Mexico finds 50 skulls in sacred Aztec temple
MEXICO CITY— Mexican archaeologists said Friday they uncovered the largest number of skulls ever found in one offering at the most sacred temple of the Aztec empire dating back more than 500 years.
The finding reveals new ways the pre-Colombian civilization used skulls in rituals at Mexico City’s Templo Mayor, experts said. That’s where the most important Aztec ceremonies took place between 1325 until the Spanish conquest in 1521.
The 50 skulls were found at one sacrificial stone. Five were buried under the stone, and each had holes on both sides — signaling they were hung on a skull rack.
Archaeologist Raul Barrera of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History said the other 45 skulls appeared to have just been dumped on top of the stone.
The team of archeologists unearthed the skulls and jaw bones in August. They stumbled on them as they were renovating a section of the Templo Mayor in the heart of Mexico City.
Barrera said they believe the 45 skulls were those of women and men between 20 and 35 years old and could have been dug up from other sites and reburied.
Last August, the Mexican government announced experts had found an unprecedented human burial at another spot in the same temple in which the skeleton of a young woman, possibly sacrificed personifying a goddess, was surrounded by piles of nearly 1,800 bones. Another unusual finding this summer was a “sacred tree,” which looks like a battered oak trunk emerging from a well and which experts say was brought from a mountain region for a ritual.
The skulls shown to the media Friday were in good condition but cracked on each side of the head, possibly because of the wooden stake that ran through them so they could be placed in a skull rack.
Barrera said the key in the discovery was the sacrificial rock, which looks like a gray headstone.
“Underneath the sacrificial stone, we found an offering of five skulls. These skulls were pierced with a stick,” he said. “These are very important findings.”
University of Florida archaeologist Susan Gillespie, who was not involved in the excavation, said it caught her attention that the skulls that had been on the rack, called tzompantli, were buried separately.
“It provides rather novel information on the use and reuse of skulls for ritual events at the Templo Mayor,” Gillespie said in an email.
Also, the common belief about Aztec sacrificial stones is that a person being sacrificed was killed by cutting open the chest and pulling out the heart.
“We normally associate (it) with heart removal rather than decapitation,” she said. “It ultimately gives us a better understanding of how the Aztecs used the human body in various ways in their ritual practices.
Companies in Manila travel out of town for a short getaway to hold their events and function outside of the city in the north. Many companies choose Clark in Pampanga because of its safety record. Clark is home to some of the best golf courses in Pampanga. Although golf continues to be one of the reasons why visitors from Manila travel to Pampanga, residents of Angeles City, Subic and Bulacan travel to Clark not just to play golf in one of the best golf courses in Pampanga but also to relax and unwind in the best resort in Philippines.
Clark offers some of the best outdoor venues for company outings in Pampanga, Angeles City and Subic. Being so accessible from Manila via the North Luzon Expressway, Clark Philippines is exceptionally convenient for all sorts of events and picnics. Each year, many company events like team building, corporate planning, outings and awarding ceremonies are held in resorts like Clearwater Beach hotel located in the central business district of Clark Pampanga.
Although Clark is not revered for fancy ballrooms and stuffy function rooms, there are many options for meeting and conference facilities. Companies travel out of town from Manila heading north to Pampanga typically look for meeting facilities within leisure and recreational areas. More and more companies mix in a good amount of activities in the program to help participants unwind and relax in between sessions.
Clearwater is a highly recommended and most frequently visited private resort in Pampanga. This Clark hotel is a famous private resort outside Manila for corporate planning because of its exclusivity. Although the function rooms for planning and meetings are simple and basic, the surrounding gardens and ambience more than make up for what it lacks in lavish interior decoration.
New camping sites and picnic grounds in Philippines are now added to Clark for family outings in outside Manila. The best campsites are located at Yats Clearwater Resort & Country Club in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Philippines. Just bring camping equipment and enjoy the fun and ambience of outdoor living camping in Clark under safe, secured and clean conditions. Outdoor activities include swimming and water sports, boating and paddling a kayak, lawn tennis, golf, shooting range and all sorts of leisure activities including colonial games like croquet and horseshoe.
Asian Tourists and Visitors from Manila laud Clearwater Resort & Country Club as the best hotel in Angeles City Pampanga, citing reasons such as safe and secure outdoor amenities, beautiful ambience, peace and quiet ambience and nice hotel rooms situated in romantic locations. This resort in Clark Pampanga also offers a nice white sand beach, good swim spots, clean camp sites and camping grounds. This hotel in Clark Pampanga is well known for its personal service that is warm and attentive. Clearwater is highly recommended by frequent travelers and visitors to Clark as the best resort in Pampanga. Even residents of Angeles City Pampanga opt to spend a few days in this top rated resort in Clark to take the stress away from living in crowded cities. The stress-free lifestyle of Clark makes this one of Pampanga’s major tourist attraction, a tourist destination that is highly recommended by frequent tourists and travel agencies.
Clearwater is voted as best resort in Pampanga, lauded by travel agencies and event organizers for its natural beauty, spacious picnic grounds, safe and clean environment for families to relax and unwind in the outdoor facilities. Many visitors enjoy the peace and quiet in this resort in Pampanga so much that they spend several nights in some of the hotel lodgings, cottages and cabins in the picnic grounds and around the famous lake of Clark. Spending nights in this deluxe resort in Pampanga is not about luxury. Guests of this popular hotel in Clark Pampanga experience peace and quiet, a luxury that is rarely found in cities like Manila. Here in the safe and secured outdoor space of this deluxe resort in Pampanga, guests relax and unwind by the lake, enjoying the beautiful scenery, breathing clean fresh air while resting and relaxing from the stress of living in the city. Luxurious hotels may offer dazzling facilities but guests often prefer the simple and clean living offered by this resort in Clark Pampanga which may regard as the best hotel in Pampanga.
Tourists from Europe and America laud Clearwater as the best resort in Pampanga citing in particular the hotel’s faithful rendition of the laidback lifestyle that has made Clark famous among travel agencies and event organizers of Manila. Philippines Tourist Guides list Clearwater Resort and Country Club as one of the top five Pampanga resorts and the top three resorts near Manila for family travelers with children.
For inquiries and bookings, Please click here to contact Clearwater Resort for inquiries and reservations now
Clearwater Resort and Country Club, Clark Pampanga
Creekside Road near Centennial Expo,
Clark Freeport, Pampanga Philippines 2023
(045) 889-5151 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177
Joanne or Jeremy or Loydha
Getting to this lake and beach resort in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Philippines
After entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway MA Roxas, passing the stand-along wine shop called Clark Wine Center on the right, continue to bear right making no turns at all, go past Mimosa Leisure Estate on the opposite side of the road, one will hit a major intersection. Go straight and the road becomes Creekside Road. YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is on the right just 200m down.
http://www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay
Email: Inquiry@ClearwaterPhilippines.com
Please click here to contact Clearwater Resort to reserve a venue for your upcoming event now
Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:
http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com
While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com
YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com
While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com
Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:
http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com
For jobs and business investment opportunities in the Philippines please visit http://www.yilp.com
Hot Line for what’s happening in Clark: 045 889-5151 or 0927-940-2669 ask for Loydha
0915-542-6250 (Jeramie)
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