the Mexico City National Museum pillaging, thus swelling national and foreign of Anthropology (Boone 1987). collections. Others, fortunately, were recorded in -------- 34 The Archaeológy of Mesoamerica 9 Aerial photograph of the ruins of the Sacred Precinct of Mexico- Tlatelolco, excavated in the 1940s, 1970s and 1980s. (Photo: courtesy of Aerofotoservicios S.A. de C.V.) The Templo Mayor project (1978-97) inactivity, work was continued in the same area. The first large-scale excavation on the ancient As a result of new fieldwork, a number of religious island of Mexico goes back to the 1940s (López buildings were exposed, together with thousands Luján 1989). We owe this unique work to Pablo of human buri~hich also formed part of the Martínez del Río and Antonieta Espejo, who Tlatelolco Sacred Pr~~g. 9). explored the portico of the Church of Santiago and By contrast, the large-scate-exploration in the retrieved the remains of the Templo Mayor of Sacred Precinct of Tenochtitlan had to wait until Tlatelolco from the rubble. After twenty years of February 1978, when the sculpture representing Water and Fire: Archaeology in the Capital of the Mexica Empire 35 ) 10 Aerial photograph of the ruins of the Sacred Precinct of Mexico- Tenochtitlan, excavated between 1978 and 1997. (Photo: courtesy of Aerofotoservicios S.A. de c.v.) Coyolxauhqui, the Moon Goddess, was accident- fieldwork have been carried out. The first three ally discovered. Given the enormous scientific (1978-82, 1987 and 1989) were coordinated by importance of this monolith and the surrounding Eduardo Matos Moctezuma, and the last two area, the National Institute of Anthropology and (1991-2 and 1994-7) by the author of this paper. History (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e During this time we have been able to retrieve a Historia - TNAH) decided to organize a long-terrn considerablé part of one of the most prominent research project entitled 'Proyecto Templo Mayor' ritual ~rtsof the Mesoamerican world (fig. 10). (Crear Te~ple Project). So fa, five campaigns of 7' the moco significant discoveries "e the 36 The Archaeology of Mesoamerica ruins of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan and 14 would be built. We know that in prehispanic times neighbouring buildings, 134 offerings, more than one entered this substructure by two staircases 9,000 artefacts and a considerable collection of which extended from the square to the wide sculptures and wall paintings. The area excavated portico which was supported by a colonnade. To extensively measures 1.3 hectares. Nonetheless, it reach the main room one had to pass through a must be noted that although this area might seem door guarded by two ceramic sculptures which large, it is only equivalent to 0.1 per cent of the represent full-length individuals dressed in eagle total area of the twin cities. costumes. From the main room, where the altar In 1983 the archaeological site was opened to was situated, the visitor passed into the remaining visitors for the first time. That same year, once the rooms through a passageway protected by two first phase of ex:cavation was completed, our huge skeletal figures, also made of fired clay. In this project proceeded to the stage of laboratory way, one arrived at a rectangular patio bordered analysis. As a result of that phase, more than by two rooms. Each room contained an altar and 130 papers have been published by members a pair of ceramic braziers decorated with the face of the project as well as guest researchers of the Rain God. (Gutiérrez Solana 1989). Thanks to the enormous Almost all the inside walls of the House of importance of the excavated area, information of Eagles are decorated with beautiful paintings the highest quality was made available which painted on clay and long polychrome benches. The has enabled us to verify, complement and even latter are made up of two panels. The upper panel reconsider many suppositions which we formerly is a frieze depicting undulating snakes in bas-relief. held to be true (Matos Moctezuma 1988; Broda, The lower panel shows processions of armed Carrasco and Matos Moctezuma 1987; López warriors who merge in a zacatapayolli, a ball of Luján 1994). Finally, I would like to mention that grass to which the Mexicas (Aztecs) would stick in October 1987 what was without doubt one of the bloodstained agave thorns used during the our main objectives was realized: the opening of ritual of self-sacrifice. The rich iconography of the the Museum of the Templo Mayor. The premises benches tells us that the blood offering was one of presently house the project headquarters and eight the main ceremonies carried out in the building. rooms where archaeological material from the What is more, the iconography is a magnificent excavations is exhibited. example of the Mexica taste for imitating the artistic styles of more ancient civilizations, such as Recent work on the House of Eagles those ofTeotihuacan and Tula, which flourished in The House of Eagles (also known as the Precinct the Basin of Mexico several centuries earlier of the Eagle Warriors) is one of the most impressive (Fuente 1990; Matos Moctezuma and López finds from the first phase of fieldwork. Ir consists Luján 1993). In this instance, we are looking at a of a large platform with an L-shaped ground plan, 'revival' of the Burnt Palace, one of the many whose staircase is decorated with two sculptures in buildings excavated by the Mexicas at the Toltec the shape of eagle heads (col. pl. 6). In 1981, after capital of Tula, which by this time lay in ruins. exploring the inside of this building, an older Thanks to the collaboration between the INAH, substructure was found which is contemporary the Autonomous University of Mexico with Stage IVb of the Templo Mayor (c. AD 1469). (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México - Ir is characterized by the presence of several inner UNAM) and the Mesoamerican Archive and rooms which are in a perfect state of conservation Research Project of Princeton University, we have because they were buried ritually and with great been able to continue our work on this exceptional care when it was decided that a new extension building.~g-1:ñelast two phases of fieldwork Water and Fire: Archaeology in the Capital of the Mexica Empire 37 (1991-2 and 1994-7), a small team of archae- Mexicas in the ruin s of Teotihuacan, which had ologists, biologists, chemists and restorers long been abandoned by that time.