Templo Mayor was the main religious structure in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. The pyramidal structure was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture. In addition to the two temples, the complex had five platforms and ancillary buildings.

The archaeologists, from the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia, uncovered the wooden items near the foot of Templo Mayor and said that the items would have been gifts to those gods from people who visited the shrine. Among the kinds of items found were darts, earmuffs, earrings, figurines, headdresses, ornaments, and scepters. Many of the items have images of sacred animals.

The team reported that they found the trove of items in water, which helped forestall decay. Most of the items were carved from pine; other woods used included ahuehuete, aile, cypress, and white cedar.

Construction of Templo Mayor began in the 14th Century and continued for more than a century after that, when the Aztecs were at the height of their power; the conquering Spaniards destroyed the temple in 1521. The dig site is to the northeast of the main plaza of present-day Mexico City. Archaeologists have conducted digs there for a few decades now, and the site is a UNESCO World Heritage site.