Archaeologists in Mexico City uncovering these golden Aztec artifacts revealing what was once an elaborately adorned sacrificial wolf believed to have been buried more than 500 years ago.
Held in a stone box, the remains of the wolf lay alongside these golden ornaments and tools.
In Aztec culture, a wolf was considered a god of war and solar deity, who may have helped fallen warriors make their way to the netherworld.
Researchers believe the wolf was buried by a powerful and brutal Aztec king. More tests will be needed to confirm the animal's heart was torn out as part of a symbolic sacrifice.
Despite sewer damage more than a century ago, the discovery is considered highly unusual for the quality and number of the artifacts uncovered.
In the heart of Mexico's capital, once home to the Aztec empire's holiest shrines, the Templo Mayor was razed, along with the rest of the Aztec capital, after the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.