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More of the Tower of Skulls unearthed

Archaeologists in Mexico have found 119 more human skulls in a grisly Aztec "tower of skulls."

The discovery was made on the east side of the "Huei Tzompantli," a grisly Aztec trophy rack, which is near the Templo Mayor in Mexico City. The Huei Tzompantli was the main trophy rack of sacrificed humans in the ancient city of Tenochtitlan.

Two towers of mortared skulls flanked the rack.

Anthropologists were reportedly surprised to find that the tower not only included the skulls of young men, but also skulls of women and children. Archaeologist Raúl Barrera suggested that perhaps some of the skulls came from captives who were sacrificed to the gods in Aztec ceremonies, according to the Guardian.

The sacrificed skulls, found about 3.5 yards below street level, included some from women and children and officials saw the huge pile of skulls as a sign of the power and prestige of the pre-Hispanic city.

Mexican culture minister Alejandra Frausto heralded the discovery, saying, “The Templo Mayor continues to surprise us, and the Huey Tzompantli is without doubt one of the most impressive archaeological finds of recent years in our country.”