 In 1790, the statue had been moved to the University of Mexico to be preserved and studied, but it was soon buried on the orders of professors who feared its presence would encourage adherence to Aztec religion, which settlers had spent centuries suppressing.To prevent this, the statue was buried in the patio of the University of Mexico where it could not be seen.The statue was disinterred in 1803, so that Alexander von Humboldt could make drawings and a cast of it, after which it was reburied.