Archaeologists performing excavations in Mexico City’s Centro neighborhood dug up more than they bargained for when they uncovered the hidden ruins of an ancient Aztec dwelling, which had apparently been occupied for many generations in both the pre- and post-Spanish conquest eras. Experts from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History ( INAH), which sponsored the excavations, believe the residential building was likely constructed during the Aztec Empire’s late Postclassical period, which covered the years from 1200 to 1521 AD.
This eye-opening discovery was both fortunate and extraordinary, as the archaeologists were not looking for Aztec ruins. Their excavations were ordered as a precautionary measure, in advance of an electrical power substation construction project that could damage undiscovered underground ruins.
Nevertheless, archaeologists who explore the underground regions of Mexico City are always hopeful that something interesting might turn up. Mexico’s current capital was built directly on top of the Aztec Empire’s spectacular capital city of Tenochtitlan, and that means Aztec ruins could conceivably be uncovered during any excavation.
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