Mexican archaeologists have discovered a "temple of skulls" dedicated to the Aztec god of death, Miktlantecutli. In Mexico, this is the first discovered temple dedicated to this deity. The discovery was made during the archaeological excavations of the city of Teaukana. Scientists attributed the construction of the temple to the XIV century. Meanwhile, it was not completed due to the invasion of the Spanish conquistadors in 1456.
Two human skulls and eight tibial bones were mounted in one of the walls of the discovered structure, which were located in niches specially made for this. In the temple itself, scientists dug up about 300 fragments of human bones that belonged to those who were sacrificed to the lord of the underworld.
Skulls in the wall of the temple of the god of death Miktlantecutli
On the roof of the temple there were two ceramic skulls and a stone depicting Miktlantecutli. The jaw of one of the heads was painted red, which indicates that it belongs to this god.
The Borgia Code, a manuscript in the Vatican library, which describes various Aztec deities, allowed to establish which god the temple belonged to. In this book, once owned by Cardinal Stefano Borgia, Miktlantecutli is portrayed with a red tongue.
Among the Aztecs, Miktlantecutli was the most revered among the deities of the afterlife. Only people who died as a result of natural death could enter his kingdom. Miktlantecutli was usually depicted as a bloody skeleton or a man with a toothed skull instead of a head, absorbing the souls of the dead. He wears a necklace made of human eyes, and his head is adorned with owl feathers.
Page from the Borgia codex depicting the 9 gods of the underworld
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However, despite the fact that Miktlantecutli's head is a skull, the eyes are always in the sockets. Miktlantecutli's arms are often depicted raised in a threatening pose. In the codes, he is sometimes depicted with an open mouth, devouring the stars that disappear in the daytime. Its constant companions are a bat, a spider and an owl.
The image of the god of death Mictlantecutli from the Borgia code
I decided to name this object "Temple of Skulls" Ramon Lopez Valenzuela - the head of the excavation of the temple of the god of death. Scientists were unable to make a DNA analysis of the discovered skulls due to their poor preservation, but anthropological studies are being carried out.