Archaeologists make a grisly find: Four hundred skeletons buried in a mass grave. The bodies have lain undisturbed for 500 years, since the time of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. But this is no ordinary gravesite.
The Tomb at Zultapec
The remains suggest these people met a gruesome end at the hands of the Aztecs, who ruled Mesoamerica in the 14th through 16th centuries. But who were the victims and why were they killed?
Cryptic Codices Unveiled
Archaeologist Elizabeth Baquedano and a team of highly trained scientists spent more than 15 years piecing together the clues from the Zultepec burial site, and now you can share in their remarkable discoveries.
Behind the Scenes
Associate Producer Giorgio Murru discusses the making of “Aztec Massacre” and some of the challenges and surprises he faced in his journey through Zultepec, Mexico—the site of the ancient Aztec territory.
Watch the full episode of “Aztec Massacre” online.
I watched Aztec Massacre last night. The show inferred that Teotihuacan was a site of Aztec ritual sacrifice. I have a master’s degree in Spanish (and Latin American civilization was one of my areas of specialization) and have never heard that the Aztecs used the Sun Pyramid this way. Teotihuacan fell long before the Aztecs came to power. I also have a problem with how one-sided the show was – of course, human sacrifice is unjustifiable. However, the cruel and blood-lusting practices of Cortes and his men were, in their own ways, just as inhumane.
Sincerely,
Ken Robinson