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If you are looking to explore some Aztec ruins in the heart of Mexico City, look no further than the Tlatelolco archaeological site. While not in the same league as the massive and impressive Teotihuacan pyramids, the Tlatelolco Archaeological Site offers a glimpse into Mexico City’s Aztec past.
And the best part is, you will have the ruins practically all to yourself, just a short hop from downtown!
There are actually three points of interest around the Tlatelolco archeological site: the Aztec ruins, the Catholic church, and the Plaza de las Tres Culturas—site of the 1968 student massacre. All three are worth a bit of your time, each one representing a different era in Mexico City’s development: pre-Hispanic, colonial, and modern.
Read on for a brief history of Tlatelolco and more information on the three different areas of interest.
Note: I sourced most of the information about the site from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and a little bit of Wikipedia.
Tlatelolco’s History
The seemingly quiet neighborhood of Tlatelolco sits just north of the heart of downtown Mexico City. But this now modern part of the city has a long and interesting history that we now know because of the discovery of these ruins.
Origins
In1325 the Mexica people (a Nahuatl-speaking subset of what we generally refer to as Aztecs) settled on the island of Mexico-Tenochtitlán on Lake Texcoco. One of their gods, Huitzilopochtli, had told them to find “an eagle with a snake in its beak, perched on a prickly pear cactus” (this should sound familiar if you have seen the Mexico flag). They found the promised land here on Lake Texcoco and settled in.
The area was known as Tenochtitlán and rapidly became the heart of the Aztec empire, with a sophisticated system of streets, canals, aqueducts, and ritual spaces.
But within a few years, the population was expanding and not everyone was getting along. So in 1337, thirteen years after the founding of Tenochtitlán, a number of these Aztecs moved north to the island of Tlatelolco and founded their own rival monarchy. There they thrived as merchants, controlling trade routes and trading blankets, clothing, animals, spices, corn, pottery, and other items.
Meanwhile, Tenochtitlán continued to expand, and by 1515 battled and conquered Tlatelolco, folding them back under their rule.
The Spanish Conquest
Then Hernan Cortés marched into Tenochtitlán in November of 1519, with his sights on conquering the Aztecs (and getting his grubby hands on all that gold). After a series of wins and losses, by mid-1521 Cortés finally succeeded in decimating Tenochtitlán through a combination of disease, starvation, and battles.
After his victory, Cortés set about trying to erase Aztec culture, which generally included breaking down temples and using the stones to build cathedrals. He then set about rebuilding the city, Spanish-style. In the succeeding colonial years, the city continued to grow, despite the flooding and drainage challenges of building a city on a lake.
And the years went by.
Discovery
Since everything in the heart of Mexico City is basically built on top of Aztec ruins, every now and then when they are digging things up to build something new, they come across something important.
They discovered the Tlatelolco archaeological site in 1948 during construction of a new neighborhood market. They had to stop work and call in the archaeologists. The excavations revealed the remains of a large Aztec temple and other structures, indicating that the area had been an important Aztec ceremonial center during the late 14th century.
Needless to say, the market was never completed at this location.
What to See at the Tlatelolco Archaeological Site
The Tlatelolco site was originally built by the Aztecs as a center for commerce and trade. It was later transformed into a religious and political center, with the construction of a large temple dedicated to the god Huitzilopochtli. To this day, Tlatelolco is one of the largest archaeological sites in Mexico City.
The main attractions of this archaeological site are the 67 exposed structures, the intricate carvings, and the mass grave site.
Museum
There is a very small museum at the entrance to the site up a flight of stairs. Other than a few figurines and information panels, there is really not much of note in the museum, so you don’t need to spend too much time here.
Temple of Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl
One of the first structures you see as you enter the site is the circular Temple of Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl with its rectangular façade facing east.
During the late 1980’s, archaeologists discovered 41 burial sites and 54 offerings with infants inside pots, accompanied by a variety of ceramic, stone, and shell figurines. The Aztecs made these offerings to Ehécatl, god of the wind, to help the people get through a long period of drought.
Templo Mayor (Stage II)
This is the largest structure, right in front of the church. At its peak, the temple was one of the largest and most impressive in the Aztec empire, with a height of around 50 meters and a base measuring 80 by 80 meters.
For the Tlatelolcans, the Templo Mayor represented a sacred mountain, and the center of its universe. You can find 100 petroglyphs representing Huitzilopochtli on the south side, and 50 petroglyphs representing Tláloc on the north side.
Calendar Temple
The Calendar Temple is one of my favorites. It’s not very big, but when you get up close, on three sides of them temple you can see 13 glyphs representing the days of the ritual calendar. It’s amazing to see the carvings still in decent shape after almost 700 years!
Tzompantli Altar
This unassuming altar off to the side towards the back of the site has a somewhat grim history. In 1963 archaeologists discovered 170 human skulls on the altar from victims of decapitation for sacrifice. The skulls were pierced on either side, presumably so that they could be conveniently mounted on sticks to form a “wall of skulls”. Which, coincidentally, is what Tzompantli means.
You can see what a wall of skulls looks like at the Chapultepec Castle museum.
There are plenty of other structures to admire as you walk around the site. It’s fascinating to roam the site and just take in the beauty and engineering of these structures, and consider just how lasting their work was.
Special Events
There are three annual events that take place at the Tlatelolco Archaeological Site:
- July 25: Dancers celebrate the festivities of Apostle James, patron saint of the Santiago de Tlatelolco Church.
- August 13: Commemorates the Fall of the Mexica Empire commemoration.
- October 2: Commemorates Tlatelolco student massacre of October 2nd, 1968.
If your visit coincides with any of these dates, it should make at trip to Tlatelolco even more special.
Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Site of the 1968 Student Massacre)
Next to the Tlatelolco archaeological site sits the unassuming Plaza de las Tres Culturas. This is the site of the October 2, 1968 student massacre, also known as the Tlatelolco Massacre.
In the early months of 1968, a protest movement had been growing with students and other activists calling for greater political and social freedom, as well as an end to government corruption and repression. This was all taking place under the international gaze of the upcoming Mexico City summer Olympics.
On the evening of October 2, 1968 thousands of students gathered in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Mexico City’s Tlatelolco neighborhood for a peaceful rally.
Mexican military and police forces were deployed to the area, allegedly to maintain order and prevent violence. But without warning, they opened fire on the unarmed protesters, killing and injuring hundreds of people, including students, bystanders, and children.
It is still not clear why the police decided to shoot the students. Some believe that it was a response to quell the growing social and political unrest in Mexico at the time, while others believe that it was an attempt to suppress the student movement and maintain political control. Ultimately, the massacre led to widespread outrage, further protests, and growing disillusionment with Mexico’s ruling elite.
The Plaza de las Tres Culturas is a somber place. You can still see the bullet holes splattered around the Plaza and read the memorial plaque with the victims’ names and ages. Take a moment to reflect on this dark moment in Mexico’s history.
If you want to explore more about the history of this event, the Museo M68, right next to the archaeology site entrance, is dedicated to the memory of the 1968 massacre.
The Templo de Santiago Apóstol
The history of the Templo de Santiago Apóstol (Church of Saint James the Apostle) at Tlatelolco is a reminder of the complex and often fraught relationship between religion, culture, and politics in Mexico’s history.
It is, perhaps notably, the first church dedicated to Saint James the Apostle after the conquest. After the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, as they do, they began to convert the indigenous population to Catholicism.
The church was built on the site of the former Aztec temple, very much by the looks of it, using stones from that very same Aztec temple. The church was inaugurated in 1610. It continued to function as a Catholic parish until 1861, as a result of the Reform War, which sought to strengthen the secular state and limit the power and scope of the Catholic church. During this time, much of the original interior and altarpieces were lost.
The National Railways later used the church as an explosives warehouse during the rule of Porfirio Diaz (the “Porfiriato”) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1848, the church was fixed up and returned to its original use as a Catholic (Franciscan) parish. And it remains so today.
In 1968, the church became associated with the events of the student massacre. As the church is located next to the site of the protest, some students sought refuge inside the church during the violence. The church also served as a site for vigils and memorials following the massacre.
It is a simple church, but its high vaulted ceilings are quite impressive and there remain some architectural details worth a look. The Archdiocese of Mexico provides more detail (in Spanish) on the history, architecture, and symbols inside the church.
Planning Your Visit
It can get hot hot hot out there, with precious little shade, and there are no vendors nearby. So make sure to pack plenty of water and snacks.
Information
The site provides decent signage along the pathway and also provides a brochure in English or Spanish (you can also find another brochure on the official INAH site…information doesn’t always match).
Accessibility
The archaeological site has some concrete ramps and stone pathways so you can get around most of the site pretty easily. The small museum onsite is up a flight of stairs (however, there is not really much of note in the museum).
Cost
Entry to the archaeological site costs MX$80. Bring correct change if you can (they don’t have a lot of visitors).
The church and the Plaza are free to visit.
Hours
The Tlatelolco archaeological site is open daily from 8am – 5pm.
The official INAH website has conflicting information about whether it is open every day or just Monday through Friday…so go during the week just to be sure!
Getting There
Tlatelolco is located just a bit north of town.
The closest Metro station is Tlatelolco on Línea 3, which still requires about a 15 minute walk.
The 1 Trolleybus to the Flores Magón stop will get you a lot closer, just a few minutes walk from the site entrance.
Final Thoughts
The Tlatelolco site is certainly an interesting archaeological site and an important remnant of Mexico’s rich cultural and historical heritage.
Is it the most amazing Aztec site? No, but it has a few gems, and makes for a fruitful visit in the heart of the city, where you will have the place to yourself.
I wouldn’t make a beeline here on my first trip to CDMX, but it’s definitely worth a visit if you are a Mexican history buff or are looking for an interesting off-the-beaten-path spot to explore without crowds.
