On 21 February 1978, the subsoils of Mexico City revealed one of Mesoamerica's most exceptional secrets: the remains of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Mexica civilization - incorrectly named Aztec for a long time -, its sacred enclosure and its Templo Mayor. The discovery of an enormous circular monolith depicting the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui launched half a century of archaeological excavations on an unprecedented scale. 

The Templo Mayor Project (INAH) fully exhumed the Templo Mayor and 14 surrounding buildings covering an area of 1.51 hectares, as well as 209 offerings dedicated to divinities, placed according to a very precise liturgy. This research is continuously expanding our understanding of the Mexica empire and thinking. 

The exhibition, organised in collaboration with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and with the contribution of the Templo Mayor Project, lifts the veil on these discoveries. The most remarkable includes some of the 209 previously unseen offerings, some of which were discovered very recently. They are highly symbolic arrangements of minerals, plants, cultural objects, animals and human beings that the Mexica people offered to their most revered deities, to pay homage and seek favours in return. The offerings, placed in cavities dug in the ground or inside chests or boxes made of cut stone, were deposited under squares or religious buildings, mainly pyramidal.