Archaeologists working at a Mexican holy site thought they were rediscovering a lost image of the Virgin Mary. But Mary never wore a feather plume, and seldom was she depicted within red circles. The pre-Hispanic mural turned out to be a representation of a Mesoamerican shield, related to the Aztec god of alcohol and drunkenness Tepoztecatl!

Tepoztlán city is located in the Mexican state of Morelos, to the south of Mexico City , within El Tepozteco National Park. This is the legendary birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec divine feathered serpent. In ancient times this site was dominated by the Aztec Tepozteco pyramid that was built on a dramatic cliff top above the town.

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The former Dominican monastery, the Tepoztlán Ex-Convento de la Natividad (Convent of Tepoztlán), was built between 1555 and 1580 AD. Dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Travel by Mexico explained that this “Dominican Temple has a large atrium, an open chapel, chapel posas or quadrangular vaulted structures located at the edge of the courtyard, the church, and convent.”

Read more: Ancient Origins