Pyramid Unearthed in Mexico City

Sounds from pre-Columbian ceremonies brought back to life

(NEWSER) - A Mexican engineer has worked for decades to bring the sounds of the Aztecs back to life, reports the AP. Roberto Velazquez has created replicas of the instruments found at many archaeological sites—including the eerie "Whistles of Death" discovered with a skeleton in an ancient temple—and experimented to re-create noises that may have been heard at ceremonies thousands of years ago. More»

(NEWSER) - Mexican archaeologists believe their ground-penetrating radar has detected the first tomb of an Aztec ruler ever found, the AP reports. Workers in Mexico City, hanging from slings and digging delicately in a muddy underground passage, hope to uncover the remains of Emperor Ahuizotl, who ruled the Aztec empire at its height before the Spanish invasion of 1521. More»

Ornate stone mask, pots, and bones found at temple's base

(NEWSER) - Archaeologists have unearthed what they believe are the original offerings that Mexico's Pyramid of the Sun was built upon. The team from the nation's National Institute of Anthropology and history found the very center of the ancient Teotihuacan structure by digging extensions off an old tunnel dug by 1930s explorers, the AP reports. There they found 11 ceremonial clay pots dedicated to a rain god, a stone serpentine mask so ornate it may have been a portrait, and the bones of a variety of animals. More»

No major damage reported

(AP) - A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck in Mexico's western Guerrero state last night, shaking buildings and causing panic in the nation's capital and the Pacific resort of Acapulco. Officials say at least three people died, but there were no reports of widespread damage. One man was killed when a house's roof collapsed in Iguala, a second died in the small town of Ixcateopan, and the driver of a cargo truck was killed by rocks that fell on the vehicle driving on the toll highway linking Acapulco with Mexico City. More»

Dec. 21, 2012 is a big day ... but not for the reason you think

(NEWSER) - Cool your jets: The Mayans did not predict the world will end in 2012, or so says a German expert. Sven Gronemeyer yesterday shared his reading of a 1,300-year-old Mayan stone tablet that makes reference to 2012: He says the hieroglyphs describe the return of Bolon Yokte, the mysterious Mayan god of creation and war. The date of his reappearance? At the end of a 13th period of 400 years: Dec. 21, 2012. The date, therefore, marks a transition to a new era, not an end, he says. More»