Mexico City, October 5.- An emblem with pre-Hispanic iconography was found in the atrium of the former Convent of the Nativity, in Tepoztlán, Morelos. The 16th-century mural includes symbols of a plume, an axe, a shield (chimalli), and a flower branch, in a red circle over a meter in diameter.
The statement, issued yesterday by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), indicates that this discovery is the result of restoration work on the cultural heritage affected by the September 2017 earthquakes. This work is being carried out in the atrium of the convent complex, which is part of the "first monasteries of the 16th century on the slopes of Popocatépetl," inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Thanks to an agreement between the Mexican Ministry of Culture and the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Mexican company José Morales is carrying out the work on the movable assets associated with the historic building, under the supervision and coordination of INAH personnel, through the National Coordination for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, and the INAH Morelos Center.
