Large Aztec starfish offering found in Mexico City

The remains of what is believed to be an Aztec ritual offering of starfish is the largest deposit of its kind so far discovered in Mexico City.

The finding represents a unique case of some 164 preserved echinoderms, with the forms of the starfish almost intact despite the passage of time.

The deposit was discovered at the Templo Mayor archaeological site at the end of 2021. As well as the starfish, the remains include the body of a jaguar, corals, pufferfish and snails.

Experts point out the remains date from around the year 1500, during the military expansion of the Aztec empire across various parts of Mesoamerica.