The mollusks of the offering 107 of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan

Abstract

THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORK IS TO REPORT THE IDENTIFICATIONS OF THE SPECIES OF MOLLUSKS FOUND IN OFFERING 107, WHICH WAS BURIED IN THE SEVENTH STAGE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GREAT TEMPLE OF TENOCHTITLAN (1502-1521). THIS WAS DONE BY DIRECT COMPARISON WITH SPECIMENS IN THE MALACOLOGICAL REFERENCE COLLECTION OF THE TICUL ÁLVAREZ SOLORZANO LABORATORY AND THE LITERATURE. THE 246 MARINE INDIVIDUALS BELONGING TO TWO CLASSES WERE IDENTIFIED; 191 BELONGING TO THE GASTROPODA (78%) AND 55 TO THE BIVALVIA (22%). THE LARGEST NUMBER OF SPECIES CAME FROM THE CARIBBEAN PROVINCE, WITH SPECIES FROM SANDY BEACHES AND ROCKY COASTS BEING MOST COMMON. THE ABRASIONS AND FRACTURES OBSERVED IN MOST OF THE SHELLS INDICATES THAT THEY WERE COLLECTED DEAD ON THE BEACHES, WHEREAS THE GOOD STATE OF PRESERVATION OF SOME OF THEM INDICATES THAT THEY WERE COLLECTED LIVE, IN SOME CASES BY DIVING. THROUGH THIS STUDY IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN DATA SUCH AS THE PROVENANCE, HABITAT, NATURAL COLORATION OF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES IDENTIFIED, AND SELECTIVITY FOR PARTICULAR ONES. THIS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ECONOMIC AND IDEOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MEXICA CULTURE.