The study of Aztec history generates several circumstantial motives for postulating an astronomical orientation, particularly to the sun's position on the horizon.. Mesoamerican ceremonial buildings had a solar nature. It can be explained by the east-west orientation, showing the ancient preference for orienting the buildings toward the points of the rising and setting sun. Therefore, the axes of the structures indicate the points of their solar register, that is , the spot at which the sun appears two times a year in its apparent movement over the Southern Hemisphere and disappears twice yearly in its journey across the Northern Hemisphere.
Motolinia stated "Tlacaxipeualistli. On this day they flayed all the enemy prisoners, and dressed themselves …show more content…
The celestial realm consisted of thirteen heavens, where celestial bodies lie and gods live, the terrestrial consisted of the four world directions, and the sub-terrestrial realms consisted of nine levels that the deceased must pass through in order to get to the underworld. The four cardinal direction was an important factor in architecture because it was the layout that constructed the temples. When archaeologist discovered the temple they saw a rectangular platform above which rose a base with several talus structures. The temple could be reached by two parallel stairways up the principal facade, which were separated by a double alfarda. Four platforms overlapped, steplike, were built relating to the four cardinal directions, each with its characteristic color, its own sign, and the god who ruled it. The three lower platforms consisted of twelve sections, the thirteenth section was a small platform where the dual temples at the summit were dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. The double staircase is faced west where the Sun descends into the underworld. The tops of the pyramids had small flat plateaus where the temple or the sacrificial block was built. The temple was rebuilt many times for different reasons. The city of Tenochtitlan suffered periodic floods which required raising of the base structure. The temple …show more content…
The oldest known phase is Stage I, only the floor of the adoratorios "small temples". This phase is not possible to excavate due to fragile and watery subsoil. The vestiges were discovered after digging two pits in the temples and two tunnels in the stairs of Stage II. The upper part of the building corresponded to Stage II could be explored. At the summit, in front of the entrance to Huitzilopochtli's shrine was a sacrifical stone. The entrance to Talaloc shrine has a colorful chacmool used as a divine messenger that took sacrifieces of children performed here and offerings from the priest to gods. Chacmool is a sculptural figure that has been found in various places of Mesoamerica. They are thought to be mediators between humans and the divine. This sculpture may represent one of the earliest examples of Aztec sculpture. This figure was influenced by Toltec art and represented Toltec ancestry since Tlaloc is also associated with the Toltec chacmool. The detail of the chacomool is amazing, the facial aspect of the statue is weathered by time, a dressed man holding a dish on his stomach. Reclining in an uncomfortable position with raised knees while his head turns away from the temple by 90 degrees and overlooks his shoulders to the horizon. A fan at the back of his neck symbolizes a