Beneath the Temple of the Feathered Serpent at Teotihuacan, a 340-foot tunnel was discovered in 2003 after a sinkhole opened. It had been intentionally sealed about 1,800 years earlier and took over a decade to excavate. Inside: over 100,000 ceremonial objects, jade, obsidian, jaguar and eagle remains, crystal spheres, and pools of liquid mercury. Walls shimmered with powdered pyrite. No royal tomb was found, and the passage was re-closed. 🌌
Sealed Teotihuacan tunnel held over 100000 ceremonial offerings for 1800 years
MexicoGeneral
Key facts
- Tunnel lies beneath the Temple of the Feathered Serpent at Teotihuacan, Mexico
- Discovered in 2003 when a sinkhole unexpectedly opened near the temple
- Tunnel had been intentionally sealed approximately 1,800 years earlier
- Archaeologists spent more than a decade excavating the 340 ft long passage
- Over 100,000 ceremonial objects found, including jade, obsidian, seashells, carved statues, jaguar remains, eagle skeletons, crystal spheres, and pools of liquid mercury
- Walls were coated with powdered pyrite to create the illusion of a glittering underground sky
- No royal tomb was found at the end of the tunnel
- Tunnel was re-closed after investigation, with access limited to specialists
Site mentioned
Sources
Temple of the Feathered Serpent, Teotihuacanen.wikipedia.org
In late 2003 a tunnel beneath the Temple of the Feathered Serpent was accidentally discovered by Sergio Gómez Chávez and Julie Gazzola, -foot-wide sinkhole ...
Lakes of mercury and human sacrificestheguardian.com
In 2003, a tunnel was discovered beneath the Feathered Serpent pyramid in the ruins of Teotihuacan, the ancient city in Mexico. Undisturbed for ...
Archaeologists Explore the Tunnel below the Pyramid of the Feathered ...pbs.org
Chavez and his colleagues discover a tunnel at the Teotihuacán site that continues in a straight path, directly to the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent
Teotihuacanen.wikipedia.org
Teotihuacan – Temple of the Feathered Serpent – architectural detail to the right of the steps. In late 2003 a tunnel beneath the Temple of the Feathered ...
Teotihuacan: Ciudadelametmuseum.org
The Feathered Serpent Pyramid and Ciudadela (ca. 150–250 CE) comprise a monumental architectural complex of Teotihuacan, Mexico (ca. 100 BCE–800 CE)
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.