The Tlatelolco Codex is an Aztec document recovered from an archaeological site near the ancient city of Tlatelolco in modern-day Mexico City. The codex's significance comes from the presence of the only known artistic representation of the release of the creator god Cothuaxatl from the Earth, found near the location of the codex. This demonstrates that the area may have served a sacred historical purpose, the first indication that the Azteca people could have been aware of the value of cultural preservation.

The Cothuaxatl Petroglyph on Tlatelolco red sandstone

The codex describes the Aztec creation myth, which speaks of the origin of the Mexica people in a city called Aztlán. According to recovered documents, the Aztecs believed that many generations ago, the young Earth split open amidst great tumult. The spirit of Cothuaxatl (pronounced coht-wahx-ahtl) escaped from this rift and inhabited the Earth's surface, giving rise to all plant and animal species, as well as to the Mexica ancestors. The story claims that Cothuaxatl's release caused great chaos across the land before giving life to the young planet. The volcanic destruction burned the stone in the Valley of mexico, creating the red sandstone formations into which the Cothuaxatl Petroglyph was etched.

The Cothuaxatl Petroglyph

Extraction of petroglyph, displaying Aztec depiction of Cothuaxatl from the Earth with natural elements

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Contributing authors: W. Kern, J. Tschiggfrie

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