In September 2022, beneath the floor of Mexico City and amidst the tremors of an earthquake, a large stone-carved snake head emerged, believed to hail from the traditional Tenochtitlan period. Over a yr later, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), supported by the UNAM specialists, continues to be diligently conserving this artifact, which holds a placing 80% of its unique colourful floor, making it probably the most vibrantly preserved Mexica snake heads discovered to this point.
This discovery took place beneath the japanese a part of UNAM’s (National Autonomous University of Mexico) former School of Jurisprudence building in Mexico City’s Historic Center, studies INAH . Although displaced from its preliminary setting, the 1.2-ton sculpture, measuring 1.80 meters (5’ 8”) in size, 1 meter (3’ 4”) in top, and 85 centimeters (2’ 10”) in width, was discovered alongside varied architectural elements.
INAH consultants get better the polychrome of a monumental Mexica snake head. (LANCIC. UNAM/ INAH)
Surprisingly, the very parts that hid it for over 500 years – mud and water mixtures – additionally safeguarded its stucco and hints of its unique colours: ocher, purple, blue, black, and white.
After it had been excavated and eliminated, an professional conservation staff, overseen by restorer María Barajas Rocha, initiated their preservation efforts. Barajas Rocha, famend for her work on the goddess Tlaltecuhtli monolith present in 2006, emphasised the delicacy of the colour conservation. The colours – showcasing the Mexica’s vivid ornamental palette – are fragile, derived from mineral and plant sources.
Using a humidity chamber, the ocher, blue, purple, black and white tones with which it was painted in pre-Hispanic instances are stabilized. (LANCIC. UNAM/ INAH)
Mexica Snake Deity
The Mexica individuals, generally generally known as the Aztecs, have been an indigenous Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico between the 14th and sixteenth centuries. Originating as a nomadic tribe in northern Mexico, they finally migrated to the Basin of Mexico within the thirteenth century. There, they established their majestic capital metropolis, Tenochtitlán, on the positioning of present-day Mexico City.
The Mexica snake deity, mostly acknowledged as Quetzalcoatl, is without doubt one of the most distinguished and revered gods in historical Mesoamerican cultures, particularly among the many Aztecs. Quetzalcoatl is commonly depicted as a feathered serpent, mixing the attributes of each a chook (quetzal) and a snake (coatl).
It must be famous, the snake head that has been discovered seems to have scales, reasonably than feathers.
This snake deity is related to varied elements of Mesoamerican life, together with information, creation, wind, and fertility. In many myths, Quetzalcoatl is seen as a boundary-maker between the earth and the sky and can be credited with the creation of humanity through the use of his blood to present life to bones. Over time, the multifaceted nature of Quetzalcoatl has led to numerous interpretations and roles in numerous Mesoamerican cultures, but he stays an emblem of the interconnection of terrestrial and celestial realms.
A Slow and Steady Preservation Process
In collaboration with UNAM, a humidity-controlled chamber has been arrange, the place, till early 2024, efforts to preserve the colours will persist. This surroundings ensures the moisture gathered over centuries throughout the stone will slowly rise to the floor, minimizing any threat of colour loss, cracks, or salt crystallizations.
Archaeologists Patricia Ledesma and Salvador Pulido have urged persistence and understanding from each the media and the general public. The stabilization course of will proceed into subsequent yr, throughout which the sculpture will stay off-limits, as any microclimate change might harm it.
Concurrently, UNAM’s National Science Laboratory staff will study the carving’s supplies. Archaeologist Moramay Estrada Vázquez, the rescue undertaking coordinator on the former School of Jurisprudence, is delving into analysis concerning the sculpture’s historic context, its iconography, and symbolism.
Top picture: Colorful, stone snake deity head recovered in Mexico City. Source: LANCIC. UNAM/INAH
By Gary Manners
