Many modern cities lie upon the vestiges of famous capitals of the past. Rome, Athens and Cairo are perfect examples of this phenomenon that architects and archaeologists know as spolium: the practice of reusing materials from ancient structures to facilitate the construction of new ones.
Across the Mexican territory, there are small villages where people have built their homes using stone blocks taken from pre-Columbian temples and palaces. You can see ancient reliefs scarred by modern graffiti if you look closely enough.
While some see this practice as an attack on our heritage, others argue that we must honor and preserve the past—but not so much as to dwell in it and miss the future.
The pre-Columbian civilizations of central Mexico would often cover their buildings with new layers of construction—frequently exact replicas of the ones beneath. The purpose varied: to celebrate a military victory, mark the end of a cycle, appease the wrath of the gods, or satisfy an emperor’s ego. However, the fact that these new structures mirrored what was buried below was a way of showing that life is not a straight line, but a cycle; that the fruits of today are the seeds of tomorrow, and from those seeds, the future will rise.
These pre-Columbian civilizations would also bury their loved ones beneath the soil of their own homes. Much like the overlapping stages of construction, we interpret it as a way of saying: This land is ours because our past lies right beneath us. The past was not simply something that happened and passed away; it was the foundation of the present and, eventually, the support for the future.
No Shit Trips
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