November 22, 2015

New Important Discoveries at  Zultépec-Tecoaque in Tlaxcala

A new discovery has been made at the Zultépec-Tecoaque archaeological site in Tlaxcala. INAH has found the skeleton of a high ranking Acolhua leader in a cistern, a full size throne made of volcanic rock, and a carved stone with the pictograph of Ometochtli or “Two Rabbit.” The site dates to 1200-1521 CE. The glyph of Two Rabbit is associated with pulque. Pulque was produced in this area. The buried individual was 25 years old. They have also found a cistern with the bones of three different infants that had been cooked or boiled and possibly eaten.

Mexico News Daily has the report here;
http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/evidence-of-pulque-god-found-in-tlaxcala/

INAH has more details in their report with a slide show of the finds. (click on the little green camera icon under the photo).
http://www.inah.gob.mx/es/boletines/4933-hallan-entierro-de-personaje-vinculado-con-ometochtli-dios-del-pulque-en-tlaxcala

Earlier report I posted on surprising finds at this site;

Decapitated Spaniards from 1520 Convoy Uncovered at the site of Zultepec-Tecoaque

In 1520 CE, the Alcohua town of Zultepec-Tecoaque captured a supply convoy of 15 Spaniards and 45 food soldiers of Cuban and African descent, women and 350 Indian allies a year after the conquest of Tenochtitlan. The townspeople carved clay figurines of the captives, and sumbolically decapitated the figurines. The captives were then sacrificed and eaten. The captives were held in cells for six months and then all were slowly canibalized, to ask the gods for protection from them. The pigs the Spaniards brought were left uneaten. These would have been strange creatures to the invaded. The captives were torn apart and the meat removed from their bones. One woman was found dismembered with the skull of a one year old placed in her pelvis. Spanish valuables like majolica china, jewelry, spurs, stirrups were tossed into wells. A horse’s rib bone was carved into a musical instrument. The heads of the captives were placed on a skull rack. Cortes dispatched a punitive expedition. The townspeople then hid all of the remains of the Spaniards, which has allowed archaeologists to find the remains.

CTV News has the report here from INAH;
http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/excavation-of-mexican-site-reveals-decapitation-of-conquistadors-1.2602422

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