Hydrological surveys using ground-penetrating radar in Mexico City have located a massive submerged Aztec hydraulic bridge that once spanned a critical section of the causeway network in Lake Texcoco. Built during the reign of Ahuitzotl, the structure features advanced stone sluice gates designed to regulate water flow and salinity levels between the different basins of the lake. This engineering marvel allowed the Aztecs to protect their chinampa (floating garden) systems from flooding.
The bridge remains are accompanied by a series of stone carvings depicting Tlaloc, the god of rain, and Chalchiuhtlicue, the goddess of water. Archaeologists state that the discovery reveals the true scale of Aztec water engineering, showing that their urban infrastructure was as much about ecological management as it was about transportation and defense.