Chinese Institute of Social Sciences honors Eduardo Matos Moctezuma

Yesterday Eduardo Matos Moctezuma received the 2025 Field Discovery Prize awarded by the Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The distinction celebrates the transcendent career and work of the founder of the Templo Mayor Project (PTM), a pillar in the knowledge of our history and cultural heritage.

At the ceremony, held at the Templo Mayor Museum, the archaeologist and anthropologist, 85 years old and with 65 years of experience at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), said: “Today I have the privilege of receiving the diploma of the Shanghai Archeology Forum Award, in the field of Field Discovery 2025. Last December these awards were presented in that city, but it was impossible for me to attend the event, since my doctors, who are Many considered that it was a very long trip and could affect me. I asked the director of the Templo Mayor Museum, Patricia Ledesma, to represent me,” which was reported to the Chinese Academy.

Matos Moctezuma received the recognition from Yang Chuanying, representing the embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Mexico, and in the presence of Patricia Ledesma Bouchan, director of the Templo Mayor Museum, and Francisco Mendiola Galván, national coordinator of Archeology of the INAH.

Of his closeness to that Asian country, the professor emeritus of the INAH recalled to those who came to congratulate him and applaud his invaluable career, which has visited China twice, once in 1974, accompanied by a prominent group from the institution, and another at the beginning of this century, which was when he admired the aesthetic quality of Chinese artists of the past and present, after visiting the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, in the ancient city of Xi’an.

He expressed: “I consider it important to comment that several Mexican researchers have received this award: Sergio Gómez Chávez, for his Tlalocan project, in Teotihuacan; Linda Manzanilla, for her studies in the same ancient city; Pilar Luna, for her work in underwater archeology, and Leonardo López Luján, member of the Templo Mayor team, who was awarded a few years ago in the Research category for his work in the PTM. This is the only project awarded in two of the aspects (Research and Discovery) considered in the call.”

Matos Moctezuma highlighted that an award is not only awarded to a coordinator or person responsible for the research work, but to the important work of the entire team of specialists, “as well as to the INAH, an institution to which I have belonged for 65 years and which will soon reach 87 years of existence.”

The multi-award-winning archaeologist pointed out: “in two years, the PTM will celebrate half a century since it was started. With more than 1,300 publications including books, articles, reviews, catalogs and guides, it is one of the archaeological projects with the greatest academic production; the team of researchers and other specialists who are grouped together in the Templo Mayor Museum have also been awarded on other occasions for their contributions to the knowledge of the Mexica people.”

For his part, Yang Chuanying explained: “focused on the topic of technology, society and archaeology, the Forum presented 22 important field archaeological discoveries and research results, showing the most advanced level, as well as the multiple current and global perspectives in this field; it especially highlights the archaeological achievement carried out by Eduardo Matos Moctezuma and his team” of the PTM, as well as the prolific research around the sacred site of Tenochtitlan.

He pointed out: “with his vast knowledge, rigorous attitude and excellent leadership capacity he has promoted the unique role of archeology in intercultural dialogue, earning widespread respect unanimously from the international academic community.

“On behalf of the Chinese embassy in Mexico, I want to extend our most sincere congratulations to Dr. Matos Moctezuma and his colleagues.”