Pre-Columbian "Sacred Tree" Burial Discovered in Mexico

A sacred tree burial, heh?  Interesting, very interesting.  Refer to our research on Sacred Places/Sacred Spaces at Goddesschess Discussion Group at Delphi Forums, for instance, for "vintage" discussions!

Article from Fox News Latino.

Pre-Columbian "sacred tree" found in Mexico

Published August 07, 2012

EFE

Mexican archaeologists discovered a pre-Columbian grave containing human skeletal remains along with relics of a "sacred tree" near the archaeological site of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan in the historical downtown area of Mexico City, the Mexican National Anthropology and History Institute, or INAH, said.

Found in the burial ground dating back more than 500 years were the complete skeleton of a woman and over a thousand human bones of children, young people and adults.

The discovery is "the only one of its kind" from the Mexica culture, the archaeologist heading INAH's Urban Archaeological Program, Raul Barrera Rodriguez, said.

Though other multiple burials have been found in the past, "this is the first where the skeleton of an adult is accompanied by bones and bone fragments from humans of different ages," Barrera said.

Apart from the grave, the specialists found a circular structure of red volcanic rock with a tree trunk in its center that, according to the archaeologists, "would be one of the sacred trees" associated with the god of war Huitzilopochtli, one of the chief figures in Mexica cosmogony and one of the deities to whom the Great Temple was dedicated.

The discoveries occurred in an area called Manuel Gamio Plaza in the course of building an access corridor to the archaeological site and to the museum of the Great Temple, the INAH said.

The skeletal remains were found at about 5 meters (16 feet) under street level, and were beneath a floor of basalt slabs laid at a stage of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan's construction between the years 1481 and 1486, so that the mass grave dates back to that time, Barrera said.

"The complete skeleton was found on the west side of the burial site, while the rest of the bones were placed around it, some of them grouped in small compositions, particularly in the case of ribs and femurs," Barrera said. EFE

*********************************************************

So, what does this mean?  Were the bones of others buried around the woman for a particular reason?  Were the bones buried at the same time as the woman was, or afterward?  Over a long time span or a short time span?  Who was the woman?  And is there a relationship to the remains of the Sacred Tree?

Jezebel, oh Jezebel... Part 2

Just a brief note from Barbara Walker's "The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets."

Jezebel
Sidonian queen of Israel, maligned in the Bible for worshipping Astarte instead of Yahweh. (1)  Jezebel and her husband King Ahab were murdered in a civil war fomented by Yahweh's devotees.  Her daughter, Athaliah became queen, but seven years later she too was murdered by treachery.  (2 Kings 11:16).  Thus, worship of the Goddess was abandoned.(2)

Notes:

(1) Boulding, 236.
(2) Stone, 188.

*************************************************************

Well - not really.  The worship of Astarte a/k/a Ashtoreth a/k/a Asherah never totally disappeared.  Her "poles" and sacred groves of trees remained on scattered sacred high areass in Israel as well as throughout the Middle East (and elsewhere all through Europe and Asia) right through the time of Buddha, Zoaroaster, Confucius, Christ, Mohammed, and thereafter.  The Goddess gave the early 'founding fathers' of Christendom fits because women would insist, year after year, on producing their 'hot cross buns' at Easter as well as promoting such symbols of the ancient fertility goddess as eggs and rabbits!  Across the world, the fathers of various patriarchal-oriented religions tried to wipe out the worship of the Goddess - to no avail.  Even today, in the Islamic Republic of Iran the festivities of Nowruz, harking back to celebrations surrounding the Persian version of the fertility/warrior goddess is popularly celebrated throughout the countrby Muslims. 

Many of the ancient sacred spots of the Goddess survive today, under a gloss whatever religion happens to hold sway in the particular country in which the Goddess' sacred places are located.

Ruins of Sacred Lake Found at Tanis

From ABC News: Pharaonic-Era Sacred Lake Unearthed in Egypt October 15, 2009 CAIRO (Reuters) - Archaeologists have unearthed the site of a pharaonic-era sacred lake in a temple to the Egyptian goddess Mut in the ruins of ancient Tanis, the Culture Ministry said on Thursday. The ministry said the lake, found 12 meters below ground at the San al-Hagar archaeological site in Egypt's eastern Nile Delta, was 15 meters long and 12 meters wide and built out of limestone blocks. It was in a good condition. It was the second sacred lake found at Tanis, which became the northern capital of ancient Egypt in the 21st pharaonic dynasty, over 3,000 years ago. The first lake at the site was found in 1928, the ministry said. The goddess Mut, sometimes depicted as a vulture, was the wife of Amun, god of wind and the breath of life. She was also mother of the moon god Khonsu. (Writing by Cynthia Johnston; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Copyright 2009 Reuters News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Sacred Mayan Pools to Be Explored

About time! Well, actually, I know that funding is a perennial problem for archaeological projects and particularly digs like this, in Central and South America. Seems people just aren't that interested. I suggest, though, that everone pay attention to local stories and legends about sacred water - whether pools, rivers, lakes, streams or tiny trickles of water out of a cave or rock face. These are often places of the Goddess. Story from UPI.com Scientists to Explore Sacred Mayan Pools Published: Sept. 9, 2009 at 1:24 PM CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A University of Illinois archaeologist says she will lead a team that will be the first to explore the sacred pools of the southern Mayan lowlands in Belize. Professor Lisa Lucero said she will lead a team of expert divers, a geochemist and an archaeologist in the expedition, funded by the National Geographic Society, to investigate the cultural significance and environmental history and condition of three of the 23 pools of Cara Blanca, in central Belize. The groundwater-filled sinkholes in limestone bedrock, called cenotes, were treated as sacred sites by the Maya, Lucero said. The cenotes vary in depth from approximately 15 feet to more than 165 feet. "Any openings in the earth were considered portals to the underworld, into which the ancient Maya left offerings," she said. "We know from ethnographic accounts that Maya collected sacred water from these sacred places, mostly from caves," Lucero said, noting the Maya also left elaborate offerings in the lakes and pools. Patricia Beddows, a lecturer of earth and planetary sciences at Northwestern University and an expert diver, will explore the geochemistry and hydrology of the pools in Belize. The researchers will videotape and map the pools and any artifacts they find. © 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Ancient Thracian Sanctuary Discovered...

...by spelunkers! Wow, it looks like a spectacular place. As majestic as any medieval cathedral. Just looking at this photograph sent shivers up and down my spine. This is definitely a sacred space/sacred place (it's got rock/stone/water in or nearby and it was [or is - like Lourdes] revered by people as a special place of worship). Now that it's been publicized, it won't take long before it's plundered. Unfortunately, enough information was provided in the article to enable determined looters to find it. I sure hope the archaeologists are already there and that guards have been put in place, with orders to shoot to kill. (That's how I feel about looters - they are barbarians, destructors of everything good, and should be killed on sight). From Novinite.com Bulgarian Speleologists Discover Unique Thracian Sanctuary July 1, 2009, Wednesday Speleologists from the city of Veliko Tarnovo have discovered an absolutely unique Thracian sanctuary in Northern Bulgaria. The news has been announced by Evgeni Koev from the speleological club "Dervent" based in Veliko Tarnovo. The speleologists came across the Thracian sanctuary several days ago as they were studying cavern objects along the Danube. Koev has preferred not to reveal the exact location of the sanctuary, which in his words is similar to the so called "Womb Cave" near the southern city of Kardzhali. It includes tombs, niches, and an altar. There also drawings of humans on the walls of the cave which look differently depending on the intensity of the sunlight falling on them. Koev believes that the fact that the sanctuary is located in a very inaccessible area has saved it from treasure hunters; in his words, the complex is in an excellent condition. [Not for long.]