A new exhibit at the Museum of Templo Mayor in Mexico City celebrates the 45th anniversary of the discovery of a carved stone depicting an Aztec lunar goddess.
The
exhibit, titled "Coyolxauhqui: The star, the goddess, the discovery,"
includes more than 150 items that shine light onto the history of
Coyolxauhqui and the legacy of Aztec culture in Mexico.
- Templo Mayor,
a religious complex in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, was destroyed
by the forces of Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés in 1521.
- In
1978, a construction worker discovered the stone mural of Coyolxauhqui
in a part of Mexico City that was believed to be near the Templo Mayor.
- The mural depicted the dismembered body of Coyolxauhqui, who was defeated in battle by her brother, the Sun.
- The
discovery suggested that there could be more remains from Templo Mayor
in the area, prompting Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and
History to initiate an excavation project.
- Since then, five carved stones depicting Coyolxauhqui have been discovered.
- Patricia
Ledesma, director of the Museum, said that Mexican people were
fascinated by the opportunity to learn about the lost history of their
nation.
- "It was like a rediscovery of a society that we had thought lost to the war," she said.
