In Mexico City, on February 21, 1978, some workers from the electricity company were excavating what would be a site to place transformers when they discovered a large circle of carved stone.
The archaeologists were alerted. It is not uncommon to find pre-Hispanic artifacts when digging in downtown Mexico City, so much so that sometimes workers prefer not to report it to avoid halting the work. But in this case, a large carved stone disk weighing several tons could not be overlooked.
The carving was quickly identified. It was Coyolxauhqui, the moon goddess, daughter of Coatlicue and sister of Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec deity of the sun and war.
The carving depicts one of the foundational myths of the Mexica. According to the myth, Coatlicue became pregnant with a feather she found and kept in her apron. Upon discovering she was pregnant, Coyolxauhqui and her brothers became furious and decided to execute her. Then Huitzilopochtli was born as an adult warrior, defeated his sister, threw her body from a hill, and dismembered it.
This dramatic story is what is depicted in this carved block, showing the dismembered body of the goddess. Originally it was painted, there are still some traces of color.
But that is not all. Mexico City was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlán, the Mexica capital, and this discovery confirmed the proximity of the Templo Mayor, the main pyramid of the Mexica capital.
President José López Portillo, a history enthusiast, then ordered several buildings in the surrounding areas to be demolished for excavation. They were soon rewarded with the remains of the Templo Mayor and other pre-Hispanic constructions, right next to the great metropolitan cathedral.
It was an accidental discovery that led to a great historical finding for Mexico.
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