Fish Bones


This fish skeleton is representative of the lacustrine environment Mexico City once was. Prior to the desiccation of the systems of lakes, which included Tzompanco (Zumpango), Xaltocan, Texcoco, Xochimilco, and Chalco, the Basin of Mexico was rich with water, both brackish and fresh. As with the volcano character, the fish bones point to larger underlying geomorphological conditions. Although the lakes no longer remain, their lacustrine deposits define much of the city’s area, and the relationship of the lakes’ clayey soils to the aquifer have resulted in tension between geologic and man-initiated forces. While fish may not populate the area as they previously have, the fish bones also point towards the watery agri- and aqua-cultures that persist in the floating islands of Xochimilco.