Templo Mayor Ruins, Mexico City

The Templo Mayor was the principal temple of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, dedicated to the gods Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. Spanish conquistadors demolished the structure in 1521 to build Mexico City atop its remains, and the site lay buried until construction workers rediscovered it in 1978. Archaeologists have since uncovered seven successive construction phases, dating from roughly 1325 to 1519, along with thousands of offerings buried within the temple platforms. The adjacent museum, opened in 1987, houses artifacts recovered from the excavation, including the massive stone disc depicting the dismembered goddess Coyolxauhqui. The ruins sit just northeast of the Zócalo, in the heart of Mexico City's historic center.

Photo taken in April 2018.