Temple Ehécatl

This parking lot of the shopping center Plaza Tlatelolco is cut in half by a strange white building. When looking out the windows of the building, visitors can spot a structure that dates back to the pre-Columbian period. 

According to archaeologists, this ancient temple was dedicated to the deity of the wind, Ehécatl Quetzalcoatl. The temple’s architecture is similar to another pyramid discovered in Pino Suarez Metro dedicated to the same deity. 

It’s believed the temple was part of the Aztec city-state known as Tlatelolco. Upon excavation, a small urn was discovered at the site containing offerings to Ehécatl. Inside were bird bones, obsidian, maguey thorns, copal remains, and representations of monkeys and duckbills (common figures used to represent Ehécatl.) Excavating even further into the site, human remains and a few full skeletons were discovered. 

The temple was discovered in 2014 when a previous supermarket was demolished to make way for the shopping center located above. To ensure that visitors would be able to see the marvelous discovery, two archaeological windows were crafted, one in the parking lot and another at street level where pedestrians can take a peek at Aztec history.