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100-619: Around the 11th century, a people called the Amaquemecan (after whom the municipality of Amecameca is named), migrated to this area following their leader Xolotl to look for a better climate and more food to sustain themselves. This same Xolotl founded the Tenayuca Oztopolco chiefdom and made the first census ever in the Americas. The Acolhuas , Tepanecas and Otomis were already established in this land so alliances were made. Despite this,

200-453: A Christmas market, selling about 30,000 trees per year and employing 50 permanent and 250 seasonal workers. The money earned from the enterprise helps to preserve more wild areas of the mountains here. This work has earned a Premio Nacional de Ecología (National Ecology Prize). The only problem the forest experiences is that the enterprise is so popular that the roads leading to the area are jammed with traffic. Lesser-known attractions include

300-408: A discreet structure that would blend in with the colonial surroundings. The museum has four floors, three of which are for permanent exhibitions and the fourth houses offices for the director, museum administration and research staff. Other departments are located in the basement, where there is also an auditorium. The museum has eight main exhibition halls, each dedicated to a different theme. Room 1

400-475: A farming area, mostly with family plots through the rest of the colonial period. During the Mexican War of Independence, there was restlessness here among the population, but no major incidents. In 1812, a number of natives from here fought in the war under Leonardo Bravo in other places. The municipality was mostly likely founded in 1824 along with the founding of Mexico State. U.S. troops passed through here during

500-565: A mask of gold for his festival held during the Aztec month of Panquetzaliztli. At the end of the festival, the image was broken apart and shared among the populace to be eaten. In his description of the city, Cortés records that he and the other Spaniards were impressed by the number and magnificence of the temples constructed in Tenochtitlan, but that was tempered by this disdain for their beliefs and human sacrifice. On 14 November 1519, Cortes seized

600-400: A pair of sculpted frogs. The circular monolith of Coyolxauhqui also dates from this time. The fifth temple (1481–1486) is dated to the short reign of Tizoc . During these five years, the platform was recovered in stucco and the ceremonial plaza was paved. The sixth temple was built during the reign of Ahuizotl . He finished some of the updates made by Tizoc and added his own, as shown on

700-465: A shrine at the top of the pyramid with separate staircases. The central spire was devoted to Quetzalcoatl in his form as the wind god, Ehecatl . The temple devoted to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, measuring approximately 100 by 80 m (328 by 262 ft) at its base, dominated the Sacred Precinct. Construction of the first temple began sometime after 1325, and it was rebuilt six times. The temple

800-405: A third of the workforce. The main ones are Los Molinos de la Covadonga, La Harinera Amecameca, Hilos Cadena, which produced milled products and thread. In addition, there are small workshops which produce saddles , ironwork and machine pieces. Most commerce occurs in the municipal seat, mostly with the sale of staple foods and other basic necessities. Market days are Monday, Wednesday and Sunday when

900-554: A tradition for many families in the Mexico City area. It is a business that was conceived forty years ago as a way to help preserve the forest here as well as benefit economically. Visitors come to spend a day in the area and can cut trees only from designated locations. Picnicking is permitted with the requirement that no garbage is left behind. The Christmas tree area covers 300 acres (120 hectares), and cut trees are left to regrow instead of being killed. The park also hosts food stalls and

1000-589: A zacatapayolli, a grass ball into which the Mexica stuck bloody lancets during the ritual of autosacrifice . This palace specifically imitates much of the style of the Burnt Palace, located in the ruins of Tula . A number of important artifacts have been found in this area, the most important of which are two nearly identical large ceramic sculptures of Mictlantecuhtl , the god of death. Despite being found in fragile pieces, they were both reconstructed and are on display at

1100-545: Is a large city with an important mall (Mundo E) and hotels: Crowne Plaza Lancaster, Camino Real, Fiesta Inn, NH hotel, Holiday Inn, and Four Points by Sheraton. Tlalnepantla offers different options for entertainment and food: Punta Recoleta Restaurante (Argentine food), Boca del Rio (Mexican food restaurant), Real de Catorce (Show and Mexican food restaurant), La Antigua (Mexican food restaurant). The most important avenues and boulevards in Tlalnepantla City are: As well as

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1200-666: Is a municipality located in the eastern panhandle of Mexico State between Mexico City and the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl volcanos of the Sierra Nevada mountain range . It is located on federal highway 115 which leads to Cuautla , which is called the Volcano Route (Ruta de los Volcanes). Amecameca area is a popular resort destination for visitors from Mexico City, Puebla and Morelos , owing to its mountain scenery, food scene, and other attractions. However, when Popocatépetl

1300-420: Is a natural area with dirt and stone paths. It contains a variety of pine trees and medicinal plants and is home to white tailed deer, foxes and other wildlife. Activities available here are hiking, mountain biking, camping and other nature sports. The Agua Viva (Living Water) monastery is a Dominican institution located at the foothills of Iztaccíhuatl. There are still monks here that offer mass. The Cortés Pass

1400-562: Is a smaller version of the Templo Mayor the Aztecs built in Tenochtitlan . It has dual staircases on the west side, each leading to two temples, at the top of the pyramid. One was dedicated to Tlaloc and the other to Huizilopochtli . Serpent sculptures surround the pyramid on three sides and are possibly of pre-Aztec origin. A small museum on the grounds holds artifacts, diagrams, and models of

1500-593: Is active, tourism here drops dramatically. The area receives many visitors during the annual Carnival/Festival del Señor del Sacromonte, which extends over the week containing Ash Wednesday and is considered to be one of the most important festivals in Mexico State. The name Amecameca comes from Nahuatl . It has been interpreted to mean “place where the papers signal or mark,” or “paper used ceremoniously.” Settled human habitation in this area began early mostly in dispersed small villages. The Chichimeca tribe called

1600-470: Is aligned with the cardinal directions with gates that connect to roads leading in these directions. This indicates the place where the plane of the world that humans live in intersects the thirteen levels of the heavens, called Topan and the nine levels of the underworld, called Mictlan . Archaeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma , in his essay "Symbolism of the Templo Mayor", posits that the orientation of

1700-494: Is corn along with other grains such as alfalfa , wheat and oats. There are a significant number of orchards here producing walnuts, pears, apples, capulins and other fruit. The municipality is the major producer of walnuts in Mexico. Livestock raised here includes pigs, cattle, sheep and domestic fowl. One important agricultural activity there is the production and conservation of traditional varieties of corn. Like other communities in

1800-473: Is dedicated to the flora and fauna of Mesoamerica at this time, as most contained divine aspects for the Aztecs. Also many of the offerings found at the Templo Mayor were or were made from various plants and animals. Related to Room 6, Room 7 contains exhibits of the agricultural technology of the time, especially in the growing of corn and the construction of chinampas , the so-called "floating gardens". The last room

1900-671: Is dedicated to the goddesses Coatlicue and Coyolxauhqui, mother and sister to Huitzlipochtli, respectively. Here are displayed the first finds associated with the temple, from the first tentative finds in the 19th century to the discovery of the huge stone disk of Coyolxauhqui, which initiated the Templo Mayor Project. Room 2 is dedicated to the concepts of ritual and sacrifice in Tenochtitlan. This room contains urns where dignitaries where interred, funerary offerings, as well as objects associated with self and human sacrifice—such as musical instruments, knives and skulls. Room 3 demonstrates

2000-812: Is located 30 minutes from the town, which is a space between the two volcanoes and from where Cortés had his first view of the Valley of Mexico . According to the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) there were seven movies shot in this area. The movies were 7th Cavalry (1956), Deep Crimson (1996), El libro de piedra (1969), Las vueltas del citrillo (2006), Hermanos de sangre (1974), Secuestro salvaje (1994), Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz entre el cielo y la razón(1996 ) 19°07′N 98°46′W  /  19.117°N 98.767°W  / 19.117; -98.767 Templo Mayor The Templo Mayor (English: Main Temple)

2100-494: Is now Guerrero state; copper rattles; and decorated skulls and knives of obsidian and flint . These artifacts are now housed in the Templo Mayor Museum. This museum is the result of the work done since the early 1980s to rescue, preserve, and investigate Templo Mayor, its Sacred Precinct, and all objects associated with it while making these findings available to the public. The excavated site consists of two parts: 1)

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2200-416: Is on one side of what is now Donceles Street. The Temple of Quetzalcoatl was located to the west of the Templo Mayor. It is said that during the equinox, the sun rose between the shrines dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc and shone directly on this temple. Due to the god's serpentine nature, the temple had a circular base instead of a rectangular one. The ball field, called the tlachtli or teutlachtli,

2300-570: Is one of the largest in the country. The area also includes more than 15,000 retail businesses, including the Mundo E Mall and several large tianguis . The church and monastery of Corpus Christi was built by both Nahuas and Otomis of pink and gray stone. The side gate, called the Porciúncula, shows the influence of both these peoples. In 1963, the church gained cathedral status. The aqueduct that extends from Tlalnepantla to Villa de Guadalupe as well as

2400-642: Is the temple for these warriors—also known as the Red Temple. This temple shows clear Teotihuacan influence in its paintings (mostly in red) and the design of its altar. Almost all the interior walls of the House of the Eagles are decorated with beautiful paintings and contain long benches, which are also painted. These benches are composed of two panels. The upper one is a frieze with undulating serpents in bas-relief. The lower panel shows processions of armed warriors converging on

2500-475: The Aztecs conquered this area, along with the rest of the Valley of Chalco, replacing local leaders with military governors and transforming the area into a tributary province with neighboring Tlalmanalco as capital. Hernán Cortés arrived here in 1519 and noted that the houses here were well built with about 20,000 inhabitants. In 1521, the leaders here were Quetzalmazatzin and his brother Tecuanxayacatzin due to

2600-561: The Centzon Huitznahua who intended to kill him and their mother. Huitzilopochtli was victorious, slaying and dismembering his sister. Her body was then thrown to the bottom of the hill. As the southern half of the Great Temple represented Coatepec (on the side dedicated to Huitzilopochtli), the great stone disk with Coyolxauhqui's dismembered body was found at the foot of this side of the temple. The northern half represented Tonacatepetl,

2700-465: The Cortés Pass . The park was created as a way to manage and preserve the natural resources of the area. It is a recreational area for sports such as hiking and also contains the second largest labyrinth of its type in the world created with over 38,000 cedar trees over an extension of 10,000m2. There is also a "zoo" of sculpted plants made to form animals using plants native to the area. The Temazcal Park

2800-522: The Mexican–American War . In 1833, Amecameca was part of the state of Mexico in the eastern prefecture. In 1861, the settlement gained official town status from the state due to its historical and economic importance. The municipal palace was built in 1899. In the last 19th and early 20th century, Amecameca was the scene of several industrialization projects including a beer brewery, wheat mills and workshops producing saddles and metal objects. There

2900-631: The Piedra del Conejo ("Rabbit Stone") or Monumental solsticial de Tomacoco ("Solstice monument of Tomacoco"). One of the major attractions is the Panoaya Hacienda. The main hacienda building houses the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Museum; it is featured in the reverse of the $ 200 pesos Mexican note. Sor Juana come to live at Panoaya in 1651 when she was three years old to live with her mother and grandfather. She learned to read and write and stayed until she

3000-412: The remains of human sacrifice —were among the items deposited in offerings. All of these fulfilled a specific function within the offering, depending on the symbolism of each object. In excavations at the Templo Mayor, different types of offerings have been found and have been grouped by researchers in terms of Time (the period in which the offering was deposited); Space (the location of the offering within

3100-436: The 1950s underwent a demographic explosion after being declared a city in 1948. The population as of the 2010 INEGI census was 653,410 people, representing 98.37% of municipal population. On January 16, 1977, Tlalnepantla del Baz was the site of one of the worst railway disasters in Mexico's history when a bus driver attempted to cross a railroad ahead of an oncoming train. The driver was one of 42 people killed. Tlalnepantla

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3200-541: The 20th century. On 21 February 1978, workers for Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), the city's electricity provider, were digging at a place in the city then popularly known as the "island of the dogs" as the area was slightly elevated and stray dogs would gather there during times of flooding. Just over two meters down, the diggers struck a massive pre-Hispanic stone disk of over 3.25 meters (10.7 feet) in diameter, 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) thick, and weighing 8.5 metric tons (8.4 long tons; 9.4 short tons). The relief on

3300-538: The Caja del Agua are works that date from the colonial period. The Hacienda of Santa Mónica and the Hacienda de Emmedio are well-preserved. The Centro Cultural Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz has a collection of 130 fotografías del Tlalnepantla from the end of the 19th century to 1960 as well as other historical objects. Two notable pyramids lie in the municipality's limits: Tenayuca and Santa Cecilia Acatitlan . The pyramid at Tenayuca

3400-542: The Eagle Warriors. Very little remains of the Seventh Temple because of the demolitions undertaken to build the cathedral. Only a platform to the north and a section of paving in the courtyard on the south side can still be seen. Most of what is known about this temple is based on the historical record. It was at the time the largest and most important active ceremonial center. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún reported that

3500-753: The Eco Parque San Pedro, the Temazcal Park and the Agua Viva monastery. The Eco Parque San Pedro (San Pedro Ecological Park) is located between the Amecameca and Nexpayantla rivers just outside the municipal seat in the community of San Pedro Nexapa. It stands at 2870 meters above sea level, very close to the Puebla state line and has a cold, wet climate. The park is between the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanos near

3600-469: The House of the Eagle Warriors who were dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. Room 5 is dedicated to Tlaloc, the other principal deity of the Aztecs and one of the oldest in Mesoamerica. This room contains various images of the god usually worked in green or volcanic stone or in ceramic. The most prized work is a large pot with the god's face in high relief that still preserves much of the original blue paint. Room 6

3700-469: The Mexico City. The Templo Mayor and Sacred Precinct were demolished and a Spanish church, later the main cathedral, was built on the western half of the precinct. Fray Toribio de Motolinía, a Spanish friar who arrived to Mexico soon after the invasion, writes in his work Memoriales that the Aztec feast of Tlacaxipehualiztli "took place when the sun stood in the middle of [the Temple of] Huitzilopochtli, which

3800-805: The Periférico and the Mexico- Querétaro Freeway with 15 lanes in Tlalnepantla. (This is a section of Mexican Federal Highway 57, part of the Pan-American Highway .) Tlanepantla is served by the local pesero , the Mexibús system, an intercity bus network and the Tren Suburbano at Tlalnepantla and San Rafael stations. The Eastern area is served by the Mexicable service. Schools located in

3900-500: The Sacred Precinct had 78 buildings with Templo Mayor towering above them all. The pyramid was composed of four sloped terraces with a passage between each level, topped by a great platform. It had two stairways to access the two shrines on the top platform. Facing the structure, the left shrine was dedicated to the water god Tlaloc while the right shrine was dedicated to the god of the sun and war, Huitzilopochtli. The two temples were approximately 60 meters (200 feet) in height, including

4000-565: The Spaniards. The others were sacrificed at the Great Temple that night, which could be seen from the Spanish camps. The sacrificed Spaniards were flayed, and their faces – with beards attached – were tanned and sent to allied towns, both to solicit assistance and to warn against betraying the Triple Alliance. After the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521, the lands controlled by the Aztecs became part of

4100-420: The Spanish empire. All the temples, including Templo Mayor, were sacked, taking all objects of gold and other precious materials. Cortés, who had ordered the destruction of the existing capital, had a Mediterranean-style city built on the site. Essential elements of the old imperial center, including the Templo Mayor, were buried under similarly key features of the new city in what is now the historical downtown of

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4200-671: The Sun was located west of the Templo Mayor also and its remains lie under the Metropolitan Cathedral. The project to shore up the cathedral at the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st brought to light a number of artifacts. Most of the objects found in the Templo Mayor were offerings. Although many are of Mexica design, there are also abundant items from other peoples, brought in as tribute or through trade. Sculptures, flint knives, vessels, beads and other sumptuary ornaments—as well as minerals, plants and animals of all types, and

4300-580: The Templo Mayor is located on the exact spot where the god Huitzilopochtli gave the Mexica people his sign that they had reached the promised land: an eagle on a nopal cactus with a snake in its mouth. The Templo Mayor was partially a symbolic representation of the Hill of Coatepec, where according to Mexica myth, Huitzilopochtli was born. Huitzilopochtli emerged from his mother Coatlicue fully grown and fully armed to battle his sister Coyolxauhqui and her brothers

4400-655: The Totolimpanecas arrived around 1268 and populated the areas now known as Itztlacozauhcan, Tlayllotlacan Amaquemecan. Later arrivals occupied areas known as Tzacualtitlan Tenanco Amaquemecan and Atlauhtlan Tzacualtitlan Amaquemecan. These groups had their own small dominions. In 1336, another dominion called Tlaylloltlacan Teohuacan was formed. All these communities were collectively known as the Amaquemecans. Religious practices in this area were mostly performed in urban temples and shrines located on mountaintops and caves. In 1465,

4500-407: The area, there are three main varieties of corn planted where as well as a number of minor varieties. These are planted mostly as a trial or because of their special characteristics, not to compete with the three main varieties. In local markets, these farmers are able to sell these local varieties as well as exchange seed to maintain genetic variety. There is some industry there, which employs about

4600-470: The astronomical equinox (the date of which would have hardly been known to a non-astronomer at that time), but rather only pointed out the correlation between the day of the Mexica festival, which in the last years before the invasion coincided with the solar phenomenon in the Templo Mayor, and the date in the Christian calendar that corresponded to the traditional day of spring equinox. According to tradition,

4700-506: The basis of the economy by 1550. The area also became an important pass linking Mexico City with points east with many travelers and merchants passing through. By 1599, Amecameca has become the head of a district with thirteen dependencies with an area of about 128km2. A major earthquake occurred here in 1704 which destroyed many houses as well as the roof of the La Asuncion Church. It was repaired from 1712 to 1719. The area remained

4800-524: The body—such as the earlobes , lips, tongue, chest, calves, et cetera—with obsidian blades, agave needles or bone perforators. Once the implement was covered with blood, it was inserted in straw balls called Zacatapayoli. The entirety was probably placed in ceremonial boxes—tepetlacalli—as an offering to the gods. Objects associated with human sacrifice are the "face blades" or knives decorated with eyes and teeth, as well as skull masks. Other ceremonial items include musical instruments, jewelry, and braziers for

4900-490: The burning of copal . The museum of the Templo Mayor was built in 1987 to house the Templo Mayor Project and its finds—a project which continues work to this day. In 1991, the Urban Archeology Program was incorporated as part of the Templo Mayor Project whose mission is to excavate the oldest area of the city, around the main plaza. The museum building was built by architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez , who envisioned

5000-399: The carvings of the "commemoration stone of the huei teocalli ", depicting the two tlatoqueh celebrating the opening of the temple during the last day of the month Panquetzaliztli dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, day 7 acatl of the year 8 acatl (19 December 1487). The Sacred Precinct was walled off, and this wall was decorated with serpent heads. He built three shrines and the House of

5100-472: The city include: Private schools: There are more than 2,700 industries located here, making Tlalnepantla one of the most industrialized areas in the country, along with Naucalpan and Monterrey , ranking first in the state of Mexico. The most common industries include: food processing, bottling, tobacco products, textiles, paper products, non-metallic mineral products and metals, chemicals and petroleum products, machinery and wood products. Its industrial zone

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5200-465: The compositions of the soils here as well as the source of most of the municipality's fresh water. The average altitude in these mountains is 4,000 meters above sea level with the highest elevations at the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl volcanos. Although near the active volcano, Amecameca is considered to be at a lower risk than other communities in the area because of the shape of Popocatépetl's cone and

5300-432: The destruction of Tenochtitlan, the Templo Mayor, like most of the rest of the city, was disassembled to be used as construction materials to create the Spanish colonial city. The Temple's exact location was forgotten. By the 20th century, scholars had a good idea where to look for it based on archeological work completed at the end of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. Leopoldo Batres did some excavation work at

5400-423: The economics of the Aztec empire in the form of tribute and trade, with examples of finished products and raw materials from many parts of Mesoamerica. Room 4 is dedicated to the god Huitzilopochtli. His shrine at the temple was the most important and largest. This room contains various images of him as well as offerings. Also located here are the two large ceramic statues of the god Mictlantecuhtli which were found in

5500-423: The emperor Moctezuma II and ordered the destruction of all Aztec religious relics. Cortes ordered a Catholic cross placed on the Templo Mayor. While Cortes left for Veracruz to confront Spaniards looking to arrest him, Pedro de Alvarado learned of a plan to attack the Spaniards and staged a preemptive attack on the Aztecs in the Sacred Precinct while they celebrated a religious festival. Unarmed and trapped within

5600-493: The end of the 19th century under the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral because, at the time, researchers thought the cathedral had been built over the ruins of the temple. In the first decades of the 20th century, Manuel Gamio found part of the southwest corner of the temple, and his findings were put on public display. However, the discovery did not generate great public interest in excavating further as

5700-544: The end of the 19th century, about 85% of the population spoke Nahuatl , but today less than 200 speakers remain. The municipality is situated on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada between the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl and in the Moctezuma-Panuco River. The Sierra Nevada is the most important geographical feature of the region and forms the eastern border of the municipality. These volcanoes are responsible for

5800-399: The federal agency. As municipal seat, the town of Amecameca is the local governing authority for more than 130 other named communities, which over an area of 181.72km2. The municipality borders the municipalities of Tlalmanalco, Atlautla, Ozumba, Ayapango and Juchitepec with the state of Puebla to the east. 181.72km2. About 65% of the municipality's population lives in the town proper. At

5900-707: The help they gave Cortés in conquering Tenochtitlan . Soon thereafter, they were poisoned. After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire , Franciscans were in charge of evangelizing the area. In 1525, Martín de Valencia set fire to the local priests' houses on the Amaqueme Mountain (Sacromonte), and in 1527 construction of the Franciscan monastery began. The cult to the Santo Entierro (Holy Burial) or Señor del Sacromonte

6000-430: The highest elevations near the tree line, only one species of pine is found, Pinus hartwagii . Above the tree line are alpine meadows. Small mammals, especially rabbits are common here as a number of reptiles and a variety of birds. The area used to have larger species such as white-tailed deer but these have been hunted to extinction. Most of the municipality now is dedicated to agriculture and livestock. The main crop

6100-462: The house of water”. Most of the other streams and springs of the municipality are fed by the Sierra Nevada mountains. The climate is temperate and somewhat wet (cb(w2)) with most rains coming between May and October. Temperatures generally vary between 2 °C and 24 °C although temperatures of -8C and 34C are not uncommon. This area, especially in the rainy season, has an abundance of wild edible plants, especially mushrooms. Undeveloped areas in

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6200-448: The intention of the offering. The oldest Mexica objects, located in the second temple, are two urns which contain the remains of incinerated bones; one of the urns was made of obsidian and the other of alabaster. A small silver mask and a gold bell were found inside one urn, and second gold bell and two green stone beads were placed in the other. Images of the gods Huehueteotl - Xiuhtecuhtli , together with Tlaloc, presided over most of

6300-417: The large ravines that are found in this area. The latter offers protection against lava flows and runoff from melting snow. However, the area remains part of the evacuation zone in the event of a major eruption. There is a lookout station on Sacromonte hill which is used by civil defense when the volcano is more active. The area has an eruption warning system of three colors—red, yellow and green—which depend on

6400-467: The lower mountains areas are mostly covered by forests of pine, oak and cypress, with trees reaching over 30 meters in height. However, deforestation is an issue both for the loss of trees and the remaining forests’ ability to resist fires and plagues, with about twenty percent of forested area lost in last decades of the 20th century. Grazing cattle often inhibits reforestation. Higher up, the forests are dominated by fir trees with some pines and cedars. At

6500-498: The midpoint between these two towns, and hence the name (middle land). This monastery, named Corpus Christi was built in 1550. After independence, Tlalnepantla was originally part of Mexico City, but in 1825, it was recognized as a district of the State of Mexico. The municipality is divided almost entirely by Mexico City's Gustavo A. Madero delegation. During the presidency of Porfirio Díaz , Tlalnepantla began industrial development, and in

6600-418: The mountain home of Tlaloc. The sacred ballcourt and skull rack were located at the foot of the stairs of the twin temples, to mimic, like the stone disk, where Huitzilopochtli was said to have placed the goddess' severed head. These locations served as a place for the reenactment of the mythical conflict. The various levels of the Temple also represent the cosmology of the Aztec world. First of all, it

6700-438: The offerings found in the Templo Mayor. Representing fire and water respectively, this pair of deities probably symbolized the concept of "burning water," a metaphor for warfare. Another theme exhibited in this hall is autosacrifice, a ritual that was conducted in private as a personal act of communication with the gods. Widespread throughout the entire population, this practice was performed by perforating certain fleshy parts of

6800-504: The on-site museum. Another conjoining area was dedicated to the Ocelot Warriors. Their temple, dedicated to the god Tezcatlipoca, lies under the current Museo de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público to the south of the Templo Mayor. The Calmecac was a residence hall for priests and a school for future priests, administrators and politicians, where they studied theology, literature, history and astronomy. Its exact location

6900-409: The present time. The second temple was built during the reigns of Acamapichtli , Huitzilihuitl and Chimalpopoca between 1375 and 1427. The upper part of this temple has been excavated, exposing two stone shrines covered in stucco on the north side. A chacmool was uncovered as well. On the south side, there is a sacrificial stone called a téchcatl and a sculpted face. The third temple

7000-428: The pyramid, and each had large braziers where the sacred fires continuously burned. The entrance to each temple had statues of robust and seated men which supported the standard-bearers and banners of handmade bark paper. Each stairway was defined by balustrades flanking the stairs, terminating in menacing serpent heads at the base. These stairways were used only by the priests and sacrificial people. The entire building

7100-567: The region was eventually conquered and made a tributary of the Aztec Empire . After the Spanish Conquest, the area was evangelized by the Franciscans . The founding of modern Tlalnepantla was the result of a dispute between the towns of Tenayuca and Teocalhueyacan as to which should be the site of Franciscan monastery and religious center for the area. The result was to place the monastery at

7200-453: The rest of the hacienda land is leased to a recreational park which is best known for its petting zoo which contains tame deer. Another major attraction is the Bosque de los Arboles de Navidad (Christmas Tree Forest), one of the few places in Mexico where one can go and cut their own tree. The Bosque plants trees such as the "vikingo mexiquense" and the "vikingo canadiense" coming here has become

7300-419: The richest of the architectural decorations as well as sculptures. Most findings from the excavations date from this period. The great platform was decorated with serpents and braziers , some of which are in the form of monkeys and some in the form of Tlaloc. During this time, the stairway to the shrine of Tlaloc was defined by a pair of undulating serpents and the middle of this shrine was a small altar featuring

7400-564: The site and the history that surrounds it. Another smaller pyramid is at Santa Cecilia Acatitlan, just north of Tenayuca. This one was rebuilt as the original was destroyed and some of its blocks were used to build the Santa Cecelia Parish church that is next to it. This pyramid has one staircase, one temple atop. On the plaza is the Hurtado Museum, which houses a small collection of pre-Hispanic sculpture. Amecameca Amecameca

7500-545: The status of Popocatepetl. Green means that the volcano is quiet, yellow that there is activity and caution is advised and red indicates a current or imminent eruption. When the status turns to yellow, tourism to the area plummets to about half normal. Fully within the municipality, the most important elevation is the Sacromonte. The main river there is the Alcalican, which forms from the snowmelt of Iztaccihualt. Its name means “in

7600-405: The stone was later determined to be Coyolxauhqui , Huitzilopochtli's sister, and was dated to the end of the 15th century. From 1978 to 1982, specialists directed by archeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma worked on the project to excavate the Temple. Initial excavations found that many of the artifacts were in good enough condition to study. Efforts coalesced into the Templo Mayor Project, which

7700-490: The structure); Container (type and dimensions of the receptacle containing the objects); internal distribution (placement of objects within the offering) and value of the items. The offerings were usually contained in cavities, in stone urns, and in boxes made of slabs. These are found under floors; in platforms, architectural bodies, stairways and in temples. These offerings were placed accompanied by complex rituals following set temporal, spatial and symbolic patterns, depending on

7800-658: The sunset dates corresponding to the east–west axis of the late stages, including the last, is 4 April, which in the Julian calendar of the 16th century was equivalent to 25 March. In 1519, this was the last day of Tlacaxipehualiztli, that is, precisely the day of the feast of the month. Furthermore, 25 March, the Feast of the Annunciation, was in the Middle Ages commonly identified with the vernal equinox. Consequently, Motolinía did not refer to

7900-459: The temple acts as an embodiment of a living myth where "all sacred power is concentrated and where all the levels intersect." Said myth is the birth and struggle between Huitzilopochtli and Coyolxauhqui . The Sacred Precinct of the Templo Mayor was surrounded by a wall called the "coatepantli" (serpent wall). Among the most important buildings were the ballcourt, the Calmecac (area for priests), and

8000-494: The temple is indicative of the total vision that the Mexica had of the universe ( cosmovision ). He states that the "principal center, or navel, where the horizontal and vertical planes intersect, that is, the point from which the heavenly or upper plane and the plane of the Underworld begin and the four directions of the universe originate, is the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan." Matos Moctezuma supports his supposition by claiming that

8100-440: The temple itself, exposed and labeled to show its various stages of development, along with some other associated buildings, and 2) the museum, built to house the smaller and more fragile objects. The process of expanding an Aztec temple was typically completed by new structures being built over earlier ones, using the bulk of the former as a base for the latter. The Aztecs began construction of Templo Mayor sometime after 1325, and

8200-435: The temple was rebuilt six times. All seven stages of the Templo Mayor, except the first, have been excavated and assigned to the reigns of the emperors who were responsible for them. The first temple is only known through historical records because the high water table of the old lakebed prevents excavation. According to these records, the first pyramid was built with earth and perishable wood, which may not have survived to

8300-443: The temple, around 1469. It was excavated in 1981 and 1982 by José Francisco Hinojosa. It is a large L-shaped room with staircases decorated with sculptures of eagle heads. To enter this main room, one had to pass through an entrance guarded by two large sculpted representations of these warriors. The Eagle Warriors were a privileged class who were dedicated to the god Huitzilopochtli, and dressed to look like eagles. Adjoining this palace

8400-509: The temples dedicated to Quetzalcoatl , Tezcatlipoca and the sun. The Templo Mayor itself delineated the eastern side of the Sacred Precinct. On the sides of the Templo Mayor, archeologists have excavated a number of palatial rooms and conjoining structures. One of the best preserved and most important is the Palace (or House) of the Eagle Warriors . This area dates back to the fourth stage of

8500-422: The town a cultural heritage of Mexico State in 1980 and was designated the "Capital del Alpinismo Nacional" in 1992.(Capital of Mexican Alpinism). In the 2000s, Grupo Walmart in Mexico began to construct a supermarket (Bodega Aurrerá) in the old section of Amecameca but INAH suspended construction. The reason for the suspension was that it would cover nearly a city block and damage older buildings protected by

8600-407: The town is covered in portable stalls in a tradition called the tianguis . In addition, there are several hotels and other businesses that cater to tourists. This sector of the economy employ about 45% of the municipality's population. Outside of the town proper, there are a number of other tourist attractions in the municipality. There is one registered archeological site in the municipality called

8700-454: The walls of the Sacred Precinct, an estimated 8,000–10,000 Aztec nobles were killed. When word of the massacre spread throughout the city, the people turned on the Spaniards, killing seven, wounding many, and driving the rest back to their quarters. The Spaniards were trapped between two Aztec forces, and 68 were captured alive. Ten of these Spanish captives were immediately sacrificed at the Temple, and their severed heads were thrown back to

8800-403: The zone was an upper-class residential area. In 1933, Emilio Cuevas found part of a staircase and beam. In 1948, Hugo Moedano and Elma Estrada Balmori excavated a platform containing serpent heads and offerings. In 1966, Eduardo Contreras and Jorge Angula excavated a chest containing offerings, which had first been explored by Gamio. The push to fully excavate the site did not come until late in

8900-506: Was a major eruption of the Popocatépetl volcano, killing seventeen people in the municipality. In the 1950s, much of the city was renovated including the main plaza, market and Hidalgo Street. The road to the Sanctuary of Sacromonte was improved and stairs added to climb the hill. Since then, the town of Amecameca has grown into a small city. However, there is not enough employment here and many commute to Mexico City to work. The state proclaimed

9000-588: Was almost totally destroyed by the Spanish in 1521, and the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral was built in its place. The Zócalo , or main plaza of Mexico City today, was developed to the southwest of Templo Mayor, which is located in the block between Seminario and Justo Sierra streets. The site is part of the Historic Center of Mexico City , which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. It received 801,942 visitors in 2017. After

9100-451: Was at the equinox". This statement has become very famous, as it is the only textual reference known so far that explicitly relates a Mesoamerican temple with astronomical observations. The measurements in the Templo Mayor confirmed the veracity of this comment. The orientation of stage II, the earliest of the archaeologically attested construction phases, is different from that adopted by stage III and preserved in all subsequent stages. One of

9200-501: Was authorized by presidential decree. To complete the excavation, 13 buildings in this area were demolished including 9 built in the 1930s and 4 dating from the 19th century that had preserved colonial elements. During excavations, more than 7,000 objects were found, mostly offerings including effigies; clay pots in the image of Tlaloc; skeletons of turtles, frogs, crocodiles, and fish; snail shells; coral; gold; alabaster ; Mixtec figurines; ceramic urns from Veracruz ; masks from what

9300-522: Was begun to replace an earlier pagan cult at this site. The La Asuncion Church was begun in 1547, along with a number of other places of worship. Construction was finished in 1564. The tower was not built until the mid-17th century. From the 1540s to the end of the century, there was much civil strife among the native population. Some indigenous rule was restored but it would end for good by the 17th century. The raising of European foodstuffs such as wheat and sheep began early with commercial agriculture becoming

9400-415: Was built between 1427 and 1440 during the reign of Itzcoatl . A staircase with eight stone standard-bearers is from this stage bearing the glyph with the year Four-Reed (1431). These standard bearers act as "divine warriors" guarding the access to the upper shrines. The fourth temple was constructed between 1440 and 1481 during the reigns of Moctezuma I and Axayacatl . This stage is considered to have

9500-519: Was in Amecameca. From a railroad car, he gave a speech against Porfirio Díaz . From 1911 on, the military revolt against the Diaz government was mostly carried out here by Zapatistas , which gained recruits from Amecameca and by 1917, the area was a Zapatista stronghold. The area was important to rebels as it provided materials such as paper, wood, alcohol, charcoal and foodstuffs. After the war, agricultural lands here were redistributed in 1925. In 1919, there

9600-416: Was originally covered with stucco and polychrome paint. The deities were housed inside the temple, shielded from the outside by curtains. The figure of Huitzilopochtli was modeled from amaranth seeds held together with honey and human blood. Inside of him were bags containing jade, bones, and amulets to give life to the god. This figure was constructed annually, and it was richly dressed and fitted with

9700-535: Was sent to live in Mexico City in 1663. The hacienda lay in ruins for the last century or so until it was rehabilitated in 1999 at a cost of more than 10 million pesos. A building next to this one is the International Museum of Volcanos which exhibits of Mexico two most famous volcanoes and others in the world. The hacienda's main building now serves as the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Museum, run by INAH. Much of

9800-403: Was similar to many sacred ball fields in Mesoamerica. Games were played barefoot, and players used their hips to move a heavy ball to stone rings. The field was located west of the Templo Mayor, near the twin staircases and oriented east–west. Next to this ball field was the "huey tzompanti" where the skulls of sacrifice victims were kept after being covered in stucco and decorated. The Temple of

9900-537: Was some minting of copper, silver and gold as well. In 1871, Father Fortino Hipolito Vera y Talona founded a number of business and cultural enterprises such as the first polytechnic school and a press which printed both religious and cultural articles. Until the Mexican Revolution , most of the arable land in the area was owned by large haciendas such as the Tomacoco, Coapexco and Panohaya. In 1910, Francisco I. Madero

10000-520: Was the main temple of the Mexican people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan , which is now Mexico City . Its architectural style belongs to the late Postclassic period of Mesoamerica . The temple was called Huēyi Teōcalli [we:ˈi teoːˈkali] in the Nahuatl language. It was dedicated simultaneously to Huitzilopochtli , god of war, and Tlaloc , god of rain and agriculture, each of which had

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