Eduardo Matos Moctezuma, a celebrated Mexican archaeologist who led the excavation of the “Grand Aztec Temple” in Mexico City, won this year's “Princess of Asturias” award in the social sciences category.

The dig at the shrine, which was discovered by accident in 1978 after being buried under the city’s main plaza since the 16th century, was a landmark event in the archaeological world and drew intense interest as it proceeded for more than 20 years.

That excavation and others represent “exemplary episodes of the scientific development of archaeology and a fruitful dialogue with the past, between separate cultures and between human and social sciences,” the Asturias Princess Foundation, which is named for Spanish Crown Princess Leonor, according to the NBC News publication.

The “extraordinary intellectual rigor” of the 81-year-old archeologist was emphasized by the publication. Moctezuma is the author of several books and more than 500 papers, catalogues, and guides.

According to El Colegio Nacional of Mexico City, Eduardo Moctezuma is an archaeologist from the Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia (ENAH) and has a master's degree in Anthropological Sciences, specializing in in Archeology from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

Moctezuma developed his main archaeological works in Comalcalco, Tepeapulco, Bonampak, Cholula, Coacalco and Tlatelolco. He coordinated the projects of Tula in the 1970s, and Teotihuacan, 1990. He was founder and director of the Proyecto Templo Mayor (1978), director of the Museo Nacional de Antropología (1986-1987) and of the Museo del Templo Mayor (1987-2000).

Some of his works are Los nahuas frente a la muerte (1975); Vida y muerte en el Templo Mayor (1986); Teotihuacan, la metrópoli de los dioses (1990; co-author); Las piedras negadas: de la Coatlicue al Templo Mayor (1997); Estudios mexicas (1999); Los aztecas (2002); Tenochtitlan (2006); La muerte entre los mexicas (2010); Mentiras y verdades en la arqueología mexicana (2018); El decir de las piedras (2016); Octavio Paz y la Arqueología (2019), and Las andanzas de un Calendario y los trotes de un Caballito (2020), among many other works, since its publications exceed 460 bibliographic records. The National College published his work in 8 volumes.

“Due to his scientific intelligence, his ability to communicate and his social commitment, Eduardo Matos Moctezuma and his body of work provide an inspiration for future generations of social scientists and citizens”, according to the citation and reproduced in the NBC publication.

The 50,000-euro award ($52,600) is one of eight prizes, including in the arts, communication and sports, handed out annually by the foundation. The awards are among the most prestigious in the Spanish-speaking world. An awards ceremony typically takes place in October in the northern Spanish city of Oviedo.