Spectacular discovery in Mexico: Priests fleeced victims and wore on their skin

Mexican archeologists have found what they believe is the first temple to the pre-hispaniske fruktbarhetsguden "the fleeced the lord". It reports news agency Associated Press.

During an excavation in the Popoloca-the ruins in the Mexikanske the province of Puebla took the experts two skull-like figures and a torso carved in stone that counterfeited the god Xipe Totec.

Each of the two shells is 70 centimeters high and weighs approximately 200 kilograms. Was measuring about 80 centimeters, and has a hole in the abdominal area.

the Latter had an extra hand hanging from one arm, which suggests that it had on hand to a victim, according to Mexico's national institute of anthropology and history.

Ancient ritual

the Archaeologists tells us that the priests worshipped Xipe Totec by to flay human victims killed in gladiator-like battles and "dress up" their skin. Later became the skin laid down in the pits in front of the altars. The ritual was seen as a way to ensure fertility and reproduction.

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the temple's workmanship voices of the one's with the ancient sources that describe ofringsritualet. Earlier they found several figures of the same deity, as well as altrene that should have been used.

Archaeologist Noemi Castillo, who led the excavation, believes the new skins that recently was found was used to cover the holes where the victims ' skins, and was buried.

They estimate that the indigenous population in Popoloca built the temple between the years 1000 and 1260. It should later have been conquered by the aztecs. Depictions of the same god is previously found with the aztecs, but never a whole temple.

Archaeologist at the university of Florida, Susan Gillespie, who was not involved in the discovery, has commented on the found of was that the sharpest evidence on the practice and gudedyrkelsen affiliated with a specific temple.

But, if the aztec sources are credible, it does not necessarily mean that this was a offerplass, she writes.

- Aztekernes practice was to perform sacrifices on one or several places, so as to save the skin in a different place after someone had worn the leather in a few days. So it may be that this temple only was a ritual space.

Far into the dense jungle suddenly up to several tens of unknown cities