Ancient ‘Flayed Lord’ Temple Ruins Found in Mexico

A shrine dedicated to the 'Flayed Lord' Xipe Tóte was discovered in the ancient ruins known as Ndachjian--Tehuacán in Puebla state, central Mexico, it was announced this past week.

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The ruins, built by the Popoloca Indians - an indigenous peoples located in the southeastern regions of Veracruz and Oaxaca, were home to arguably some of the most barbaric murders ever witnessed.

The discoveries of two altars adjacent to each other suggest victims were killed on one and skinned on the other. According to a report from CNN, on one of the sculptures is an extra right hand hanging backwards from the left arm of the torso, which symbolizes the skin of the victim that was left hanging after the ritual flaying.

The pre-Hispanic deity Tótec was given the nickname 'Flayed Lord,' as he was represented by a human's skinless corpse. According to Mexican authorities, Tótec, was linked with fertility, agricultural cycles and war, and, along with Mexican priests, skinned victims before donning themselves in the skin as a sign of regeneration.

Two skulls and a torso were uncovered by archeologists at the site, while a team from the National Institute of Anthropology and History found the two sacrificial altars. "Sculpturally it is a very beautiful piece," said archeologist Noemí Castillo Tejero of the National Institute of Anthropology and History in a press release. "It is around 80 centimeters tall and has a hole in the stomach that was used, according to sources, to put in a green stone and 'bring them to life' for the ceremonies." 

The findings were an important part of ancient Mexican culture, known as Tlacaxipehualiztli, which means "put on the skin of the flayed" in the Náhuatl language. Each skull is around 70 centimeters tall and weighs about 200 kilograms. The sculpture was smashed to pieces as part of a ritual, according to the team, and they think they might find other parts of its body in future digs at the site, which would have been used between 1000 and 1260 AD before the Popolocas were conquered by the Aztecs. So far the team have uncovered a structure some 12.5 meters long and 3.5 meters tall, with plans to excavate more.

This isn't the first time archeologists have uncovered historical artifacts from Mexico' storied history. In July 2018, Scientists at the Teopanzolco archeological site discovered an ancient temple that was exposed by a devastating earthquake in central Mexico in September 2017. Once again, archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History unearthed the shrine as they scanned the ancient Aztec structures for damage caused by the 'quake.

Furthermore, in February 2018 archaeologists started excavating a secret tunnel thought to lead beneath a pyramid at the site. According to CNN, the tunnel was sealed off centuries ago by the Maya, but archaeologists plan to clear it in order to reach a hidden "cenote" - an underwater cavern that was central to Mayan spirituality. Cenotes are water-filled sinkholes and are the only source of fresh water in Mexico's Yucatan state. The Mayan civilization could not have survived here without them, but as well as sustaining physical life, these deep caverns were a key part of the Mayan cosmology.

The newly discovered sculptures will be studied and put on display at the Ndachjian--Tehuacán museum.