The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-16
Aztec Altar Found
Most important
Discovery in Mexico.

I entity OF ESCaleruLaS street, this city, Oh
rectly back Of the famous cathedral
The search for remains Of Montezuma'
/ wonderful city has been conducted under
the auspices of the Mexican government.
/ President Diaz has came in for q
| large share Of praise from scientific men
| Of both continents, who are watching the
/ progress Of these excavations. The Sc
! ries Of discoveries relating to the temples
/ Of Anahuac has lately been enriched by
| the unearthing Of one Of the alters Of
Tzompantli, the Aztec name for human
sacrifice. Carvings and hieroglyphics up
on its surface leave no doubt as to the
ancient purpose Of the stone.
A still more striking genuineness lies
in the fact that bones Of victims were
found near at hand, attesting the hui
man sacrifices to the terrible god Tezcat-
Hpoca, "the Soul of the World" The al
ter belonged to one Of the chain Of seven
ty-eight ehapels which surround the great
temple in the TeocaIli, but only further
explorations viii indicate the particular
chapel to which this alter belonged.
The altar is one metre, ninety-fve cen
timetres wide in front and the sides
measure one metre sixty-two cenumeues
in width. It stands on a base Of stone
not entirely uncovered, but probably
three OF four centimetres high. A fight
of stone steps leads to the alter, on either
side Of which is a fragment Of stone
column marking the entrance to the
chapel or the approach to the alter.
It was down this fight of steps that
the bodies of those sacrificed were
thrown, there to be seized and served up
in a feast of exquisite refinement Of bar
barity, with the rarest of vintage and
acces cries.
The altar is built Of hard volcanic rock
and lime mortar, almost as solid as
mOnoEth- The carving is continuous, as
on a single piece of rock. and was evil
IDENTIFY done after the construction Of the
alter.
Exca walton has been begun in the main
plaza in front of the National palace,
and to-day, the second OF third day of
the work, the first find was made 1t
consist ed Of ten slick knives, one idol
Of cop al and one painted terra Gotta
plate. The discovery was made at the
same depth as the other finds. From
now on it is probable every day that
some rare reuquary bearing upon the OBJ
scure history of the refined fanatics Of
will be disclosed
Around the top Of the altar runs
frieze eighty-eight centimetres wide,
carved with skulls and crossbones. There
are four of taese lines, The skulls and
crossbones alternate, instead of the cross
bones being placed under the skulls The
skulls are carved in profile Aztec carv-
ings of the human figure, either whole
or in part, are said to be invariable in
profile, which has formed a basis of
o. Aztec art and picture
writing with that of ancient Egypt The
crossbones or femur bones, are short
and thick The top of the altar is COW
cred with mortar or cement, glazed. on
which is painted, in blue more or less
distinct hieroglyphics and more skulls
and crossbones. 1t may be possible to
read these la-er, although little progress
has been made in deciphering mystical
Aztec hieroglyphics.
The south side of the altar was found
on the north edge Of the sewer excava-
ton in Escalerillas street, about fifty
metres west Of the chapel Of Ehecatl.
'the god of the air" As soon as the
earth was cleared away from the ton
and sides a strong wood covering was
placed over it to protect it from any
damage during further excavation The
earth is to be removed from the top
that is from the street down, and is to
be cleared away to the base of the al
ter
The altar Is to be preserved in place
rs a permanent monument It viii be
enclosed in a chamber with a glass COW
aring. at the street level, from which
point it can be viewed. Steps will lead
down to it so that it can be examined
by visitors at all times. These are the
plans which have thus far been made,
although they be modified by further ex-
oavation and discoveries. hat a differ
ence is this to the wanton destruction of
Aztec monuments under the three centlr- !
.e sof Spanish rulei
Historians Of repute affirm that no less
than twenty thousand victims were sac
rifced yearly upon the affairs of "the
Soul OF the World" This number has
been the object of dispute on the part
Of learned men. but the consensus Of
opinion is that the number Of sacrifices
was very large.
Men and wCmen, captured in war. were |
spoils for the altar so that to CAPTURE |
an enemy alone was the chief glory Of
battle
When Montezuma was asked why he
suffered the republic of Tgascala to main
tain her Independence on his borders. he
replied that it was solely to furnish him
with victims for his gods, an observation
which would bear out the belief that the
number Of human sacrifices was appau- |
ingly large
The manner Of conducting these terri !
ole ceremonies in propitiation of the gods
was more refined in cruelty than any hui
man sacrifices known 10 history. though
ancient sacrifices have been common ~
many countries all the way from JaDan
to Rome.
They (human sacrifces) were ado1te5
10y the Aztecs," SAYS Prescott. "earlv in
the fourteenth century. Rare at first
they became more frequent with The
wider extent Of the empire till at length
almost every festival was closed with
this cruel abominaton in honor Of 4be
SOD Tezcarlipoca, whose rank was in
ferior only to that Of the Supreme Be-
ing.
The soul If the World as he was
supposed tn have been its creator vas
eenletea as handsome man endowed
with perpetual youth A year before
ne intended sacrifice a captive 8istin-
suished for his personal beauty and with
ont olemish en- his body was selected
to represent the deltv
Certain tutors too charge Of him and
instructed him how to perform his new
nart With hecam.nE 80 ara 49,