Echinoderm remains in the offerings of the great temple of the Aztecs

Solís-Marín, Francisco Alonso; Laguarda-Figueras, Alfredo; Melo, Alejandra; Martínez, Ethel; Castro, Adrián Folgueira; Rivera, José Antonio Aguilar; Tísoc, Emiliano Ricardo Melgar; Gutiérrez, Felipe; Maldonado, Norma Valentín

doi:10.1201/9780203869543-c13

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Among the abundant offerings buried in and around the Templo Mayor, the sixth constructive stage of this pyramid held the remains of complete tests and fragments of seven species of echinoids: Eucidaris thouarsii, Echinometra vanbrunti, Clypeaster speciosus, Encope laevis, Mellita quinquiesperforata, M. notabilis and Meoma ventricosa grandis. E. vanbrunti represents the most abundant echinoderm buried in the Templo Mayor (Solís-Marín et al, 2010). Because the Mexicas received tribute from other towns that they had dominated, probably some of these echinoid specimens came from the tribute payment of some group dominated by them or arrived in Tenochtitlan through commercial circuits, or as gifts (López Luján, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New echinoderm remains in the buried offerings of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City

Martín-Cao-Romero

Solís-Marín

Caballero-Ochoa

et al. 2017

RBT

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Between 1978 and 1982 the ruins of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan were exhumed a few meters northward from the central plaza (Zócalo) of Mexico City. The temple was the center of the Mexica’s ritual life and one of the most famous ceremonial buildings of its time (15th and 16th centuries). More than 200 offerings have been recovered in the temple and surrounding buildings. We identified vestiges of 14 species of echinoderms (mostly as disarticulated plates). These include six species of sea stars (Luidia superba, Astropecten regalis, Astropecten duplicatus, Phataria unifascialis, Nidorellia armata, Pentaceraster cumingi), one ophiuroid species (Ophiothrix rudis), two species of sea urchins (Eucidaris thouarsii, Echinometra vanbrunti), four species of sand dollars (Mellita quinquiesperforata, Mellita notabilis, Encope laevis, Clypeaster speciosus) and one species of sea biscuit (Meoma ventricosa grandis). They date back to the reigns of kings Axayacatl (AD 1469-1481), Tizoc (AD 1481-1486), Ahuitzotl (AD 1486-1502), and Motecuhzoma II (AD 1502-1520). Apparently the presence of echinoderms in the offerings is related to the realm of Tlaloc (god of rain and earth). It is believed this organisms, like other marine animals, were used by the priests, like other marine animals, to represent the aquatic underworld of Mesoamerican world-view. Rev. Biol. Trop. 65(Suppl. 1): S168-S179. Epub 2017 November 01.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%