‘Gateway to the underworld' discovered beneath ancient temple
Hiyah Zaidi Published May 27, 2025 4:46pm Updated May 27, 2025 4:46pm Link is copied Comments An ancient pyramid in Mexico was found to contain liquid mercury and experts believe it may have been considered as a 'gateway to the underworld'. It's thought that this finding could suggest the existence of a king's tomb or a ritual chamber below one of the most ancient cities of the Americas. The Quetzalcoatl temple – also known as the Feathered Serpent Pyramid – sits in the ancient city of Teotihuacan, Mexico, and is thought to have been built around 1,800 and 1,900 years ago (Picture: Yasemin Kalyoncuoglu/Anadolu via Getty) It remained mysterious for many years, until in 2015, when researchers discovered a large amount of liquid mercury, which they suggested meant the structure was used to 'look into the supernatural world'. Mexican researcher Dr Sergio Gómez had spent six years slowly excavating the tunnel, which was unsealed in 2003 after 1,800 years (Picture: REUTERS/Henry Romero) In the excavation, they found three chambers at the end of a 300ft tunnel that sat almost 60ft below the temple. Near one of the entrances, they found a trove of artefacts which includes jade statues, jaguar remains, and a box filled with carved shells and rubber balls. And of course, they also found liquid mercury. This is not the first time liquid mercury has been found at an ancient site. Dr Rosemary Joyce said at the time archaeologists have found mercury at three other sites around Central America (Picture: INAH/Handout via Reuters) Dr Gómez suggests that the liquid may have symbolised an underworld river or lake. This idea is echoed by Dr Annabeth Headreck, a professor at the University of Denver. She told the Guardian that the shimmering reflective qualities of liquid mercury could have resembled 'an underworld river, not that different from the river Styx' (Picture: REUTERS/Henry Romero) She said: 'Mirrors were considered a way to look into the supernatural world, they were a way to divine what might happen in the future. It could be a sort of river, albeit a pretty spectacular one' (Picture: Apolline Guillerot-Malick/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty) Over the next 16 years, Dr Gómez and his team excavated over 3,000 ceremonial and ritual artefacts and have now developed a comprehensive survey of the pyramid and tunnel using LiDAR scanners and photogrammetry. And a few archaeologists have contributed their knowledge of the pyramid site and its cultural significance to amplify their understanding of the site (Picture: DeAgostini/Getty) The temple of Quetzalcoatl is a monument which lies in the centre of the Mesoamerican Teotihuacan universe. It sits around 12 miles northeast of Mexico City in the ancient city of Teotihuacán. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, and receives around 4.5 million visitors annually. The Aztecs referred it as the place where the Gods were created, and the Quetzalcoatl is the third largest pyramid in the city (Picture: REUTERS/Henry Romero)
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‘Gateway to the underworld' discovered beneath ancient temple
Hiyah Zaidi Published May 27, 2025 4:46pm Updated May 27, 2025 4:46pm Link is copied Comments An ancient pyramid in Mexico was found to contain liquid mercury and experts believe it may have been considered as a 'gateway to the underworld'. It's thought that this finding could suggest the existence of a king's tomb or a ritual chamber below one of the most ancient cities of the Americas. The Quetzalcoatl temple – also known as the Feathered Serpent Pyramid – sits in the ancient city of Teotihuacan, Mexico, and is thought to have been built around 1,800 and 1,900 years ago (Picture: Yasemin Kalyoncuoglu/Anadolu via Getty) It remained mysterious for many years, until in 2015, when researchers discovered a large amount of liquid mercury, which they suggested meant the structure was used to 'look into the supernatural world'. Mexican researcher Dr Sergio Gómez had spent six years slowly excavating the tunnel, which was unsealed in 2003 after 1,800 years (Picture: REUTERS/Henry Romero) In the excavation, they found three chambers at the end of a 300ft tunnel that sat almost 60ft below the temple. Near one of the entrances, they found a trove of artefacts which includes jade statues, jaguar remains, and a box filled with carved shells and rubber balls. And of course, they also found liquid mercury. This is not the first time liquid mercury has been found at an ancient site. Dr Rosemary Joyce said at the time archaeologists have found mercury at three other sites around Central America (Picture: INAH/Handout via Reuters) Dr Gómez suggests that the liquid may have symbolised an underworld river or lake. This idea is echoed by Dr Annabeth Headreck, a professor at the University of Denver. She told the Guardian that the shimmering reflective qualities of liquid mercury could have resembled 'an underworld river, not that different from the river Styx' (Picture: REUTERS/Henry Romero) She said: 'Mirrors were considered a way to look into the supernatural world, they were a way to divine what might happen in the future. It could be a sort of river, albeit a pretty spectacular one' (Picture: Apolline Guillerot-Malick/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty) Over the next 16 years, Dr Gómez and his team excavated over 3,000 ceremonial and ritual artefacts and have now developed a comprehensive survey of the pyramid and tunnel using LiDAR scanners and photogrammetry. And a few archaeologists have contributed their knowledge of the pyramid site and its cultural significance to amplify their understanding of the site (Picture: DeAgostini/Getty) The temple of Quetzalcoatl is a monument which lies in the centre of the Mesoamerican Teotihuacan universe. It sits around 12 miles northeast of Mexico City in the ancient city of Teotihuacán. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, and receives around 4.5 million visitors annually. The Aztecs referred it as the place where the Gods were created, and the Quetzalcoatl is the third largest pyramid in the city (Picture: REUTERS/Henry Romero)
