On February 21, 1978 workers of the Central Light and Power Co. were laying underground electrical cable on one of the most traditional corners of Mexico City’s old downtown when suddenly they struck a hard object. After a rapid inspection they were able to see that it was a stone with relief carving. The carving was that of the Aztec goddess associated with the moon, Coyolxauhqui. It showed the dismembered goddess after being thrown from the top of Coatepetl Mountain (see next page). Little did they know at that moment that their discovery would trigger one of the most important archeological projects of the twentieth century, el Projecto Templo Mayor (The Great Temple project).
The Great Temple project culminated with the inauguration in 1987 of the Museum of the Great Temple, constructed just some metres away from the place where the carving was discovered. The museum showcases most of the archaeological finds from the main ceremonial building of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire.
The Great Temple was the most important building in Tenochtitlan, which was founded in 1325 CE. The Great Temple was dedicated to two of the most important Aztec gods, Tlaloc, god of rain and agricultural production, and Huitzilopochtli, god of sun and war, and brother of Coyolxauhqui.
According to some scholars, the site dedicated to Huitzilopochtli symbolizes the Mountain of Coatepec, the place where the fraticidal combat between gods took place. This event was represented by the Aztecs on regular basis. Coyolxauhqui and her brothers were interpreted as the moon and the stars. They are conquered day after day by the sun, Huitzilopochtli, armed with the serpent of fire. This weapon can be interpreted as the sun’s light as it rises every morning dispersing the stars.
