Casas Nuevas de Moctezuma facts for kids
Model of Moctezuma's palace, based on an illustration from the Codex Mendoza (1542).
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| Alternative name | New Houses of Moctezuma |
|---|---|
| Location | Valley of Mexico |
| History | |
| Material | stone, basalt |
| Cultures | Aztec |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 2008 |
| Archaeologists | Elsa Hernández Pons, Colette Taurillo |
The Casas Nuevas de Moctezuma (which means "New Houses of Moctezuma" in English) was a huge palace complex. It was the royal home of Moctezuma II, the ninth and last Aztec emperor. He was the leader of the Aztecs when the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico.
This amazing complex was made up of five palaces connected together. They had large platforms and were built before the Spanish arrived. The name "New Houses" helped people tell them apart from older Aztec palaces.
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What Was Moctezuma's Palace Like?
Moctezuma's palace was truly grand. It was one of the first Aztec buildings to have a basement and at least two floors. His own house within the complex had 20 doors and three open-air patios.
It was big enough to house many people, including at least 30 men in its numerous beds. The palace was also home to a wide variety of animals. Imagine all the different creatures living there!
Discovering the Ancient Palace
For a long time, these magnificent palaces were hidden. After the Spanish took over, they built Mexico City right on top of the old Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. They even used stones from the Aztec buildings to construct new ones, like the National Palace of Mexico.
In 2008, parts of the palace were finally uncovered. This happened during a renovation project at the Museo Nacional de las Culturas (National Museum of Cultures). Archaeologists, led by Elsa Hernández Pons, carefully dug down through many layers of history to find these ancient structures.
The Black House
Among the exciting discoveries was Moctezuma's Casa Denegrida, or "black house." This was a special room with no windows. It was painted completely black inside. Moctezuma used this unique room as a quiet place for meditation and deep thinking.
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