Photo: slightheadache / flickrThe Templo Mayor and the museum…

Five Centuries after the Fall of Tenochtitlán, Archaeology in Tlatelolco is still unearthing mysteries.  Archaeology in Tlatelolco is some of the most exciting in the country. Ancient Tlatelolco was a distinct and very different place from the lost city of Mexico-Tenocthtitlán. Likely the largest marketplace

All Kinds of Corners in the City Turn on a Mexico City Art that Viewers are Still Inventing.  Mexico City gets named for all kind of tings happening here: The City of Trees, The Design Capital of the World, The Parade of Endless Events and Magical Neighborhoods. We could attribute all kinds of place-names to the demands of the people who visit and live here. Irrespective of all of their demands and expectations, a handful of qualities remain typical of the capital. These don't exactly correspond to the aforementioned attributes, but a debate rages between the city's accentuated surrealism…

Turibus's Magic Bus Tour: A Three-Hour Tour into the Mystic Heart of the City Bus tours of any city are growing and changing. Gone are the days of sitting quietly while a bored college student reads a script in three languages. Turibus — that most prominent of double decker bus tour operators in the city — has greatly increased access to the city with thematic routes that cover everything from Lucha Libre to mezcal and gourmet food.  But one of their most original bus tours yet launched just…

The unearthing of Tlaltecuhtli, 10 years ago, was one of the most important ancient artifacts discoveries in recent years. Fundamental to Aztec mythology, the goddess Tlaltecuhtli gave issue to all life when she sacrificed herself. The cosmogony of the life-death cycle, include her as both corpse-eater and life-giver, such that she permeated any understanding the world as known to the Mexica people.[caption id="attachment_53013" align="aligncenter" width="649"]

Centro Cultural Elena GarroZócalo capitalino World Trade CenterTorre Mayor

24 Hours in Mexico City should always be spent wisely. The place is so big, you can easily lose an hour being lost, or two hours in traffic. But planning wisely, you can also have the best 24 hours of your life. Let's start.....at dawn. Choose some comfortable clothes for walking. Bring a small umbrella, (you know), and we'll assume you wouldn't go anywhere without the smart phone. It's only 24 hours in Mexico City, but you might still get an email! First stop:For breakfast take in the

Above, the Plaza of the Moon at Teotihuacan; NotimexResearchers with the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have been conducting a dig in the plaza before the Pyramid of the Moon. In early May of this year, archaeological digs unearthed what appears to be a cratered moonscape with stelae made of green stone buried within.The system of trenches, including the five smooth green stone stelae were found in the Edificio Adosado,  north of the main city complex. Broadly speaking, the discovery provides insight into the spiritual and…

Well before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, pre-Columbian texts are colored with poetry that calls to the deities and natural phenomena that surrounded the ancient Mexica people, their land and their cities. Despite the fact that the vast majority of written and illustrated texts were destroyed during and after the Conquest, a chink remains in the facade of mystery. And a little light shines through. We can catch glimpses of the world and the people through the surviving manuscripts - and especially through their poetry. Aztec poetry is peopled with strong themes: heroes, death and religion.…

Finding Tenochtitlán is, unfortunately, not as easy as showing up in Mexico City and wandering around. A lot of Mexico City has grown up where Tenochtitlán used to be, And that can make for a needle in a hay-stack situation.But Mexico City's Centro Historico is as concentrated a collection of Tenochtitlán remains as you'll find anywhere. The truth is, not much of Tenochtitlán extended beyond what is today the city center.The ancient city was named for the five lakes (Lake Texcoco, Lake Chalco, Lake Xochimilco, Lake Zumpango and Lake Xaltocan) that surrounded the island city. Tenochtitlán had an…

The Mexican death cult is everywhere in the ancient register. The Mexica people left countless works of fascintating and intrinsic value but today we want to highlight a few pieces that bring us a little closer to understanding the culture that our ancestors actually lived, including what they thought about death.Ancient Mexicans viewed death as a second life and as a next destination of souls. Prehispanic mythology obsessed with the cycles of agriculture and with the stars. The Mictlan, that is, the kingdom of the dead, was a cold, dark place to which the deceased had to travel. They found…

Mexico City's Centro Historico is tourist stop numero uno!  But every visitor can see that there is too much, too many streets, too many dark and even dank corners to turn and too much to explore. Centro streets invite intrigue, adventure and of course, every corner has stories, every facade hides a mystery or a marvel.Andre Breton once said: “Mexico City is one of the most surreal cities in the world”. Walking the streets of the Centro Histórico, you feel as though there are always multiple “Mexicos” and cultural syncretism translates…

Mexico City's ancient history is as compelling and fascinating as anything you'll find in the country. Pyramids have always been a cosmic expression of humanity’s search for meaning and an understating of nature and the universe. Theocratic political systems used them as ceremonial temples for the worship the gods and as the centerpieces of their seats of power. Over hundreds of years, Catholic churches were built on top of them, and even of…

Ancient Ruins in Mexico City continue to be rediscovered at the active archaeological site that is the Historic Center.  The most recent discovery unveiled the stone platform of the Huey Tzompantli, a wooden rack or palisade where the skulls of war and sacrificial victims were displayed.  The capital’s center is full of archaeological treasures belonging to the Aztec empire. Found on the western side of what was once the Templo Mayor…

The La Lagunilla Market is held, illustriously, on Sundays, where it gets extremely busy but also very exciting! For the best bargains, get there early! The market is north of La Catedral, in a neighborhood of the same name. It’s the largest in the city and consists of three sections: one for clothing, one for furniture and one for foodstuffs. The antiques market settles along Comonfort Street. There, you can find all sorts of old objects,…

Zócalo Central Hotel TerraceIf it's a beautiful autumn day, why not spend it at one of the incredible terraces at Centro Histórico? You will have a nice time with the best view of the glorious colonial architecture right in front of you. Here are some incredible sites which deserve to be visited these days of autumn. CIELO DE CORTÉS

Artistic neighbourhoods have become significant around the world thanks to artists and curators that maintain some areas destined for transgression. According to analysts of this “Social phenomenon” there are characteristics about these neighbourhoods that can or cannot be manifested together in one area without making them more or less artistic. Any neighbourhood can or cannot have one or more characteristics, but if it has the purpose of projecting a prominent artistic life, different than most…

The archaeology of Mexico City is prolific, profound and all over the place. And though the very center of the city is still the area of the richest concentration of sites, there are some far flung places of interest too. They're located in and all around the city. Let's look at some of the most prominent.