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Tuesday, 1st September 2009 (7121 views)

Gold items made during the reign of Moctezuma in the 16th century are to go on display at the British Museum later this month.

The Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler exhibition will run from September 24th to January 24th and will include a gold turtle necklace and various ornaments linked to the worship of gods such as Quetzalcoatl and Tepoztecatl, the Times reports.

This is the first time the gold treasures will go on public display. They were unearthed in Mexico City, which was where the Aztec capital - Tenochtitlan - was originally situated.

It is possible that the objects discovered in Mexico City were found at a location that may point to the entrance of a royal tomb, said exhibition co-curator Elisenda Vila-Llonch.

"Gold was precious to them ... it was seen as a gift of the gods," she remarked.

Moctezuma's empire included most of present-day highland Mexico. He reigned from 1502 until his death in 1520.

 

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