In September 2022, beneath the floor of Mexico Metropolis 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 Nationwide Institute of Anthropology and Historical past (INAH), supported by the UNAM specialists, remains to be diligently conserving this artifact, which holds a hanging 80% of its unique colourful floor, making it some of the vibrantly preserved Mexica snake heads discovered to this point.

This discovery came about beneath the japanese a part of UNAM’s (Nationwide Autonomous College of Mexico) former College of Jurisprudence constructing in Mexico Metropolis’s Historic Heart, reports INAH. Though 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 parts.

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INAH consultants recuperate 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, crimson, blue, black, and white.

After it had been excavated and eliminated, an knowledgeable 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.

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Utilizing a humidity chamber, the ocher, blue, crimson, black and white tones with which it was painted in pre-Hispanic instances are stabilized. (LANCIC. UNAM/INAH)

Mexica Snake Deity

The Mexica folks, generally often known as the Aztecs, had 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 ultimately 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 Metropolis.

The Mexica snake deity, mostly acknowledged as Quetzalcoatl, is among the most distinguished and revered gods in historic Mesoamerican cultures, particularly among the many Aztecs. Quetzalcoatl is commonly depicted as a feathered serpent, mixing the attributes of each a chicken (quetzal) and a snake (coatl).

It needs to be famous, the snake head that has been discovered seems to have scales, relatively than feathers.

This snake deity is related to varied elements of Mesoamerican life, together with data, creation, wind, and fertility. In lots of myths, Quetzalcoatl is seen as a boundary-maker between the earth and the sky and can also be credited with the creation of humanity by utilizing his blood to offer life to bones. Over time, the multifaceted nature of Quetzalcoatl has led to numerous interpretations and roles in several Mesoamerican cultures, but he stays an emblem of the interconnection of terrestrial and celestial realms.

A Sluggish and Regular Preservation Course of

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 accrued over centuries throughout the stone will slowly rise to the floor, minimizing any danger of coloration loss, cracks, or salt crystallizations.

Archaeologists Patricia Ledesma and Salvador Pulido have urged endurance 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 may injury it.

Concurrently, UNAM’s Nationwide Science Laboratory staff will look at the carving’s supplies. Archaeologist Moramay Estrada Vázquez, the rescue venture coordinator on the former College of Jurisprudence, is delving into analysis concerning the sculpture’s historic context, its iconography, and symbolism.

High picture: Colourful, stone snake deity head recovered in Mexico Metropolis.      Supply: LANCIC. UNAM/INAH

By Gary Manners