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Ritual and Sacrifice
The gods were the expression of a magical, occult and at times terrible world. They were created by man as the presence of a reality that lived and died. In turn, man, motivated in part by fear and in part by hope, sought answers to the innate need of transcendence through the gods. To concretize the communion between man and deities, ritual sometimes provided the link, and on more than a few occasions, rites represented the myths that gave rise to the gods. All human activity was infused with a deep religious meaning, so that ritual formed an integral and inseparable part of the life of man in his desire to communicate with the gods. Similarly, rituals fulfilled a collective need and served as a tool of control on the part of high officials toward society. They were also the instrument of power and the justification to dominate others; such is the case, for example, of "Flowery Wars," ritual wars in which prisoners destined for sacrifice were captured. Rituals were celebrated according to the calendar called the Tonalámatl
and they varied in form, content and duration, depending on the divinity invoked. However, the ritual of human sacrifice preserved the original essence of the notion that death was necessary for birth or life to satisfy the gods.
Most of the objects found in the Templo Mayor come from offerings Although there were many Mexica elements, abundant materials from other people, the result of tribute or brought in trade, were also found. Sculptures, flint knives, vessels, beads and other sumptuary ornaments, as well as minerals, plants and animals of all types, and 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 were found, which have been grouped by researchers in terms of Time (the period in which the offering was deposited); Space (the location of the offering within the structure); Container (type and dimensions of the receptacle containing the objects); internal distribution (placement of objects within the offering) and Wealth of materials. The offerings were located basically in construction fill, in stone urns, in boxes made of slabs and under floors; in platforms, architectural bodies, stairways and in temples, for example in Stage II.13 Cross ref
The Mexicas buried these offerings by practicing complex rituals and following set temporal, spatial and symbolic patterns, depending on the intention of the offering. Generally they were celebrated in periodic rituals in accordance with the ritual calendar, but they could also be carried out as special ceremonies. For example, offerings could have been deposited at the expansion of the Temple and its consecration, funerary rites of a prominent individual, times of drought and starvation, uncontrollable natural phenomenon and/or other social crises. The complex language of these deposits may be seen for example in Offering 17.
The oldest Mexica objects, located in construction stage II of the Templo Mayor, are two urns, containing the remains of incinerated bones; one of the urns was made of obsidian and the other of tecalli or alabaster. Cremation was generally practiced on warriors and high-ranking civilians. Following a complicated ceremony that lasted for several days and in which slaves and a guide dog were killed, the remains of the deceased, adorned with stone and metal ornaments, were burned to later be placed in an urn, together with the hair of the deceased and some of the objects that adorned him. A small silver maskette and a gold bell were found on the interior of the obsidian urn, while the tecalli vessel contained another gold bell and two green stone beads.
Images of the gods Huehueteotl-Xiuhtecuhtli, together with Tlaloc, presided over most of 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
Objects related to rituals such as human sacrifice may also in be seen in this hall, such as flint knives, as well as symbolic pieces such as face blades decorated with applications, and impressive skull masks with incrustations to simulate eyes. In addition, a group of skulls of decapitated victims is exhibited; it is believed they were also subjected to sacrifice by heart extraction(AGREGAR?: , based on descriptions of sacrificial practices in 16th century documents). These skulls bear the characteristic perforation the right and left temple producing a hole through which a stake would have been inserted to place them on the tzompantli or skull rack. Furthermore, these skulls display evidence that they were flayed, that is to say, that the skin and flesh were removed before they were exhibited on the rack.
Many other objects related to ritual ceremonies are also on exhibit. These include braziers in which copal
Two finely worked funerary urns from the Gulf coast were found to contain cremated bones of important individuals. These remains probably pertained to Mexica warriors who died in combat.
Because the theme of this hall revolves around sacrifice and death, it is worth turning to an extraordinary green stone vessel with the representation of Mictlantecuhtli, "Lord of the World of the Dead," of the fleshless, who inhabited Mictlan.
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Last Modified: January 11, 1998.
Museo del Templo Mayor, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e História, México.
Seminario #8, Centro Histórico. Cuauhtémoc, México, D.F. 06060
©Copyright 1997
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