Over 160 Starfish And A Jaguar Skeleton Found In An Astonishing Discovery On Aztec Offerings

Archaeologists found the relics at Templo Mayor, the main temple of the Aztecs in the capital of Tenochtitlán in present-day Mexico City, in a massive discovery during the excavations of 500-year-old Aztec offerings filled with more than 160 starfish and a jaguar’s remains with a spear within its claw.
The find was carried out last year at Templo Mayor, a 90-foot-tall structure built in the 1300s, the site of momentous Aztec rituals and ceremonies. Archaeologists discovered the items in the Cuauhxicalco area of the temple, indicating that they were put there around 1500 AD, during the transition of power between Aztec rulers Ahuízotl and Moctezuma Xocoyotzin.

Source: INAH

Despite the fact that previously, archaeologists have discovered starfish at the very same location, this offering has been the biggest gathering ever discovered. One instance, among the initial placed in the offering, was even discovered totally untouched, thanks to being pushed by the weight above it below a level of fiber, according to archaeologists.
The creatures are from a species named Nidorellia armata, often dubbed chocolate chip star due to their sandy coloring and raised black spots. The head of the team of archaeologist, Miguel Báez Pérez, clarified that the Aztecs would frequently bring sea creatures from hundreds of miles away as a gesture to the divine being.

Source: INAH

“A good part of the Mesoamerican peoples believed that the origin of the world was linked to the sea; therefore, marine organisms were treated as relics,” Pérez claimed. “In the case of the Mexicas, their military power allowed them to bring thousands of marine objects and recreate an entire aquatic environment in Tenochtitlán itself.”
Archaeologists doubt that the gatherings of objects in the find, including animal skeletons, insect remnants, and bit of coral, were tribute to Huītzilōpōchtli, the Aztec god of war, as this would alsoexplain the presence of the spear and the jaguar. Pérez believed that the importance of the items will probably be deeper uncovered with more research into their provenance.

Source: INAH

“This offering is one of the largest that we have found in the Templo Mayor, so until we explore the 30 or 40 centimeters of depth that we believe we are missing, it is difficult to know its meaning,” the archaeologist said.
The starfish and the remaining items will be kept in place at the Templo Mayor until archaeologists have found a method to remove them while still preserving the offering’s shape, when they’ll be transferred to a lab for closer examination. Pérez said, “It’s very interesting because, if you think of it, the pattern on the starfish looks very similar to the pelt of a jaguar.”

Source: INAH