In Mexico, a team of archaeologists discovered a stone sanctuary at the bottom of a lake at the foot of the Istaxihuatl volcano, which is a model of the universe as imagined by the ancient Aztecs, sciencealert.com reports.
The object, discovered at an altitude of four thousand meters above sea level, is composed of stones of different sizes. Scientists note that the sanctuary is designed so that an observer standing on the shore of the lake would have the feeling that the boulders are floating on the surface, and not lying on the bottom.
“The visual effects of water and the features of the elements used in the construction indicate that we have a miniature universe in the mind of the ancient Aztecs,” says archaeologist Iris Hernandez.
She notes that the model reflects Aztec creation myths. According to them, in ancient times there was no land. The sea monster Cipactli lived in the primeval ocean, and then the gods created heaven and earth from his torso.
The age of the sanctuary has yet to be determined, but items found nearby date from the 8th century AD.
Earlier, scientists found in Mexico City a tower of 655 human skulls that belonged to men, women and children. This find changed the idea of sacrifice among the Aztecs, since it was previously believed that such structures were created from the bones of enemy soldiers.
