tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17653016369704014822024-03-19T02:47:53.608-06:00Uncharted RuinsLooking for remnants of the lost civilization...
Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-52938174543104150692022-01-30T16:54:00.001-06:002022-01-30T16:58:18.176-06:00The Empires of Atlantis<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg25hYTDMqCOoGwqWoRBbEDHpLdKV6aJBe2s6XSeI51nngdEjRT-nrOKaaGz-Ey1YWe8hAQO8PRhmzMfxw6w-qFUi5Ojihc2T9ZWpY4EaAXY6KXti_aCv-zbhCFtcK42B-7jVywjVLz45D7FRwDR5rvuS96TQ38Uo_dtBJ4GRQJk5Sz_5tD9VQEAFeW=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="608" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg25hYTDMqCOoGwqWoRBbEDHpLdKV6aJBe2s6XSeI51nngdEjRT-nrOKaaGz-Ey1YWe8hAQO8PRhmzMfxw6w-qFUi5Ojihc2T9ZWpY4EaAXY6KXti_aCv-zbhCFtcK42B-7jVywjVLz45D7FRwDR5rvuS96TQ38Uo_dtBJ4GRQJk5Sz_5tD9VQEAFeW=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I am excited to announce the launch of my first book:</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><i style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">THE EMPIRES OF ATLANTIS</i><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">, published by Inner Traditions and distributed by Simon & Schuster.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The book is the result of over 15 years of research into the question of the origins of civilization and megalithic cultures around the world.</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Starting with an analysis of various mythical and esoteric traditions that present us with the idea of a lost civilization of prehistoric antiquity, the book discusses the latest scientific evidence from the fields of archeology, geology, anthropology and genetics to demonstrate the historical existence of Atlantis as the true cradle of human civilization.</span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Using authentic Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Hindu and Mesoamerican sources, the book draws for the first time a complete sequence of the development and collapse of Atlantean civilization through its three different ages, spanning over a hundred thousand years. It shows that this civilization did not vanish "<i>in a single day and night</i>", 11,600 years ago, but that for thousands of years afterwards its survivors embarked on a worldwide project aimed at resurrecting the lost world of the gods and bringing forth a new Golden Age.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The book will be released on January 18, 2022 and is available on Amazon and in bookstores throughout the US.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Empires-of-Atlantis/Marco-M-Vigato/9781591434337" style="color: blue;">Purchase from Simon & Schuster</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Empires-Atlantis-Civilizations-Traditions-throughout/dp/1591434335" style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">Purchase on Amazon.com</a></p>Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-39080730407499414592021-04-26T19:46:00.007-05:002021-07-31T22:49:56.666-05:00HIGH PRECISION MEGALITHIC STONEWORK AT SAN MIGUEL IXTAPAN, MEXICO<p><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">In part I of this article
(</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><u><span style="color: #5b9bd5; mso-themecolor: accent1;"><a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2021/04/san-miguel-ixtapan-mexico-part-i.html">Link here</a></span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">) we discussed the
archaeological site of San Miguel Ixtapan, Mexico, whose origins may date back
to the Pre-classic or even Formative period of Mesoamerican civilization, over
3,000 years ago. The site is known for its incredible "Maqueta" stone, the model of a city sculptured in a huge basalt rock, as well as for its unique style of megalithic architecture.</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7xtf220kNknkjHMGk_4-iEL7hnLR1xxebO9d9qZo55EKTQYphFWF_rOi_Rem4Jo8ux587k3BXbfLrSkCR2BfsWUprAvA7d7B2xQ-OTcUYGCiX4NRnWWO5s-8S9ipS3t1g2ZeWVR6AXU/s1094/San+Miguel+Ixtapan+-+Megalithic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1094" data-original-width="1078" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7xtf220kNknkjHMGk_4-iEL7hnLR1xxebO9d9qZo55EKTQYphFWF_rOi_Rem4Jo8ux587k3BXbfLrSkCR2BfsWUprAvA7d7B2xQ-OTcUYGCiX4NRnWWO5s-8S9ipS3t1g2ZeWVR6AXU/w394-h400/San+Miguel+Ixtapan+-+Megalithic.jpg" width="394" /></a></b></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">High precision megalithic stonework<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Even more than its remarkable
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maqueta</i>” stone, perhaps the most
distinctive aspect of this remote site is the presence of some huge megalithic
stone slabs that are found both in their archaeological context as well as
reused in various civic and religious buildings of the present-day village of
San Miguel Ixtapan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>For their exceptional workmanship
and precision, these stone slabs are among the finest examples of megalithic
stone carving to be found anywhere in Mexico and Mesoamerica, being perhaps
only comparable to some of the finest specimens of Pre-Inca and Tiwanaku
stonework from South America. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>Two slabs are found
embedded in the walls of the early Colonial church of San Miguel in the center
of town, with another large stela erected vertically in the church courtyard
and a fourth one standing in one corner of the main square of San Miguel
Ixtapan. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-TuJQnZ0gXt33uYWujMxpIdQ_VUy90hSCvYQItHRI8KBmiXRcvHj2NmpSXMm5bDInuO0g4FCyuZsgjZ5CzsiBG7b8UvhY8vjBwiMzBBJPRNMyTcV3JCXweKFMQ6fW5UsrrLQkyo0KXc/s2736/IMG_2286.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2736" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-TuJQnZ0gXt33uYWujMxpIdQ_VUy90hSCvYQItHRI8KBmiXRcvHj2NmpSXMm5bDInuO0g4FCyuZsgjZ5CzsiBG7b8UvhY8vjBwiMzBBJPRNMyTcV3JCXweKFMQ6fW5UsrrLQkyo0KXc/w400-h266/IMG_2286.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finest and best preserved of the four carved andesite stone slabs that can be found in the center of San Miguel Ixtapan. Notice the remarkable flatness and regularity of the stone surface and the accuracy of the geometric cut, with straight edges and clear-cut right angles. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjqnstNnXmeBx7B0dNEsLRYGtKlWu8XDD3sPXijLRtmbM8c1hu_opygrqS-V48uEcyXoUi7tLwQGa5TZf0niAAgURtm1hx6J6xE1cqwgkI58HZ9a9WXQpAZ5mwk4Z19RfhrPoT3Nx8tw/s4898/IMG_2283_2418.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjqnstNnXmeBx7B0dNEsLRYGtKlWu8XDD3sPXijLRtmbM8c1hu_opygrqS-V48uEcyXoUi7tLwQGa5TZf0niAAgURtm1hx6J6xE1cqwgkI58HZ9a9WXQpAZ5mwk4Z19RfhrPoT3Nx8tw/w400-h266/IMG_2283_2418.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the same andesite stone slab in the south wall of the church of San Miguel Ixtapan. Its measures are 1.54 meters high by 1.23 meters wide, with a minimum thickness of 25 centimeters and an estimated weight of between 1-1.5 tons. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3s9Fp9UGKy-1VnhIzR6J-vtHIK-xRzajoEJu6aHS17ZSuPYXhocr36VQkCmQ1tkIxUFgDLZZVBuWnLuRo2v7hojocVMDXnflaxKrMpIFKztMkaz2LWsCbk3z-8TlRgQ4sxk7LqwcY_A/s4898/IMG_2419.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3s9Fp9UGKy-1VnhIzR6J-vtHIK-xRzajoEJu6aHS17ZSuPYXhocr36VQkCmQ1tkIxUFgDLZZVBuWnLuRo2v7hojocVMDXnflaxKrMpIFKztMkaz2LWsCbk3z-8TlRgQ4sxk7LqwcY_A/w400-h266/IMG_2419.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very precise cut and remarkable right angles of the largest and best preserved of the andesite stone blocks found in the church of San Miguel Ixtapan. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0M7Azad5pVmKByjdUg0sypAcOw9tjecnhTBIKrdrxvAUgLFixNzfhGetcjguJFd-IfV0MRMysGU0xNHrF0spp4Kt-jWidBsgY_KFWcsYgqiETQI1j58_FcGvkOr4bToO3PJKZX6841x4/s4898/IMG_2279_2422.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0M7Azad5pVmKByjdUg0sypAcOw9tjecnhTBIKrdrxvAUgLFixNzfhGetcjguJFd-IfV0MRMysGU0xNHrF0spp4Kt-jWidBsgY_KFWcsYgqiETQI1j58_FcGvkOr4bToO3PJKZX6841x4/w400-h266/IMG_2279_2422.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another one of the carved andesite slabs incorporated in the walls of the church of San Miguel Ixtapan. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSa8DG7fIBooONFEygiHZtK62YdJLdpAFa9Gu7TfyojfJlAufob7ycITg2VujXFUFnstjq2o_U9B3GQEf5Lto6H2LrLlKAAZMtvHZSmPg6qN61pqmj_QybIbTG8LURzQ_5HQLYM_E8kBw/s4898/IMG_2423.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSa8DG7fIBooONFEygiHZtK62YdJLdpAFa9Gu7TfyojfJlAufob7ycITg2VujXFUFnstjq2o_U9B3GQEf5Lto6H2LrLlKAAZMtvHZSmPg6qN61pqmj_QybIbTG8LURzQ_5HQLYM_E8kBw/w400-h266/IMG_2423.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A side view of the same slab, showing its thickness. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> <span> </span></span>A fragmentary slab is
housed in the site museum of San Miguel Ixtapan, whereas two more can be found
in their archaeological context within a ceremonial space known as the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Recinto de las Esculturas</i>” (Enclosure of
the Sculptures), located on one side of the main pyramid. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>Most of the slabs in the
Church and in the main square are heavily eroded, the slab embedded in the
south wall of the Church being by far the best preserved. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We took accurate measurements of the largest of the stone slabs embedded in the south wall of the church. It measures 1.54 meters high by 1.23 meters wide, with a minimum thickness of 25 centimeters and an estimated weight of between 1-1.5 tons.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>All the slabs repeat the
same geometric pattern, with minimal variations: It consists of a seeming ‘T’
shape with a rectangular hollow below. On some of the slabs the carving is
plain, whereas on others the carvings are framed within a three-dimensional
double or triple molding. The carving is extremely regular, following straight
lines intersecting at right angles with the various planes of the stone
cutting. Whereas the stone is not eroded, a remarkable level of flatness and
polish is visible, which is even more remarkable if one considers that the
stone out of which the slabs were carved is a hard, finely grained type of
gray-green andesite, with a hardness of 7 on the Moh scale (comparable to 6-7
for granite).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>A significant exception
to this pattern is offered by one of the slabs erected on the square in front
of the church, which contains two “knobs” (possibly some badly eroded and
defaced human head sculptures?) inside each arm of the inverted letter ‘T’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIkgkHlPBn3bfZJ34bYGU1wo-RnFFo6RLhgC_bljogHRjKhJxSHbYp_KPJGD5XdJnKMLx6xDNJFNQnoyNqk-T0Kq0Qp02Tx91wcyOzzaNaXS3J9JYgUs1v0Irpqn5ERU-jRzbgzH5Bbk/s4898/IMG_2287.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4898" data-original-width="3265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIkgkHlPBn3bfZJ34bYGU1wo-RnFFo6RLhgC_bljogHRjKhJxSHbYp_KPJGD5XdJnKMLx6xDNJFNQnoyNqk-T0Kq0Qp02Tx91wcyOzzaNaXS3J9JYgUs1v0Irpqn5ERU-jRzbgzH5Bbk/w266-h400/IMG_2287.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the wonderfully carved stone slabs found in front of the church of San Miguel Ixtapan. Unlike the other slabs, this one has two “knobs” protruding from the arms of the letter ‘T’. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTveli1PhEbtDVZxteTP5Gz2PBkCK-Y6UEjlF4Poqqui_xZQ6Kcc567Rkqpksdrjg4GbWvIEpJQBtqjj3TqYF3wJhGon8NzKDbs_sfhVqpNoefuc0VYsQ43rCReNvz9a89o7DAOd53gKU/s4898/IMG_2421.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTveli1PhEbtDVZxteTP5Gz2PBkCK-Y6UEjlF4Poqqui_xZQ6Kcc567Rkqpksdrjg4GbWvIEpJQBtqjj3TqYF3wJhGon8NzKDbs_sfhVqpNoefuc0VYsQ43rCReNvz9a89o7DAOd53gKU/w400-h266/IMG_2421.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close-up view of the enigmatic slab found in front of the church of San Miguel Ixtapan; notice the two "knobs" protruding out of the arms of the inverted 'T' shape, a design reminiscent of similar Andean motifs. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdm0x0bG7fkgGTwDoje0pgwI0GADL1CFXSCInDtEPE8qfdOJt6YorU6mApyGuUGVbZkTV_X0wk3Ym2LZl74oNzN0d5hXffooI33wzm2mc4Hcl9xt-a1btfVfEJh1mfWQhThI9lh-4YMw/s4898/IMG_2278.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdm0x0bG7fkgGTwDoje0pgwI0GADL1CFXSCInDtEPE8qfdOJt6YorU6mApyGuUGVbZkTV_X0wk3Ym2LZl74oNzN0d5hXffooI33wzm2mc4Hcl9xt-a1btfVfEJh1mfWQhThI9lh-4YMw/w400-h266/IMG_2278.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large basalt stela, carved from a piece of columnar basalt and now laying in front of the church of San Miguel Ixtapan. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3S6rrxf5vjKbOoTQYqqHgANqQm8-z7NErbHS6G5Z-AGu0uy5yaHHfg4YWyy9MzHJ11_m6d9yjFTZTVd2D-6LH7useWtQF0kuTWwBDzVFYKr4sEoRJd2gg4V5p-ePzCT5kWgju01eMKw/s4898/IMG_2288.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4898" data-original-width="3265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3S6rrxf5vjKbOoTQYqqHgANqQm8-z7NErbHS6G5Z-AGu0uy5yaHHfg4YWyy9MzHJ11_m6d9yjFTZTVd2D-6LH7useWtQF0kuTWwBDzVFYKr4sEoRJd2gg4V5p-ePzCT5kWgju01eMKw/w266-h400/IMG_2288.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fragment of another stela, this one without decoration, in one corner of the main square of San Miguel Ixtapan. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span> </span><span> </span>During our second visit
to the site on April 24</span><sup style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, 2021 we were accompanied by archaeologist
Victor Osorio Ogarrio, director of the archaeological site and museum of San
Miguel Ixtapan and to whom goes our unconditioned appreciation for the
excellent management of this small but very important archaeological site.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDYBcHhO8qHrVX3WNVh4FRWggE9II5ZuE0PEbIwBrNjZHoYJyFF5ykym62rj2TXB8_eOOlHZhyuJnQeTjHJFjU8-nlhepPZQupDNIvtMJIpJQlgcuw9QS7alaSLUE2tR6QSfUbDYaREI/s4898/IMG_2398.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDYBcHhO8qHrVX3WNVh4FRWggE9II5ZuE0PEbIwBrNjZHoYJyFF5ykym62rj2TXB8_eOOlHZhyuJnQeTjHJFjU8-nlhepPZQupDNIvtMJIpJQlgcuw9QS7alaSLUE2tR6QSfUbDYaREI/w400-h266/IMG_2398.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two monolithic slabs found in situ within the “<i>Recinto de las Esculturas</i>” (Enclosure of the Sculptures), still in their original location. One can appreciate their different workmanship and orientation compared to the slabs in the church. The slabs on the left was covered with a white plaster stucco, apparently in an attempt to restore it after it had already suffered significant erosion. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatLkzeZ6fL4PbanBKOAJXH8bm6wjswONBzQp1LK3q0d3q1CdReYpLlHsz_FelZfFjLa7slHSm3gIdBAmOumiWsJItmJTf6F_B2ahpCqaUlzCjYZLveYa1iCGhyphenhyphenNs2xPLAmIV0JKkw_8U/s4898/IMG_2391.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatLkzeZ6fL4PbanBKOAJXH8bm6wjswONBzQp1LK3q0d3q1CdReYpLlHsz_FelZfFjLa7slHSm3gIdBAmOumiWsJItmJTf6F_B2ahpCqaUlzCjYZLveYa1iCGhyphenhyphenNs2xPLAmIV0JKkw_8U/w400-h266/IMG_2391.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another frontal view of the two stone slabs inside the "<i>Recinto de las Esculturas</i>". [<i><b>Photo by Author</b></i>].</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>This time we had the
opportunity, thanks to Dr. Osorio, of visiting the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Recinto de las Esculturas</i>”, located in a portion of the site that
is regularly closed to the public. There we could observe two more of the huge
stone slabs in their archaeological context. The slabs form a sort of
separation wall delimiting a space for offerings, where numerous
anthropomorphic sculptures dating to the Epiclassic period (ca. 900 AD) were
found, which are now exhibited in the local museum with the exception of two
that were left on site. The stone slab to the right of the entrance shows the
same accurate workmanship and geometric moldings as the slabs in the church.
Its orientation, however, appears to be upside down. The slab to the left is of
much inferior workmanship – It was either an attempt to replicate the same
pattern and design of the other slab, or the result of a repair attempt with
stucco of an earlier stone slab, as evidenced by the fact that stucco was
applied over a seemingly already heavily eroded surface. There is no
consistency in the orientation of the two stone slabs, the one on the right
having the ´T¨ at the bottom (upside-down from the ones in the church), the
other having the “T” shape placed horizontally. It is quite possible that the
stone slabs were only put in this chamber in secondary use and appropriated
from some earlier structure. This, together with the degree of erosion visible
on the surface of the left stone slab before it was covered with stucco, suggests
that their origin must be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at least</i> in
the Epi-classic period (to which period dates the arrangement of this chamber
and the offerings laid inside it), but could be possibly much older.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NA6wlXksWRFdy-rgOj972Ov6LoSM7N01fce6Wg4O3fQg8swl_Cf8MAnCRvNxYCyU0WV7WzCihBwLH6G4rmAqD2AYr26VcISvSGnuIS8QtE99gW2C6_ElLsanm21NRVfPQkJ9ND5zOpg/s4898/IMG_2351.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4898" data-original-width="3265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NA6wlXksWRFdy-rgOj972Ov6LoSM7N01fce6Wg4O3fQg8swl_Cf8MAnCRvNxYCyU0WV7WzCihBwLH6G4rmAqD2AYr26VcISvSGnuIS8QtE99gW2C6_ElLsanm21NRVfPQkJ9ND5zOpg/w266-h400/IMG_2351.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fragment of another stone slab in one corner of the site museum of San Miguel Ixtapan (the notebook is for scale). Unlike the slabs in the church, which are made of andesite, this one is considerably thicker and made of basalt. It comes from a site close to Rancho “I” about 5 kilometers from San Miguel Ixtapan. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Rancho “I”<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks to Dr. Osorio, and
while trying to unravel the mystery of the stone slabs, our curiosity was again
picked by a carved basalt fragment housed in a corner of the site museum showing
part of a geometric frame. Unlike all the other slabs at the site and in the
church, which are made of a finely grained andesite, this fragment turned out
to be of basalt, and much thicker than any of the other slabs at approximately
0.45 meters thick. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>After inquiring about the
provenance of the fragment, we learnt it was brought to the museum in the late
1990’s from a site located approximately 5 kilometers from San Miguel Ixtapan. This
site has, to the best of our knowledge, never been documented or excavated. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>Attracted by the
possibility of finding more carved stone slabs at this site, we drove to Rancho
“I” based only on some very rough indications provided by locals (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">due to the exceptional potential importance
of this site and its lack of protection we decided not to disclose its location</i>).
<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XoOzbBfU1O_ORryrazOg3_ipGF3ctRflHcLGhiegU746Jtp1L0mmfSJSfAM3Dzhxp_eddsSvANG_rSuGdisr0oiNPK4YqAJOkAlfaL-L96NEnipVGekIilo0tBsolQ8ggEmQORAIFJQ/s4898/IMG_2355.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8XoOzbBfU1O_ORryrazOg3_ipGF3ctRflHcLGhiegU746Jtp1L0mmfSJSfAM3Dzhxp_eddsSvANG_rSuGdisr0oiNPK4YqAJOkAlfaL-L96NEnipVGekIilo0tBsolQ8ggEmQORAIFJQ/w400-h266/IMG_2355.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring Rancho “I” with the help of a local farmer. Notice the very large mound to the left covered in huge basalt stone fragments. This is only one of several large mounds at the site. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>There we found evidence
of what must have been a very extensive site – everywhere over a distance of
several hundred meters one could see the obvious remains of buried mounds and
pyramids, covered in fragments of basalt stone. Laying on the ground were huge
masses of heavily eroded basalt, including basalt columns and other possibly
worked rectangular stones. Near the base of one of the larger mounds we found a
huge carved basalt stone slab, broken into three pieces. If complete, the stone
must have measured at least 1.80 by 1.60 meters, with a thickness of between
0.4 and 0.5 meters and an estimated weight of between 4 and 5 tons. The design
on the stone, as well as its workmanship, is comparable to the stones in the
church and the fragment from the museum. To imagine that such exquisite
moldings were carved in the very hard basalt without iron or other metal tools
is simply astonishing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDduzJlIC8YnEHnofDz-58F9t9rNj59fandfMj2c-hgUGappPUsVrielfL66ZlSFbaied0DRAcPGs4g-MXjx47WeIaw14LeRLT_-sEwS90KyfeWJfXew-Ga6uYMeAQjlENpkG6FX1bYg/s4898/IMG_2381.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqDduzJlIC8YnEHnofDz-58F9t9rNj59fandfMj2c-hgUGappPUsVrielfL66ZlSFbaied0DRAcPGs4g-MXjx47WeIaw14LeRLT_-sEwS90KyfeWJfXew-Ga6uYMeAQjlENpkG6FX1bYg/w400-h266/IMG_2381.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The huge carved basalt slab found broken into three pieces at the newly discovered site of Rancho “I”. It is much thicker than the slabs at the church and made of basalt instead of andesite, yet the carving is similar. If complete, it would have measured 1.8 by 1.6 meters, with a thickness of 0.5 meters and a weight of 4-5 tons. Next to it is possible to see the excavation made by looters to remove the slab from its original site, together with numerous other pieces of wrought and unwrought basalt. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4l5f-hjFtJbg4Cub5HuEGuoMZadhn_nxT1dn-672qdTvPfEcU4iVM_aqQj2PR5qw4o6cpfU4TB5N8UZBXzS1Qh9ut8aNhMMAd6CL68X7OQUxpybEP8S-55B4aCgnC89_cQFT0qG0OKw/s4898/IMG_2368.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4l5f-hjFtJbg4Cub5HuEGuoMZadhn_nxT1dn-672qdTvPfEcU4iVM_aqQj2PR5qw4o6cpfU4TB5N8UZBXzS1Qh9ut8aNhMMAd6CL68X7OQUxpybEP8S-55B4aCgnC89_cQFT0qG0OKw/w400-h266/IMG_2368.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The largest and best preserve portion of the huge basalt stone slab at the site of Rancho "I". The two small holes were probably made by looters in an attempt to break the stone. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiv2V300x-8wr6IpINRfAf4wLPJXjE39yY9zSes4JJFObXka3GMIyL8t-lBCtQ2DFWXPx2WWW0XGhJ8wjf4P6gB6Yf6gZYb0l2mU0eXyKhgytUhUVGBgArCfF7kxqRsz3oJ76XSLNNmXw/s4898/IMG_2365.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiv2V300x-8wr6IpINRfAf4wLPJXjE39yY9zSes4JJFObXka3GMIyL8t-lBCtQ2DFWXPx2WWW0XGhJ8wjf4P6gB6Yf6gZYb0l2mU0eXyKhgytUhUVGBgArCfF7kxqRsz3oJ76XSLNNmXw/w400-h266/IMG_2365.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the same fragment. If complete, the slab would have measured 1.80 by 1.60 meters with a thickness of 0.5 meters and an estimated weight of 4-5 tons. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87FmOWOxsCUa2o1OuS8VjAzzrkcK08OiApbLZYxylP40GUpNwiuOOlnDX1tLJUWjwXtvcsE65DDL_54TZNruZqmPvKpqHnmv_sovj8677e3ks9cAnNxmBqK8DWpdbJK-qe_gT6unJkzA/s4898/IMG_2372.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4898" data-original-width="3265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87FmOWOxsCUa2o1OuS8VjAzzrkcK08OiApbLZYxylP40GUpNwiuOOlnDX1tLJUWjwXtvcsE65DDL_54TZNruZqmPvKpqHnmv_sovj8677e3ks9cAnNxmBqK8DWpdbJK-qe_gT6unJkzA/w266-h400/IMG_2372.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The author, standing behind the newly discovered carved stone slab at the site of Rancho "I". [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>According to local
farmers, the stone was discovered accidentally in the early 2000’s by treasure
hunters, who removed it from a nearby trench (now filled with smaller stone
fragments) and broke it into pieces while looking for treasure. When found, the
huge stone was apparently intact. Now only three large fragments remain, with a
fourth one (part of the letter ‘T’) missing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> I</span>t is to be hoped that
the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) will decide to take
action to protect this remarkable site and remove the carved stone slab to a
place where it will suffer no further vandalism. It is very likely that more
carved stone slabs will be found at this site, which may reveal precious
information about the civilization or culture responsible for its construction,
and about the true age of the slabs. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">An unknown civilization?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The type of megalithic
architecture of San Miguel Ixtapan and the exceptional quality of its stone
workmanship in such hard stones as basalt and andesite, has no parallel in
ancient Mexico, and indeed throughout Mesoamerica. This is an entirely unique
site, the silent testimony of a culture that vanished nearly without a trace
hundreds or thousands of years ago, leaving only its abandoned stone monuments
behind.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>There is no consensus as
to which culture inhabited the area of San Miguel Ixtapan since at least the
Formative and Pre-classic period. Aztec documents refer to the inhabitants of
this region as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chontal</i>, a generic
term in the Nahua language used to indicate any foreign people of non-Nahua
descent. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>Previous studies have
suggested a possible association of the site with the still enigmatic and
poorly studied Mezcala culture of Guerrero (Reyna Robles, 2006), and other
sites in the region of the Upper Balsas River. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>Another possibility is
that the megalithic architectural style and artistic tradition of San Miguel
Ixtapan represents an element foreign to Mesoamerica, maybe imported by means
of trans-oceanic contact from South America. In this respect, numerous scholars
(Malmstrom, 1995) have suggested a possible relationship between the Purupecha
(or Tarascan) language spoken in parts of western Mexico, and the Quechua
language of Peru and the Andean region of South America.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>Only more extensive
excavations at San Miguel Ixtapan and at the newly discovered site of “Rancho
I”, which promises to be even more extensive, may help to unravel the mystery
of the origins of this unique megalithic culture that has no other known
parallels in ancient Mesoamerica. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTD85huNTEqOpGPPpWHM5LAz0fL8NxSCy6p-QqqoxmGrqPQPzWikknkeIJvYqU1vjo-hYGunMPYGRk0Fva6OOG9PP-NQ_PvbwyzO0mGBV-oRKQGW3AwauGuMP-uWwyRVH9a77NpeqQ0Cc/s4898/IMG_2424.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTD85huNTEqOpGPPpWHM5LAz0fL8NxSCy6p-QqqoxmGrqPQPzWikknkeIJvYqU1vjo-hYGunMPYGRk0Fva6OOG9PP-NQ_PvbwyzO0mGBV-oRKQGW3AwauGuMP-uWwyRVH9a77NpeqQ0Cc/w400-h266/IMG_2424.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some large scattered megalithic basalt blocks on the opposite side of the ravine from the archaeological site of San Miguel Ixtapan, laying in the shade of a giant tree. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66-SX6wFXzqYd4mUX_MYhIliUFaJr2xJ1liBCeHtGd74Vtj6lynoxFtDOkjN74CKMFA-Go5txGy0-uhBHvCIWeb05Iv_bOEgo8eoQZrqSDZGNVYz2jMx8SrQYJPWWt3MYsiSTQN0FRZU/s4898/IMG_2425.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66-SX6wFXzqYd4mUX_MYhIliUFaJr2xJ1liBCeHtGd74Vtj6lynoxFtDOkjN74CKMFA-Go5txGy0-uhBHvCIWeb05Iv_bOEgo8eoQZrqSDZGNVYz2jMx8SrQYJPWWt3MYsiSTQN0FRZU/w400-h266/IMG_2425.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of a megalithic basalt wall and stone arrangement on the opposite site of the ravine from the site museum of San Miguel Ixtapan. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-weight: bold; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdG0xa46Cyd9hnPrtwtfVuCqS83_r5me9hVwNAFctRnpb0gHZY880O-XGHLCkQ-hrth-7r7012xyBVS2hjx2c1w8FNP11GgQZkJgIuNudPlZV-bdCiMcgOQ3w91h3GyxqT258sDxb5egw/s4898/IMG_2354.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4898" data-original-width="3265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdG0xa46Cyd9hnPrtwtfVuCqS83_r5me9hVwNAFctRnpb0gHZY880O-XGHLCkQ-hrth-7r7012xyBVS2hjx2c1w8FNP11GgQZkJgIuNudPlZV-bdCiMcgOQ3w91h3GyxqT258sDxb5egw/w266-h400/IMG_2354.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A monumental andesite pillar, nearly 2 meters high (the notebook is for scale), unfortunately defaced by graffiti, standing on one side of the parking lot of the archaeological site. Originally part of an arrangement of 3 similar pillars, it is the only one still standing.</span> [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-weight: bold; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4z-0j880o2wxVxG-UnCFLpc76EozphKa0CwblAXtZn6ycOcuv-dRrBgIEIEiiG3f91nwRYtEVlGPdoqg8i2v15jceq5iBKTVLSpfmZ33h3QisJqWofDfBxO8DQqb4pviwsxGDB1DmMw0/s4898/IMG_2414.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4898" data-original-width="3265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4z-0j880o2wxVxG-UnCFLpc76EozphKa0CwblAXtZn6ycOcuv-dRrBgIEIEiiG3f91nwRYtEVlGPdoqg8i2v15jceq5iBKTVLSpfmZ33h3QisJqWofDfBxO8DQqb4pviwsxGDB1DmMw0/w266-h400/IMG_2414.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">A large block of columnar basalt, possibly a stela, near San Miguel Ixtapan, known locally as the “<i>Piedra del Muerto</i>” (Stone of the dead) for its vague resemblance to a coffin, now broken in two pieces.</span> [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-weight: bold; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi646yQPef9R1gYqY1LRR20qSHCJhEpfWR155DzbtluAYsamP_RRnSKJgPIxcuh51eOISDKBuHnDXlAVJ7itUx5BfWuGOq1zihDI3US0mnXqS6FP36dBfcONL61Dtue9-Y6eRh80yZ9eto/s4898/IMG_2234_2346.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi646yQPef9R1gYqY1LRR20qSHCJhEpfWR155DzbtluAYsamP_RRnSKJgPIxcuh51eOISDKBuHnDXlAVJ7itUx5BfWuGOq1zihDI3US0mnXqS6FP36dBfcONL61Dtue9-Y6eRh80yZ9eto/w400-h266/IMG_2234_2346.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The incredible “<i>Maqueta</i>” stone model of San Miguel Ixtapan, carved from a single huge boulder of basalt measuring 3 by 4 meters and believed to contain the representation of a yet unidentified city. See <a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2021/04/san-miguel-ixtapan-mexico-part-i.html">Part I</a> of this article for more information. </span>[<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-weight: bold;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Acknowledgements</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">We would like to thank
archaeologist Victor Osorio Ogarrio, director of the site and archaeological
museum of San Miguel Ixtapan for his kind permission to visit the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Recinto de las Esculturas</i>” and for
accompanying us on our visit to Rancho “I”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The opinions expressed in
this article are solely the Author’s and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions and beliefs of Dr. Osorio, of the National Institute of Anthropology
and History (INAH), or of the Secretary of Culture of the State of Mexico. <b style="font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">References</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[1] INAH, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zona Arqueológica de San Miguel Ixtapan</i>”,
on January 9, 2008. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On-line resource:
<a href="https://www.inah.gob.mx/zonas/46-zona-arqueologica-de-san-miguel-ixtapan">https://www.inah.gob.mx/zonas/46-zona-arqueologica-de-san-miguel-ixtapan</a>. Accessed
on April 20, 2021. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">[2] Malmstrom, Vincent H. “Geographical Origins of the
Tarascans”. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Geographical Review</i>, vol.
85, No. 1, January 1995, pp. 31-40. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[3] Osorio Ogarrio,
Victor Ángel and Marco Antonio de León Cortés. “Una posible Diosa Prehispánica
en San Miguel Ixtapan, Tejupilco”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arqueología
Mexicana</i>, 158, July-August 2019, pp. 46-51.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[4] “Revista cultural
San Miguel Ixtapan”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Expresión Antropológica,
</i>no. 1-2 Nueva Serie. Gobierno del Estado de México: Secretaría de Cultura,
1999.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[5] Reyna Robles, Rosa
María, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Cultura Arqueológica Mezcala</i>,
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, 2006.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">[6]</span>“San Miguel Ixtapan, Estado de México”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arqueología Mexicana</i>, Especial 35, Estado
de México, guía arqueológica, June 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[7] Sinaí Gomez,
Rodolfo, “Antecedentes Históricos - Tejupilco”, Municipio de Tejupilco, 2012. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On-line
resource. Accessed on April 25, 2021 through Archive.org: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120327194635/https://www.tejupilco.gob.mx/contenido/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=59">https://web.archive.org/web/20120327194635/https://www.tejupilco.gob.mx/contenido/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=59</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">[8] Wikipedia, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">San
Miguel Ixtapan (Archaeological Site)</i>”. Last edited on December 19, 2020.
On-line: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel_Ixtapan_(archaeological_site)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel_Ixtapan_(archaeological_site)</a>.
Accessed on April 20, 2021. <b style="font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></p></span>Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com4Stato del Messico, Messico18.8070769 -100.1551174-9.503156936178847 -135.3113674 47.117310736178844 -64.9988674tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-59292675007843987392021-04-26T14:21:00.004-05:002021-04-26T19:52:09.993-05:00San Miguel Ixtapan, Mexico - PART I: THE INCREDIBLE MAQUETA STONE<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkKQOxBUXbUONHDCJbNz6npEB3Mwjr4z2a2ns_i0l0qzBM33qaAFipGN5ePLXpp8F55rTKChg3HK3UfdpYA6qMmzx61O_b-XGPJn2mY9smpg0AMzkkBD6dmc-gl-vvQ9BiILBuYr2KV8/s4898/IMG_2234_2346.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpkKQOxBUXbUONHDCJbNz6npEB3Mwjr4z2a2ns_i0l0qzBM33qaAFipGN5ePLXpp8F55rTKChg3HK3UfdpYA6qMmzx61O_b-XGPJn2mY9smpg0AMzkkBD6dmc-gl-vvQ9BiILBuYr2KV8/w400-h266/IMG_2234_2346.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">A
small site in the southern part of the state of Mexico, virtually unknown until
it was only partially excavated in the early 1990’s, may hold the evidence of
an unknown civilization that flourished at the same time as the mysterious
Olmecs and left some incredible stone monuments that have no equals in other
parts of Mexico and Mesoamerica.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The small archaeological site of San Miguel Ixtapan is
located in the south of the State of Mexico, at the entrance of the Tierra
Caliente region that from the highlands of Central Mexico leads down to the
Pacific coast. One gets there from the city of Toluca on highway 134 after
passing the town of Tejupilco de Hidalgo, or from the popular lake resort town
of Valle de Bravo, from which it is only about 70 kilometers (45 miles)
distant.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIbEP3n_IaXe4pbOSf7FUMzuNU3vBJuWSdm8XFJ6nA9jQHUnmMx2i8ZVS2WU2bjooP56tyvXGeuU-VHqavLHYBa2LtB88TPsH1vMlfyxyMLv8XX8CmbCTVjihv5ewFj70qFJWDtq6VwE/s4898/IMG_2171.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIbEP3n_IaXe4pbOSf7FUMzuNU3vBJuWSdm8XFJ6nA9jQHUnmMx2i8ZVS2WU2bjooP56tyvXGeuU-VHqavLHYBa2LtB88TPsH1vMlfyxyMLv8XX8CmbCTVjihv5ewFj70qFJWDtq6VwE/w400-h266/IMG_2171.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The enigmatic <i>Cerro de la Muñeca</i>,
dominating the site of San Miguel Ixtapan from the distance and the subject of
many curious legends and local traditions. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The site is only one of a handful that has been at
least partially explored in the southwestern part of the State of Mexico, an
otherwise blank spot on the archaeological map of Mexico. Its discovery only
dates to 1985, when a huge sculptured “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">maqueta</i>”
model stone was uncovered by farmers plowing a field near the local cemetery. It
was not until 1995 that a small portion of the site, including parts of a large
pyramid and a Mesoamerican ball court – only one of three known in this part of
Mexico – were excavated.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIQDgM4dtHNPDtkISsTIt80mwmvTyRtPfDWbQGTKA6GBTsb_droDT4HpAuBha5kIfK-YUBkkF7V6CuE5_BNNqwPXf_T64TUulgvqUMrDY0-cTPFhyW4ISIb94LZLkDitJc6xEXE_xC9k/s4898/IMG_2265.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIQDgM4dtHNPDtkISsTIt80mwmvTyRtPfDWbQGTKA6GBTsb_droDT4HpAuBha5kIfK-YUBkkF7V6CuE5_BNNqwPXf_T64TUulgvqUMrDY0-cTPFhyW4ISIb94LZLkDitJc6xEXE_xC9k/w400-h266/IMG_2265.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">A view of the 40-meter long ballgame court of San Miguel Ixtapan, one of
only three known in the State of Mexico. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvyp0AM3mPFVXEKXBX7PizsT7Fxmz3XqLIdnZBDl53uNA1FVDZww9WzKeO56BQE3Fc61U4ZW9Ownn7uiKhbK6DXmxWp6cI5j8tLyuNUnHoiQf054jRdA8Q4sFejJEEi1EL71qWIK8idc/s4898/IMG_2267.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvyp0AM3mPFVXEKXBX7PizsT7Fxmz3XqLIdnZBDl53uNA1FVDZww9WzKeO56BQE3Fc61U4ZW9Ownn7uiKhbK6DXmxWp6cI5j8tLyuNUnHoiQf054jRdA8Q4sFejJEEi1EL71qWIK8idc/w400-h266/IMG_2267.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">A sunken patio on the south side of Basement 3. The “<i>Recinto de las Esculturas</i>” (Enclosure of
the Sculptures) is found under the roofed structure next to a corbelled chamber
also protected by a roof. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dnB3IYcTtqhNOV7TmYlDFBp7zdb20UdLws3k1dL_F5ddJQaTxUvQwouZfnE4DbrK-qPn3SIIIybTz_u_ZKZmAWBLdg4fcN0uVJP01Zfkm1Cxmxkok2jXRaDq82k0Kodo6_GPwekmMy8/s4898/IMG_2274.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dnB3IYcTtqhNOV7TmYlDFBp7zdb20UdLws3k1dL_F5ddJQaTxUvQwouZfnE4DbrK-qPn3SIIIybTz_u_ZKZmAWBLdg4fcN0uVJP01Zfkm1Cxmxkok2jXRaDq82k0Kodo6_GPwekmMy8/w400-h266/IMG_2274.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">A panoramic view of the excavated portion of the site of San Miguel Ixtapan from a nearby unexcavated pyramid mound known as “</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">El Calvario</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">”. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The earliest traces of human occupation in the area
date back at least 12,000 years, in the form of cave paintings in the nearby
Sierra de Nanchititla. An unknown culture then occupied the site around 2,000
BCE. To this remote period dates a human burial found on top of a still
unexcavated pyramid mound or platform, which contained a mosaic stone mask,
another smaller mask made of jadeite with Olmecoid features, and a jade beads
necklace, together with human remains that provided a chronological reference
date for the burial (Sinaí Gomez, 2012).</span>Since the time of the site’s discovery, several
subsequent excavation campaigns have revealed at least five different periods
of occupation of the site during the Formative, Pre-Classic, Classic, Epi-Classic
and Post-Classic period.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzx7ET1BcVawzpSo0apD6yBaOSu0yczlGfnR7piMIsYQEvOpul7Spb2oRszusqQwalrWAJcElRf9y2fejdE9nABKUvYyGZe_GLL1REYiXEtGJ73cAIXPOzeZVXXP2P2skPxs9y91ZMD4/s4898/IMG_2196.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzx7ET1BcVawzpSo0apD6yBaOSu0yczlGfnR7piMIsYQEvOpul7Spb2oRszusqQwalrWAJcElRf9y2fejdE9nABKUvYyGZe_GLL1REYiXEtGJ73cAIXPOzeZVXXP2P2skPxs9y91ZMD4/w400-h266/IMG_2196.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Part of an offering
discovered near the summit of an unexcavated mound in San Miguel Ixtapan during
electrical works. It includes a mosaic stone mask, a jade necklace, earrings
and a small pendant in the shape of a human head with possibly Olmecoid (?) features. A burial associated with the offering has been allegedly dated to
2,000 BCE. The culture that produced these artefacts is completely unknown.
[<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]. <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTtCuumL7PUDrq4iSfNK32_JQMSFc2GYNd4gNVfib26pfXZynCZg_gZJz1SduWyrjmeOqu0IrzlMkHTHtYkFjgsFYLDImnrPsoxPyEqvzhb85WJz-X2_zdBaekRty2gaR5cesDzH2438/s2048/IMG_2336.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTtCuumL7PUDrq4iSfNK32_JQMSFc2GYNd4gNVfib26pfXZynCZg_gZJz1SduWyrjmeOqu0IrzlMkHTHtYkFjgsFYLDImnrPsoxPyEqvzhb85WJz-X2_zdBaekRty2gaR5cesDzH2438/w400-h266/IMG_2336.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail of the small Olmecoid (?) green stone mask associated with the offering. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLz7yrPOJ1jniNYkeyoCsFt1mt78b1_8RU5m1vfidvTdGWi-TYv8rJRRvwCUNy7xWwVsP1HmDHYkaaAhTCfRXcKhdXnU3FdDSCpeCX4v1A0Td-H-zKJt5JXvv7N4xq3mCdDvxTYQFAoIQ/s4898/IMG_2192.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLz7yrPOJ1jniNYkeyoCsFt1mt78b1_8RU5m1vfidvTdGWi-TYv8rJRRvwCUNy7xWwVsP1HmDHYkaaAhTCfRXcKhdXnU3FdDSCpeCX4v1A0Td-H-zKJt5JXvv7N4xq3mCdDvxTYQFAoIQ/w400-h266/IMG_2192.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A set of enigmatic stone idols with crossed arms, part
of a larger offering found in the “<i>Recinto
de las Esculturas</i>” (Enclosures of the Sculptures) area of the site, dated
to the Epiclassic period (650-900 CE) [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl1wI4vvzCQmENEJSbxHMep6GkitTTNtzI-4NfUKdD1piU3ffqqa-NooXZvhB1aK3Hkj-bnYtW-FlNMHgwwwIA39xqWtHAbl4VBk9NAyi_GrrqOtfJPk92hVeh8Nxi-Qn0SQhuLn7yQI/s4898/IMG_2188.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4898" data-original-width="3265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl1wI4vvzCQmENEJSbxHMep6GkitTTNtzI-4NfUKdD1piU3ffqqa-NooXZvhB1aK3Hkj-bnYtW-FlNMHgwwwIA39xqWtHAbl4VBk9NAyi_GrrqOtfJPk92hVeh8Nxi-Qn0SQhuLn7yQI/w266-h400/IMG_2188.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mezcala culture (700 BCE - 650 CE) stone figurines from the Site Museum
of san Miguel Ixtapan. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Several Formative period ceramic figurines were also
found, dating to between 800 and 200 BCE, showing affinities with the Tlapacoya
and Tlatilco artistic tradition of Central Mexico. The discovery of a number of
Teotihuacan style artefacts further testify to the site’s occupation during the
Classic period, when it either came under direct political control or was
influenced by Teotihuacan. After the fall of Teotihuacan, in what is known as
the Epi-Classic period (750-900 AD), the site knew its greatest expansion, with
the construction of several monumental structures and pyramids rivaling in size
other nearby sites like Teotenango and Xochicalco.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After a period of abandonment, the site was then
reoccupied by the Aztecs in the Post-Classic period, and remained inhabited until
the time of the Spanish conquest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The site nowadays consists of a large pyramidal
platform with a temple and smaller rooms on top in which several sculptures
were found, a Mesoamerican ball court, a monumental stairway built of large
basalt blocks, and a sunken courtyard. Some very notable sculptures were found
in niches and chambers of the main pyramid (also known as Basement 3),
including a large stela with a depiction of the rain god Tlaloc, and multiple
anthropomorphic figures with unusually crossed arms, a pose quite rare in
ancient Mexico and with possible funerary significance.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEFQrHbq3_QmKYedxGLcsUPqVCeb0_Ugc_4RSnGu_Q2aVF43XSFuE7iiisY7lGxmsn7tV7-eF3ULOrFQu5p559RGpnwgeBb5gnpQ3eRjEKIRfxAoWx_iW2DRf5iwikRkh9zLwhiZCUHU/s4898/IMG_2413.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEFQrHbq3_QmKYedxGLcsUPqVCeb0_Ugc_4RSnGu_Q2aVF43XSFuE7iiisY7lGxmsn7tV7-eF3ULOrFQu5p559RGpnwgeBb5gnpQ3eRjEKIRfxAoWx_iW2DRf5iwikRkh9zLwhiZCUHU/w400-h266/IMG_2413.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The front of Basement 3,
with another monumental stairway built of large basalt blocks. It is possible
to appreciate the different stages and epochs of construction of Basement 3 in
the alternation between different masonry styles. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gdpbgVFDs_Nm-ASGYMMP9DO6p8GZd3_SZLyILSPT5OtWWWy3MPjJkHOX-OvByA4aHf9pwEPp8yZiLA6OFnzgjZ9X6IltXt_4heHFEKJFWE2vf8q4GoRdX0-WzctiIgtA0s1272hG-V0/s4898/IMG_2391.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gdpbgVFDs_Nm-ASGYMMP9DO6p8GZd3_SZLyILSPT5OtWWWy3MPjJkHOX-OvByA4aHf9pwEPp8yZiLA6OFnzgjZ9X6IltXt_4heHFEKJFWE2vf8q4GoRdX0-WzctiIgtA0s1272hG-V0/w400-h266/IMG_2391.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "<i>Patio de las Esculturas</i>" (Enclosures of the Sculptures" located on a terrace of the main pyramid, with two monolithic stone slabs and idols still in the same original archaeological setting where they were found during excavations in the mid 1990's. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy349R_t8xH87HFO8_NCe1jv5mqI5Wop0jr5G7DethP_ksjMjcP5F3m9nCCzbu1mfMr1oBjYF6Z7KnOWJhHis4iQvnwRo2tumV3uQk3vQ8-equk1gasvhooGx4-VKCqxcCPVHg4DPreGQ/s4898/IMG_2253.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy349R_t8xH87HFO8_NCe1jv5mqI5Wop0jr5G7DethP_ksjMjcP5F3m9nCCzbu1mfMr1oBjYF6Z7KnOWJhHis4iQvnwRo2tumV3uQk3vQ8-equk1gasvhooGx4-VKCqxcCPVHg4DPreGQ/w400-h266/IMG_2253.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">A view of Basement 3, the largest pyramid at the site, from which it is
possible to appreciate the monumental stairway leading up to the ballgame court
plaza and a drainage channel on one side of the structure. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7Xpa0Z4_XBvjMwPRgpzCbO1beaisqcyOpApFPjHNqZjkwmo4NKtwPT5j1gvbWCXmh6unzrCKn3uxWovGFsUStiX3q938lTW9StTkSyWpQICWtOmZTp330eneVnIvOQ0WyGCzsoR7JQg/s4898/IMG_2260.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7Xpa0Z4_XBvjMwPRgpzCbO1beaisqcyOpApFPjHNqZjkwmo4NKtwPT5j1gvbWCXmh6unzrCKn3uxWovGFsUStiX3q938lTW9StTkSyWpQICWtOmZTp330eneVnIvOQ0WyGCzsoR7JQg/w400-h266/IMG_2260.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A detail of some huge
basalt blocks that would have formed part of the monumental stairway. [<b><i>Photo by
Author</i></b>].<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilET-M4Ur9GmFg9cLcrc6l3VSwLqN2ULFvQC3eo6W-celUa_JbKWknhUQmd0MTgUcN67Xjfl6cxR_nbbszN5Sh0ytOYSnvnrQn8ksO51-QUJ8-zpmypzJEzSxnxalk41ysOF2FWciBtGQ/s4898/IMG_2262.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilET-M4Ur9GmFg9cLcrc6l3VSwLqN2ULFvQC3eo6W-celUa_JbKWknhUQmd0MTgUcN67Xjfl6cxR_nbbszN5Sh0ytOYSnvnrQn8ksO51-QUJ8-zpmypzJEzSxnxalk41ysOF2FWciBtGQ/w400-h266/IMG_2262.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The shrine to Tlaloc, on one side of Basement 3, where the Tlaloc stela was
found. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEibv02RNHIXEPi2SAmVF5s2ehZ_bGaSX2dQVmB908eSBY9_ZL1P7n8H3FKQlkfgzGN4hwtHZuz_byx0Alh4GRugmEhHeS6jnpJypPvirvhRl7iAHkWm6Yf4_n4n_KejAiLxAmUtL83I/s4898/IMG_2249.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4898" data-original-width="3265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEibv02RNHIXEPi2SAmVF5s2ehZ_bGaSX2dQVmB908eSBY9_ZL1P7n8H3FKQlkfgzGN4hwtHZuz_byx0Alh4GRugmEhHeS6jnpJypPvirvhRl7iAHkWm6Yf4_n4n_KejAiLxAmUtL83I/w266-h400/IMG_2249.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A stela with an early
depiction of the god Tlaloc. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUoV-zCCQ6QlUglEw2U5SNAdK-uWnrf8EhetpW40l1OYzR7YoPOYADfGm4T8zenaDyCvakhimBtfx5iGiP1NPInpfq0wlumDKIso0bJCR4yNVUQQNrB6ljVZU0W52EkgIN_tJiKSdGrU/s4898/IMG_2201.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUoV-zCCQ6QlUglEw2U5SNAdK-uWnrf8EhetpW40l1OYzR7YoPOYADfGm4T8zenaDyCvakhimBtfx5iGiP1NPInpfq0wlumDKIso0bJCR4yNVUQQNrB6ljVZU0W52EkgIN_tJiKSdGrU/w400-h266/IMG_2201.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A circular stone marker
found in the ballgame court of San Miguel Ixtapan and dating to the late
Epiclassic period (ca. 650-900 CE). [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]. <o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The site is also home to a small but very interesting
site museum containing a wealth of objects found during the early 1990’s
excavations, including ceramics, stone and jadeite ornaments, obsidian knives
and points, copper and bronze artefacts (including a remarkable necklace with
exquisitely worked human heads and figurines made of copper), as well as stone
sculptures, votive offerings and a stone ring associated with the ballgame
court. The artefacts show a remarkable range of trade interactions and a definite
influence from the Mezcala culture of Guerrero and the Balsas river culture.
The location of San Miguel Ixtapan was probably considered strategic on account
of the presence of salt mines, still in use since prehispanic times, and of
large deposits of columnar basalt providing readily available material for
construction.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbBcAfqj3guzcduDt5RJp54_eCYLKQFkRL3mrBZHHrcMcQHUR473hI7k2u_OEq4YbsCjo6vUULyfcA6u6K4REwnKxC0B5staJpvPNhf7-zVkAToL5kej7UJd9QVDK6kSuyym-f5DiRYw/s4898/IMG_2425.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbBcAfqj3guzcduDt5RJp54_eCYLKQFkRL3mrBZHHrcMcQHUR473hI7k2u_OEq4YbsCjo6vUULyfcA6u6K4REwnKxC0B5staJpvPNhf7-zVkAToL5kej7UJd9QVDK6kSuyym-f5DiRYw/w400-h266/IMG_2425.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Part of a megalithic
basalt wall and stone arrangement on the opposite site of the ravine from the
site museum of San Miguel Ixtapan. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzV0iCdNI6P3nRJxOA-QeaNIgf9vMBSE7fo3_vFFiYbOw9h5wCz-C-9LaSYBEVQQu87Xg2-L3OytyHYnJTqX_tS5Tw8Lww48fiIxd4fxhBSqFBC4eLHeUJEeOqU9YuIwkmrUjiSdzL4K0/s4898/IMG_2424.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzV0iCdNI6P3nRJxOA-QeaNIgf9vMBSE7fo3_vFFiYbOw9h5wCz-C-9LaSYBEVQQu87Xg2-L3OytyHYnJTqX_tS5Tw8Lww48fiIxd4fxhBSqFBC4eLHeUJEeOqU9YuIwkmrUjiSdzL4K0/w400-h266/IMG_2424.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the same basalt stone arrangement employing huge megalithic stone blocks. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5zQFOvQaZLk4_SywnUnq3BfD5MocOnuBFJS6RyH12nj_vjC8Ak4U-Nm1f0GXwyqQXxrFDlOjh2SfekEJir3tdi8DXNG5HkeOcbc0Rbk4yEnD1QPVnxCUHnVFwVnb8uH2v07HxYLqtfA/s4898/IMG_2354.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4898" data-original-width="3265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5zQFOvQaZLk4_SywnUnq3BfD5MocOnuBFJS6RyH12nj_vjC8Ak4U-Nm1f0GXwyqQXxrFDlOjh2SfekEJir3tdi8DXNG5HkeOcbc0Rbk4yEnD1QPVnxCUHnVFwVnb8uH2v07HxYLqtfA/w266-h400/IMG_2354.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A monumental andesite
pillar, nearly 2 meters high (the notebook is for scale), unfortunately defaced
by graffiti, standing on one side of the parking lot of the archaeological
site. Originally part of an arrangement of 3 similar pillars, it is the only
one still standing. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The incredible “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maqueta</i>”
Stone model<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maqueta</i>” stone is a huge carved basalt stone boulder, measuring
some 3 by 4 meters. It was this stone, uncovered by farmers plowing a field,
which first called archaeologists to the site in 1985. The huge stone is
entirely covered in miniature representations of architectural structures
believed to represent a city (whether real or imaginary is a matter of
speculation), complete with temples, pyramids, at least five ballgame courts,
plazas and sunken courtyards, all connected by avenues and stairways. Similar
examples of prehispanic architectural models are known to exist from
Xochicalco, Morelos; Plazuelas, Guanajuato; Valle de Bravo, Mexico (see our
recent </span><a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2021/01/drought-reveals-dozens-of-ancient.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">article</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">
and story </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=752150888303587&story_fbid=1628591117326222"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">);
Teotihuacan (Mexico), as far as Tikal, Guatemala. Among these, the one of San
Miguel Ixtapan is possibly the largest and most complex, comparable to the
famous Sayhuite stone of Peru.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRKXVaPlMmG7v2Ly-zaamc04ncATDDlHKYxBUgVzARS6Ke1EMilmqbgT4_jzfbJDpTM16_8H-0_lK139LvdmREsEya6gjWsphnzP5zZzbgVRFL3mLuxVQLwblm3Nr6Q0Ubhd-ice0Wrs/s4898/IMG_2234_2346.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRKXVaPlMmG7v2Ly-zaamc04ncATDDlHKYxBUgVzARS6Ke1EMilmqbgT4_jzfbJDpTM16_8H-0_lK139LvdmREsEya6gjWsphnzP5zZzbgVRFL3mLuxVQLwblm3Nr6Q0Ubhd-ice0Wrs/w400-h266/IMG_2234_2346.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The incredible “<i>Maqueta</i>” stone model of San Miguel Ixtapan, carved from a single huge boulder of basalt measuring 3 by 4 meters and believed to contain the representation of a yet unidentified city. Seen from the West. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5A3z4l-Q_oKA-NlcyhbkRSxEzt69Pv0rls2-yMg7YG3xMaGreXJOSBdnzQDYU9gUjbFSX8rcu5hN1UC4qvWPoZnS28JafKtH__dp4nY2ItckEJxWXMcAwSmJ-5hDvFym6nNafGFLNqe4/s4898/IMG_2242.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5A3z4l-Q_oKA-NlcyhbkRSxEzt69Pv0rls2-yMg7YG3xMaGreXJOSBdnzQDYU9gUjbFSX8rcu5hN1UC4qvWPoZnS28JafKtH__dp4nY2ItckEJxWXMcAwSmJ-5hDvFym6nNafGFLNqe4/w400-h266/IMG_2242.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the same "<i>Maqueta</i>" stone, from the North. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC5L41Nwgdu9YcosR5WthM1-UUqTPMLDZfO1wEH_JD-ZFkwYcbx37NH1otVkp2_zL5JEHDdcHMFVq02ueYMNYKONoE5p83Qo4ZDAoXUQONT6YrYxdpaxQ3zN1Q-WdqxieaZsOlx_mSUk/s4898/IMG_2241.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC5L41Nwgdu9YcosR5WthM1-UUqTPMLDZfO1wEH_JD-ZFkwYcbx37NH1otVkp2_zL5JEHDdcHMFVq02ueYMNYKONoE5p83Qo4ZDAoXUQONT6YrYxdpaxQ3zN1Q-WdqxieaZsOlx_mSUk/w400-h266/IMG_2241.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "<i>Maqueta</i>" stone from the North, showing its left portion. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWy15m9LzdBFpjwJMcKpdXynnkJMx1gGuIcYXBOGBqP1MfSxHMowMsXVzRGjaIF54KvSvV3w0TM8clVrDJoKOcHC-ET8NzQF6ZMoXJm1J_9NR5FPngTA_6wiV64RWI6ld_st7Vy3XVgk8/s4898/IMG_2208.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWy15m9LzdBFpjwJMcKpdXynnkJMx1gGuIcYXBOGBqP1MfSxHMowMsXVzRGjaIF54KvSvV3w0TM8clVrDJoKOcHC-ET8NzQF6ZMoXJm1J_9NR5FPngTA_6wiV64RWI6ld_st7Vy3XVgk8/w400-h266/IMG_2208.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "<i>Maqueta</i>" stone from the North, showing its central portion. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> <span> </span></span>Several attempts have
been made to identify the site depicted on the stone, seemingly a hilltop
ceremonial center of exceptional scale and complexity, but these attempts have
so far proven entirely fruitless. It is possible that the stone portrays a yet
undiscovered site, perhaps located in the mountains to the north and east of
San Miguel Ixtapan, or that the city depicted was purely imaginary, a votive
representation of an idealized place or sanctuary. It may well be a city that
is still lost or the drawing of a city yet to be built. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKX9lO-3I9lsjoBXo6G_1d7jP3I6Qd_fNVVEX8qdGkuF1Y4bYGEVr8giyk0Rf2CzN6bE0y9MsfWrMUhxemAvTCXbE1HADbZefFGpxlWViHE_-dyAvX1DKYOYkrRDmSijzmzJT4Y9JCgE/s4898/IMG_2234.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKX9lO-3I9lsjoBXo6G_1d7jP3I6Qd_fNVVEX8qdGkuF1Y4bYGEVr8giyk0Rf2CzN6bE0y9MsfWrMUhxemAvTCXbE1HADbZefFGpxlWViHE_-dyAvX1DKYOYkrRDmSijzmzJT4Y9JCgE/w400-h266/IMG_2234.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the "<i>Maqueta</i>" stone from the West [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-2Z70e7uKAKE31-86cmLD8thY0lqDUayyxWKqDUyJmoRwEtSJQhcHMt-CqU002KzO5-CKyAWxEgKMeesJaoUZaYdYlusrmhjy3LU5aQq5wYyBibSh446vxv9JKwO5t7YXutVPyBIdS0/s4898/IMG_2231.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-2Z70e7uKAKE31-86cmLD8thY0lqDUayyxWKqDUyJmoRwEtSJQhcHMt-CqU002KzO5-CKyAWxEgKMeesJaoUZaYdYlusrmhjy3LU5aQq5wYyBibSh446vxv9JKwO5t7YXutVPyBIdS0/w400-h266/IMG_2231.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A set of monumental structures in the lower sector of the “<i>Maqueta</i>” stone, among which it is possible to observe the typical ‘I’ shape of a Mesoamerican ballgame court. The rock-cut temples and structure in the upper part of the picture resemble similar examples of rock-cut monolithic architecture from Malinalco and Acatzingo de la Piedra, also in the state of Mexico [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtYRBsq1Res49Yk5LL90PwOuXA4P5MAertCqhxy5vVN8HtSfD2-J016FQ3rD-RjwrFh6ia36yr2803f_D7NLe8RlB-vGtlYiSNZrGFvHVFim54Wn6bX0AA-OWgPzauXQOSnozG6K92-s/s4898/IMG_2225.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtYRBsq1Res49Yk5LL90PwOuXA4P5MAertCqhxy5vVN8HtSfD2-J016FQ3rD-RjwrFh6ia36yr2803f_D7NLe8RlB-vGtlYiSNZrGFvHVFim54Wn6bX0AA-OWgPzauXQOSnozG6K92-s/w400-h266/IMG_2225.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the same sector of the “<i>Maqueta</i>” stone, showing a row of buildings inside what appear to be rock-cut trenches and a large pyramid complex and plaza below, now quite eroded. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YHjd8nuuQeo_gWabkQTER2o9N_7KEG_kemwcd0OyTW720rbgWDsFJHQCSA0X7zHTC5m6R3NUpiSN-9ugRm9LxiHUv9T2BJWgE0T5AoKBumNnSDbO57zKslpCuZqXkuSNI_ei3yfzAYA/s4898/IMG_2223.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YHjd8nuuQeo_gWabkQTER2o9N_7KEG_kemwcd0OyTW720rbgWDsFJHQCSA0X7zHTC5m6R3NUpiSN-9ugRm9LxiHUv9T2BJWgE0T5AoKBumNnSDbO57zKslpCuZqXkuSNI_ei3yfzAYA/w400-h266/IMG_2223.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An interesting double pyramid approached by a monumental stairway and facing a small plaza. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGkbTcVFn2HD1Xc4fcfStkkPDcj7EswrWL5yvEyyP903FdxfnmxxOJ5JuZS2veAfkv7aJawOVi7L_iR8gy_qZwPgD4Hw5fGim5P7fZgnUHGBEBEPYUPempnppJn4hUdArSSaItVVZeCc/s4898/IMG_2217.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGkbTcVFn2HD1Xc4fcfStkkPDcj7EswrWL5yvEyyP903FdxfnmxxOJ5JuZS2veAfkv7aJawOVi7L_iR8gy_qZwPgD4Hw5fGim5P7fZgnUHGBEBEPYUPempnppJn4hUdArSSaItVVZeCc/w400-h266/IMG_2217.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail of the main pyramid complex occupying the center of the “<i>Maqueta</i>” stone with a sunken courtyard approached by monumentalized stairways on three sides. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZbaxNgNwafShkRvgbLQUXxvcJmhKi1uJf41OGblZcabU3ZLMyHLSGmGEjCb16xvVoG95HK2vbdHS6HGcENRB53g00tpxMBFhyphenhyphenYOr4bUTPoyJim4h80mJRxBbKkIvNzNsKW3L1LY2Qi0/s4898/IMG_2214.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZbaxNgNwafShkRvgbLQUXxvcJmhKi1uJf41OGblZcabU3ZLMyHLSGmGEjCb16xvVoG95HK2vbdHS6HGcENRB53g00tpxMBFhyphenhyphenYOr4bUTPoyJim4h80mJRxBbKkIvNzNsKW3L1LY2Qi0/w400-h266/IMG_2214.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another sector of the monumental “<i>Maqueta</i>” stone depicting what appear to be various rock-cut chambers and stairways below the main pyramid complex. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIir8ftmwXwb9MFT9ktxZIxR27KbLmAxjTLIzeP6C_hBWbjPjttaJZUjDS9fVLojBTtIVmJYCK16xCu4WdpfC8HKUdpviMlA4Q7Uob30QindUTMuO8epDATzY3igedN3XKKTZPIY6b1eU/s4898/IMG_2212.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIir8ftmwXwb9MFT9ktxZIxR27KbLmAxjTLIzeP6C_hBWbjPjttaJZUjDS9fVLojBTtIVmJYCK16xCu4WdpfC8HKUdpviMlA4Q7Uob30QindUTMuO8epDATzY3igedN3XKKTZPIY6b1eU/w400-h266/IMG_2212.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The depiction of a pyramid approached by a monumental stairway facing a
Mesoamerican ballgame court with the typical ‘I’ shape. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpyGg0Q-BOyWf-F1-ZTp3n88KQ_TS4u1EFQI4C4oRVzwwAvZBpwrNZLTW7NG0_8gqaMEMmL_KMlknDV_EK1D1dqEkzmuZeXeVNYUYfK33aiiq-0cJHCLBtg3rpZsQGxYJC7TMmfHsObw/s4898/IMG_2211.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpyGg0Q-BOyWf-F1-ZTp3n88KQ_TS4u1EFQI4C4oRVzwwAvZBpwrNZLTW7NG0_8gqaMEMmL_KMlknDV_EK1D1dqEkzmuZeXeVNYUYfK33aiiq-0cJHCLBtg3rpZsQGxYJC7TMmfHsObw/w400-h266/IMG_2211.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail of the sunken courtyard or plaza to the West of the main pyramid complex, approached by monumental stairways on three sides. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrgErfhwRNdossRSP6hFWg2w6D6oB7A2pTgxi79wJlroGX0e5Ak2xGePbNiktcfFJ7Vy3UVBLuzh9kAfCbvLyXO1NLax_OXgWbk5L2zsfsjfdOGCVnY6BeLO9gsID37hUdZpXIZgEXC0/s4898/IMG_2210.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrgErfhwRNdossRSP6hFWg2w6D6oB7A2pTgxi79wJlroGX0e5Ak2xGePbNiktcfFJ7Vy3UVBLuzh9kAfCbvLyXO1NLax_OXgWbk5L2zsfsjfdOGCVnY6BeLO9gsID37hUdZpXIZgEXC0/w400-h266/IMG_2210.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main pyramid complex, consisting of a large three-tiered pyramid, a plaza in front of the main pyramid with lower building or platforms on the sides and a monumental stairway giving access from the level of a lower plaza. The sunken courtyard is to the right of the main pyramid [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD3IMo8644vpbAOQqYeIz4rP83kQIxl8APFNvsiUrRGQumMSHakw2wPi7Lr1yNhd0UcxqHuMgVP502EgW54KadPjKdCJkHk63RdktGHN_EN2PN7btn_nN83hPogoXcFJy6g_c4a_0XNk/s4898/IMG_2204.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD3IMo8644vpbAOQqYeIz4rP83kQIxl8APFNvsiUrRGQumMSHakw2wPi7Lr1yNhd0UcxqHuMgVP502EgW54KadPjKdCJkHk63RdktGHN_EN2PN7btn_nN83hPogoXcFJy6g_c4a_0XNk/w400-h266/IMG_2204.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from the South and from above of the lower sector of the "<i>Maqueta</i>" stone, showing various groups of buildings. The main pyramid complex is above in the picture. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>]</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9jFS4FRQVhOLIyu6kv5ki64JrtoUqZna8U5Gf_oCeu2d7561wnWwzS1DrZP6ePcRfQkv3cfAIoCXFhX-2yiP42nNfYMvrF1C3mYStmulF_iGav0MuxFn9spJ0BGjN-euNfrcDxB7UPs/s4898/IMG_2243.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="4898" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY9jFS4FRQVhOLIyu6kv5ki64JrtoUqZna8U5Gf_oCeu2d7561wnWwzS1DrZP6ePcRfQkv3cfAIoCXFhX-2yiP42nNfYMvrF1C3mYStmulF_iGav0MuxFn9spJ0BGjN-euNfrcDxB7UPs/w400-h266/IMG_2243.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A model temple sculptured on a separate piece of rock, from which it is possible to appreciate the stairway leading up to the temple and altar on top. [<b><i>Photo by Author</i></b>].</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> <span> </span></span>There are no definite
elements for dating the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maqueta</i>”
stone, but archaeologists mostly favor a date in the Epiclassic or early
Postclassic period (ca 900-1200 AD).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> <span> </span></span>In the second part of this
article we will be discussing some of the other evidence of high-precision
megalithic architecture in San Miguel Ixtapan.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">- <b>CONTINUED IN <a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2021/04/part-ii-high-precision-megalithic.html">PART II</a> -</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Acknowledgements</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">We would like to thank
archaeologist Victor Osorio Ogarrio, director of the site and archaeological
museum of San Miguel Ixtapan for his kind permission to visit the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Recinto de las Esculturas</i>” and for
accompanying us on our visit to Rancho “I”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The opinions expressed in
this article are solely the Author’s and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions and beliefs of Dr. Osorio, of the National Institute of Anthropology
and History (INAH), or of the Secretary of Culture of the State of Mexico. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">References<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[1] INAH, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zona Arqueológica de San Miguel Ixtapan</i>”,
on January 9, 2008. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On-line resource:
<a href="https://www.inah.gob.mx/zonas/46-zona-arqueologica-de-san-miguel-ixtapan">https://www.inah.gob.mx/zonas/46-zona-arqueologica-de-san-miguel-ixtapan</a>. Accessed
on April 20, 2021. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">[2] Malmstrom, Vincent H. “Geographical Origins of the
Tarascans”. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Geographical Review</i>, vol.
85, No. 1, January 1995, pp. 31-40. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[3] Osorio Ogarrio,
Victor Ángel and Marco Antonio de León Cortés. “Una posible Diosa Prehispánica
en San Miguel Ixtapan, Tejupilco”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arqueología
Mexicana</i>, 158, July-August 2019, pp. 46-51.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[4] “Revista cultural
San Miguel Ixtapan”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Expresión Antropológica,
</i>no. 1-2 Nueva Serie. Gobierno del Estado de México: Secretaría de Cultura,
1999.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[5] Reyna Robles, Rosa
María, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Cultura Arqueológica Mezcala</i>,
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, 2006.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[6] “San Miguel Ixtapan, Estado de México”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arqueología Mexicana</i>, Especial 35, Estado
de México, guía arqueológica, June 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[7] Sinaí Gomez,
Rodolfo, “Antecedentes Históricos - Tejupilco”, Municipio de Tejupilco, 2012. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On-line
resource. Accessed on April 25, 2021 through Archive.org: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120327194635/https://www.tejupilco.gob.mx/contenido/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=59">https://web.archive.org/web/20120327194635/https://www.tejupilco.gob.mx/contenido/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=59</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">[8] Wikipedia, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">San
Miguel Ixtapan (Archaeological Site)</i>”. Last edited on December 19, 2020.
On-line: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel_Ixtapan_(archaeological_site)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel_Ixtapan_(archaeological_site)</a>.
Accessed on April 20, 2021. <o:p></o:p></span></p><b></b><p></p>Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com1Stato del Messico, Messico18.8070769 -100.1551174-9.503156936178847 -135.3113674 47.117310736178844 -64.9988674tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-60282447779603998642021-03-09T21:25:00.001-06:002021-03-09T21:25:26.042-06:00Acatzingo de la Piedra - A monolithic pyramid in Central Mexico?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyoMFy64XVIeLxGc1EQ4-hAG9QrMqtUQTM23PA0JQkpSOYG6l0Sgu5OIiik4IY32Elq_Y5uyw5IQozaUcJdgMLMtTwDT156wDpnCWqiAw-ciDMlsZnUZQZMT58koineOt1oVQclu6cNY/s2048/IMG_1862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyoMFy64XVIeLxGc1EQ4-hAG9QrMqtUQTM23PA0JQkpSOYG6l0Sgu5OIiik4IY32Elq_Y5uyw5IQozaUcJdgMLMtTwDT156wDpnCWqiAw-ciDMlsZnUZQZMT58koineOt1oVQclu6cNY/w400-h266/IMG_1862.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The summit of the monolithic pyramid known as the <i>Cama de Moctezuma</i> on the Cerro de la Malinche in Acatzingo de la Piedra, Mexico. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Acatzingo de la Piedra is an ancient fortified hilltop site in the municipality of Tenancingo, Mexico. It is located approximately 50 kilometers to the south of the state capital of Toluca and 100 kilometers to the southwest of Mexico City, near the Nevado de Toluca volcano. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The site has never been excavated, but has been mapped and described in a 2010 publication by archaeologist Beatriz Zúñiga Bárcenas of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), and more recently by archaaeologist Vladimira Palma Linares of the UAEM Tenancingo. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The site is one of only five known across Mexico to display significant examples of monolithic rock-cut architecture (the other four being Tezcotzingo and Malinalco, also in the state of Mexico, and the rock-cut shrines of Mazatepetl and Chapultepec in Mexico City). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The ascent to the fortified citadel is possible through a trail that starts in the village of Acatzingo de la Piedra, along massive basalt cliffs offering breathtaking views of the valley of Toluca. The cliffs provided a natural defense for the site, and were complemented with defensive terraces and stone walls. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSv4i9iWvB_UI8QOGx5raX-6UoCURSigoZuuoUvlGLiuI8P1hgAGlSZOEyQvvZTXvkmZkKf7KBgplWhL3r6qWmPJtdLgdZYlXK6bQKUXQ1PQadr1qez3WUmZywOFR07RpiZwKjUXetRpY/s2048/IMG_1856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSv4i9iWvB_UI8QOGx5raX-6UoCURSigoZuuoUvlGLiuI8P1hgAGlSZOEyQvvZTXvkmZkKf7KBgplWhL3r6qWmPJtdLgdZYlXK6bQKUXQ1PQadr1qez3WUmZywOFR07RpiZwKjUXetRpY/w400-h266/IMG_1856.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The imposing basalt cliffs surrounding the site on three of its four sides. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxrWUEKCSnrfx8RrwQDmmxwNmQQlibt7P1nUii9HSWMrjqNYCralBrF7xJclvA4ho3pIEHQWDLIkAo7crWHWQ3ZStWRdVJ7GrJXpwsTp03vagqj70lAHMJN3wcF7MfoVXH5mujG5_9n8/s4000/DJI_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxrWUEKCSnrfx8RrwQDmmxwNmQQlibt7P1nUii9HSWMrjqNYCralBrF7xJclvA4ho3pIEHQWDLIkAo7crWHWQ3ZStWRdVJ7GrJXpwsTp03vagqj70lAHMJN3wcF7MfoVXH5mujG5_9n8/w400-h300/DJI_0105.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial view of the site of Acatzingo, protected by massive cliffs. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">In places the exposed rock surface gives the appearance of an immense megalithic wall formed of huge cyclopean stones. The effect is indeed so strong that one wonders if some portions of the cliff face are not in fact ancient and very eroded stone walls, whose blocks appear to be carefully laid one on top of each other in regular rows. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E9xBPGdmAhnm3RrxqRa4u7pcpQ1twvxsVUFUApIhAqTuDr9DonpLaPUR9Jlzw9avFbcjSXE2EtFhy-GxPDHTzxjm10YaXyoBkUcTAvz3wzo-G87zFilNUcPMCzOi9aDjBMollBPv5zI/s2048/IMG_1819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E9xBPGdmAhnm3RrxqRa4u7pcpQ1twvxsVUFUApIhAqTuDr9DonpLaPUR9Jlzw9avFbcjSXE2EtFhy-GxPDHTzxjm10YaXyoBkUcTAvz3wzo-G87zFilNUcPMCzOi9aDjBMollBPv5zI/w400-h266/IMG_1819.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this just some strange geology or ancient megalithic stone walls? <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9sboQKWTM6qEWzSyOXbAatJqJv-EB6kEvN9sfQWBCIR9OTo3KzhLSf52t6lxzSl-UZcngupcofQIVMj3UL2jfJcCXyiU-OhfUzOSUuH-BVqCN8I4-wy9ybgX_PxI1Pd4azPFf0FRkKM/s2048/IMG_1820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9sboQKWTM6qEWzSyOXbAatJqJv-EB6kEvN9sfQWBCIR9OTo3KzhLSf52t6lxzSl-UZcngupcofQIVMj3UL2jfJcCXyiU-OhfUzOSUuH-BVqCN8I4-wy9ybgX_PxI1Pd4azPFf0FRkKM/w400-h266/IMG_1820.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More strange geology - Several huge stone boulders seemingly forming part a continuous megalithic stone wall. The question is - Natural or artificial? <b>[Photo by Author] </b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Walking along the cliff face, one passes an impressive and nearly vertical rock tower before reaching a portion of what appears to be another megalithic stone wall (or unusual geology?) on which a bas-relief of a goddess, probably Chalchiuhtlicue, but also identified with La Malinche, was carved during the Aztec (Late Post-Classic) period. The identification of the bas-relief with Chalchiuhtlicue, the goddess of terrestrial waters, seems appropriate given the presence of a natural spring gushing forth from behind the rock nearby. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5okxTE4vkHLFHr-R5N6FHxdojKlR-y2bMeEPd9wJ_yPqOigGiHEn9A6qsLy40OhEtadOos0ivZXzjrNUe2r2s6EVRPfsxO-uAYiCO8iijKKbv7xCQOxlfvaTAaTEkpXOQ69qbFguciU/s2048/IMG_1824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5okxTE4vkHLFHr-R5N6FHxdojKlR-y2bMeEPd9wJ_yPqOigGiHEn9A6qsLy40OhEtadOos0ivZXzjrNUe2r2s6EVRPfsxO-uAYiCO8iijKKbv7xCQOxlfvaTAaTEkpXOQ69qbFguciU/w266-h400/IMG_1824.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A massive rock pinnacle or tower on the approach to La Malinche.<b> [Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUtkX99je718KLN81D_ZoburJmiM4RZI6uVXhrERvV29OngxGA8hg08h_1TADI99C_Kc7WmnEfIf9m-YgvqI61kbhl2vH9wO8aBLCk1XNp9Z7GeDojsTBbjsUg0B4cCHiSSaZl6et5hw/s2048/IMG_1830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUtkX99je718KLN81D_ZoburJmiM4RZI6uVXhrERvV29OngxGA8hg08h_1TADI99C_Kc7WmnEfIf9m-YgvqI61kbhl2vH9wO8aBLCk1XNp9Z7GeDojsTBbjsUg0B4cCHiSSaZl6et5hw/w400-h266/IMG_1830.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bas-relief carving of the goddess Chalchiuhtlicue, near a natural water spring on the Cerro de la Malinche. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Qw5B66sHAlw8H7DxiaRYMpZTX8h4_LzThTcmN8j0K6ws7SB3ki1Fi5LVvA7kGbkBXshTeBZUH-yEabwbq-iKNgjGwCxjvxtrCkBgfaYZ5s8dc1UTPGh56lh3Gmdr0cYoSfNcTERQcH8/s2048/IMG_1832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Qw5B66sHAlw8H7DxiaRYMpZTX8h4_LzThTcmN8j0K6ws7SB3ki1Fi5LVvA7kGbkBXshTeBZUH-yEabwbq-iKNgjGwCxjvxtrCkBgfaYZ5s8dc1UTPGh56lh3Gmdr0cYoSfNcTERQcH8/w400-h266/IMG_1832.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail of the same carving with calendrical glyphs symbolically relating to the beginngin of the present World Age or Cycle and the New Fire ceremony celebrated every 52 years. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGf3Dx1JxNaPlGyaV-GlG5gwrDLYRBWp_asdGD5WOJQVmaLPwkEZ0kRQQ9Xe4iEjwnSijaJrfKU1kXON2QeR8t8Vti9v1lwzDchDR9kvJiPvbnuimCndVVyPqtBGS8jMbOqWeC243mdg/s2048/IMG_1836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGf3Dx1JxNaPlGyaV-GlG5gwrDLYRBWp_asdGD5WOJQVmaLPwkEZ0kRQQ9Xe4iEjwnSijaJrfKU1kXON2QeR8t8Vti9v1lwzDchDR9kvJiPvbnuimCndVVyPqtBGS8jMbOqWeC243mdg/w400-h266/IMG_1836.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More unusual geology near the carving of the goddess Chalchiuhtlicue. The cliff face has the appearence of an ancient and very eroded megalithic wall of interlocking stone blocks. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GMaUrTmidRfRAmeM2pNPSvlyYlESrbJgDYs4qyVe8pk3SMVevKK6cldx9PqN4JZ3LVJasD_Ny_HdkKNv0DmjJhrZbI4zGcJGllOAwzHGB1mVmFPPfGsoKyg-c1IGToijEdPILRKu8A4/s2048/IMG_1847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GMaUrTmidRfRAmeM2pNPSvlyYlESrbJgDYs4qyVe8pk3SMVevKK6cldx9PqN4JZ3LVJasD_Ny_HdkKNv0DmjJhrZbI4zGcJGllOAwzHGB1mVmFPPfGsoKyg-c1IGToijEdPILRKu8A4/w400-h266/IMG_1847.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petroglyphs painted in white on the cliff face, including crosses and monograms, testifying to the colonial use and occupation of the site. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">A perilous trail then leads along the edge of the cliff to an area of petroglyphs drawn in bright white on the rock face. The petroglyphs, mostly crosses, are almost certainly colonial in origin and do not appear to be of any great antiquity. We could not identify the location of another group of petroglyphs (these certainly prehispanic) described by Dr. Zuñiga in her 2010 paper, as the thick vegetation made the trail completely impassable.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One then reaches the base of what is perhaps the most significant monument of the entire site, known as Moctezuma's bed or "<i>Cama de Moctezuma</i>". As seen from below, it has the appearance of a massive carved monolith of gray andesite, rising in steps towards an irregular and partially flat-topped summit. The overall shape of the rock is quite irregular, with a trapezoidal base some 15 meters wide rising in at least 5 steps that narrow towards the summit, forming narrow ledges between them.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oj3_5jO_dfRrTJDW2K2oHWOqES2Yp_3HGHTOoOgeLtLYGKczSse0u0vOrJx3yfKvHsHGD6p7QuaFLUlxFHb6O5LFpycLoFJAxNGSyWUL-bdLHhGKB1V6MfCDxQ2o3wtfnwCA6KD_mZM/s2048/IMG_1857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0oj3_5jO_dfRrTJDW2K2oHWOqES2Yp_3HGHTOoOgeLtLYGKczSse0u0vOrJx3yfKvHsHGD6p7QuaFLUlxFHb6O5LFpycLoFJAxNGSyWUL-bdLHhGKB1V6MfCDxQ2o3wtfnwCA6KD_mZM/w400-h266/IMG_1857.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The monolithic pyramid known as the <i>Cama de Moctezuma</i> as seen from the narrow trail below.<b> [Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3768757ljBrKatbPaVHfc2w8jLl738MHiZ0lyiopBiJW0_Rfo9pvzBRfHtFtx67_C0p0wncemUGxv6avdawF5b-shjNSX5mpz_ybvnBv79ONDC6n79BjQO_FTYajXtiwlyjyi7QwasFA/s2048/IMG_1858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3768757ljBrKatbPaVHfc2w8jLl738MHiZ0lyiopBiJW0_Rfo9pvzBRfHtFtx67_C0p0wncemUGxv6avdawF5b-shjNSX5mpz_ybvnBv79ONDC6n79BjQO_FTYajXtiwlyjyi7QwasFA/w266-h400/IMG_1858.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the base of the same pyramid with carved steps. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYcQdUiCmNwZRB07fBsDHAd6qRhgOqw6xNXEkXndjpX7XHZ5g2tewE3ukQnpzVqtLA9fPyMg-OtiQHgPcmagE46qSW5c_5IXj6wwBj2ysO27yVPaXmzzRm_rPe27-17l4tT9mofSz-po/s2048/IMG_1859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYcQdUiCmNwZRB07fBsDHAd6qRhgOqw6xNXEkXndjpX7XHZ5g2tewE3ukQnpzVqtLA9fPyMg-OtiQHgPcmagE46qSW5c_5IXj6wwBj2ysO27yVPaXmzzRm_rPe27-17l4tT9mofSz-po/w266-h400/IMG_1859.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The huge carved steps forming the body of the pyramid, each between 1 and 1.5 meters high. Unfortunately the thick vegetation and proximity to the cliff face makes it difficult to have a clear view of this most unusual monument. To take this picture we had to hang over the edge of the cliff by holding on to a tree. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">More carved stone steps, each about 1 meter to 1.5 meters high, are also visible on the face of another huge rock monolith located about 20 meters downhill from the level of the "Cama de Moctezuma", suggesting that this is in fact a much larger, partially buried and likely unfinished structure.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As seen from the air with the aid of a drone, the area appears almost horseshoe shaped, with the largest pyramidal monolith occupying the center of it. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The monolith itself was apparently separated from the natural bedrock by means of a deep-cut trench with nearly vertical walls, in which additional ledges and other carved steps are visible. This trench is now entirely filled with dirt, so that it is impossible to determine at present the depth at which lies the base of the monolith, or if other carvings are present below ground level.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The top of the monolith contains a rectangular depression 1.42 wide by 2.28 meters long, deeply carved into the natural bedrock and seemingly approached by two flights of stairs placed at a ninety degree angle with respect to each other. There we measured an azimuth of 104° E, which may be of astronomical significance. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is possible that the entire structure was never completed and remained unfinished. It is also possible, however, that its present appearance is due to deliberate destruction during colonial times. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuQcU7jmXXIYVaHRk31gQu1VhBSYIQVjrMvsxvaDM0ysaxVDJLHW_7f6Of7_q6oEImOsUQQ6Z7Z4DyikU-8Lnz_V69fLyumGIId2-cET7tYI-ll8Nl_UXDtscRjf8KHrwIEy0f8Jl7Jk/s2048/IMG_1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuQcU7jmXXIYVaHRk31gQu1VhBSYIQVjrMvsxvaDM0ysaxVDJLHW_7f6Of7_q6oEImOsUQQ6Z7Z4DyikU-8Lnz_V69fLyumGIId2-cET7tYI-ll8Nl_UXDtscRjf8KHrwIEy0f8Jl7Jk/w400-h266/IMG_1884.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The summit of the huge pyramid-shaped monolith known as the Cama de Moctezuma, showing a neatly cut rectangular hollow and two small flights of steps approaching it at a ninety degree angle. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7sA1nTDpErgcrxKDHUV8Rxg-4yCfntELReM5ZtTPBscCsyoazp55bDz4lgC4NH_eDuZmOFEvEUcIWQ91u932iZ60peigXzB_7zqzQEKf9bjw6YKTlciq4_NsorAbcfR8csaBWphLqEM/s2048/IMG_1870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7sA1nTDpErgcrxKDHUV8Rxg-4yCfntELReM5ZtTPBscCsyoazp55bDz4lgC4NH_eDuZmOFEvEUcIWQ91u932iZ60peigXzB_7zqzQEKf9bjw6YKTlciq4_NsorAbcfR8csaBWphLqEM/w400-h266/IMG_1870.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail of the two badly eroded and possibly unfinished flights of stairs approaching the summit of the monolith at a ninety degree angle to each other. Note the indentations and the artificially levelled summit of the monolith. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7FpsCcb_E3yQyOeVsAQAj0sJ2WIH12pIHXHANCghaU5C9jqij6ShgFD9qhsw0IHonaJpUffxEIHGd-i4M1avkdFfqfgHoYFiatv438LNdoshcSlL00zFS-LDfpDKkysWAYc6zZjtMVw/s2048/IMG_1871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7FpsCcb_E3yQyOeVsAQAj0sJ2WIH12pIHXHANCghaU5C9jqij6ShgFD9qhsw0IHonaJpUffxEIHGd-i4M1avkdFfqfgHoYFiatv438LNdoshcSlL00zFS-LDfpDKkysWAYc6zZjtMVw/w400-h266/IMG_1871.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some more indentations or steps on one side of the monolith. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWYDJc6132m9v5xdVM_rdXwZskaIAOdajJroq-yLixbI0o83sAxIG6qkhbvyi5wSn28p0Bt7yXqLIpXfLwqEnPFSTDCT_2Is7EcYab0y8SM3bgOuzmhhyRcH-t19UDcT6-NsVDXXWLQo/s2048/IMG_1869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWYDJc6132m9v5xdVM_rdXwZskaIAOdajJroq-yLixbI0o83sAxIG6qkhbvyi5wSn28p0Bt7yXqLIpXfLwqEnPFSTDCT_2Is7EcYab0y8SM3bgOuzmhhyRcH-t19UDcT6-NsVDXXWLQo/w400-h266/IMG_1869.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A deep rock-cut trench separates the monolith from the surrounding bedrock. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKM6IKKDCaHdPuHdHunTNGRo2cDaep4pcglMGzVtuz1ZR_jEo94_tPUF_0Sx4vrMoezczpMUW_N4me0A3Y5TGqyFyro31C9w3ucntfNiCmYUHgJU6pM0HXnGbl0lMGtJnV1b1k3mNPk4/s1171/DJI_0103+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1171" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKM6IKKDCaHdPuHdHunTNGRo2cDaep4pcglMGzVtuz1ZR_jEo94_tPUF_0Sx4vrMoezczpMUW_N4me0A3Y5TGqyFyro31C9w3ucntfNiCmYUHgJU6pM0HXnGbl0lMGtJnV1b1k3mNPk4/w400-h275/DJI_0103+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An aerial view taken from the drone of the monolithic pyramid occupying the center of a horseshoe shaped formation. Some other huge carved boulders are visible near the base of the cliff to the left and right.<b> [Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">About one hundred meters to the south of this rock we found another partially buried stone covered in petroglyphs belonging to different historical periods. Among them we could observe a typical Aztec round shield, or <i>chimalli</i>, two coyote heads, a skull, two circles, a ceremonial knife and a flower. We also observed a petroglyph containing the depiction of a horse, evidence of the late occupation of the site during the early colonial period. The area where the petroglyphs are found appears to have been used as a megalithic stone quarry, from which some huge roughly hewn boulders were extracted. In many places it is possible to observe the holes made in order to splinter the huge boulders into smaller pieces.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eYPKgI5KIHnz_lk6AS8go5BNY8kPr3bgEvl9AkzPd2es-r2Kb7YvR9qkV67GX3bL0kVUb13lkzDCZWWE7Fp2JAMZ0qu_pMh_uQS8GE4EjZt3biT1qkkfRKoI7DgfgbsoMA6xhyIisoE/s2048/IMG_1888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eYPKgI5KIHnz_lk6AS8go5BNY8kPr3bgEvl9AkzPd2es-r2Kb7YvR9qkV67GX3bL0kVUb13lkzDCZWWE7Fp2JAMZ0qu_pMh_uQS8GE4EjZt3biT1qkkfRKoI7DgfgbsoMA6xhyIisoE/w400-h266/IMG_1888.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huge half-buried stone covered in petroglyphs in the southern part of the site. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XlWetpD6r7txjsWRgLiF5qiSg3yGRv5qtXxBFSJDPIAroiIXM6MfFA6AeDjXIlINEUPhD_NCMjno7-RVGSopoLob_K-zIXXigoYQ5sMtLaR4IZtt1sY3txcv76Ld6P5uAWrJfdMt_Eo/s2048/IMG_1890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XlWetpD6r7txjsWRgLiF5qiSg3yGRv5qtXxBFSJDPIAroiIXM6MfFA6AeDjXIlINEUPhD_NCMjno7-RVGSopoLob_K-zIXXigoYQ5sMtLaR4IZtt1sY3txcv76Ld6P5uAWrJfdMt_Eo/w400-h266/IMG_1890.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A colonial petroglyph containing the depiction of a horse. Unlike the other prehispanic petroglyphs, this is much shallower and was likely realized with the use of metal tools. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJDXCkbJXEZ-ffRHfrGIXX92xIWQ15Ixh2UJfigVeR26nt3XyWVE5uXCW3wKys0FwZ6jTCYX40TXvWSRv4rvja0uXsN0QkuA0RkpAVw8W92y4_58jn8Ov2HBtVyRnTDp80GBZehfifys/s2048/IMG_1891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJDXCkbJXEZ-ffRHfrGIXX92xIWQ15Ixh2UJfigVeR26nt3XyWVE5uXCW3wKys0FwZ6jTCYX40TXvWSRv4rvja0uXsN0QkuA0RkpAVw8W92y4_58jn8Ov2HBtVyRnTDp80GBZehfifys/w400-h266/IMG_1891.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aztec petroglyphs showing a skull, two coyote heads and a figure of possible astronomical significance, likely a star or a comet. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDW9wDgH48Tsm4diSRyEnY64p1g93fHTVHgkUcDjGZBuFlh96izJhnuac6sPrPxJ_97bdzUwljoAa2qsJNyfRMwvjKdPPJPtirC9RvXG-hoImiAzqIJZY9unSH8HmHR0XQ8Y_L5cip1o8/s2048/IMG_1901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDW9wDgH48Tsm4diSRyEnY64p1g93fHTVHgkUcDjGZBuFlh96izJhnuac6sPrPxJ_97bdzUwljoAa2qsJNyfRMwvjKdPPJPtirC9RvXG-hoImiAzqIJZY9unSH8HmHR0XQ8Y_L5cip1o8/w400-h266/IMG_1901.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An area of the megalithic stone quarry with huge partially finished and carved stone boulders near the southern portion of the site and the petroglyph rock. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The summit of the hill was originally occupied by a set of plazas and pyramids, now entirely reduced to rubble. These structures all seemingly date to the Post-classic period and would have been still in use at the time of the Spanish conquest. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWhz83TELoad0TWQ1kVhkGPzj9xAD0-QVoRIAmA-XiEQVBtvK37kfw5FvbXHHXZx_cxSuRcVxr5R6_1rkfDJOTaBeN33HuNoJLNAYYxML29WCwLhE8ZimUBNd95nx1FvHc3nzGQh4G5U/s2048/IMG_1887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWhz83TELoad0TWQ1kVhkGPzj9xAD0-QVoRIAmA-XiEQVBtvK37kfw5FvbXHHXZx_cxSuRcVxr5R6_1rkfDJOTaBeN33HuNoJLNAYYxML29WCwLhE8ZimUBNd95nx1FvHc3nzGQh4G5U/w400-h266/IMG_1887.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The near flat summit of the Acatzingo hill, showing remnants of low stone platforms, mounds and retaining walls, now much destroyed and largely overgrown. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Acatzingo is a fascinating site that contains what appear to be the remnants of two different styles and possibly also different epochs of construction: One megalithic, characterized by the use of massive cyclopean stones and carved rock surfaces; the other characterized by the use of much smaller stones employed for the construction of ceremonial platforms, habitational terraces and retaining walls. </p><p><b>References:</b></p><p><b>[1] </b>Beatriz Zuñiga Barcenas, "Registro y delimitación del sitio arqueológico del cerro de La Malinche, Acatzingo de la Piedra, Tenancingo, Estado de México", <i>Arqueología</i>, 45, 2010, pp. 212-233.</p><p><b>[2]</b> Roberto Vázquez, "Rescate de la Historia: Exploración del Sitio Arqueologico de La Malinche", <i>Criterio Noticias</i>, June 25, 2019. On-line resource: "https://criterionoticias.wordpress.com/2019/06/25/rescate-de-la-historia-exploracion-del-sitio-arqueologico-la-malinche/. Las accessed March 9, 2021.</p><p><b>[3]</b> Julio César Ortega Velzaquez, <i>Descripción arquitectonica del sitio La Malinche, en el Posclásico Tardío, Tenancingo, Estado de México</i>, UAEM Tenancingo, 2013. On-line resource: http://ri.uaemex.mx/bitstream/handle/20.500.11799/40544/TESIS.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. Last accessed March 9, 2021.</p><p><b>[4]</b> Vladimira Palma Linares, "Arqueología en el sitio La Malinche", <i>Revista Universitaria</i>, UAEM, Vol. 2, no. 15, 2019, pp. 22-23. On-line: https://revistauniversitaria.uaemex.mx/article/view/12783/10015. Last accessed March 9, 2021. </p>Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com0Acatzingo, State of Mexico, Messico18.9238888 -99.5886111-9.3863450361788452 -134.74486109999998 47.234122636178846 -64.4323611tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-49233817869684985952021-01-03T18:19:00.000-06:002021-01-03T18:19:08.408-06:00Drought reveals dozens of ancient petroglyphs submerged under a Mexican lake. <div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Valle de Bravo, Mexico. </b>Over the past few days our team was able to document dozens of ancient petroglyphs that emerged from the waters of Lake Avandaro in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, for the first time in over a decade. The petroglyphs, which are located very near the shore, may date to the Teotihuacan period, or nearly 2,000 years old. The site was submerged when a dam was created in 1947 leading to the formation of Lake Avandaro, and is only rarely visible when the rocks are uncovered during exceptional drought conditions, as it has been the case for the past few months. </span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiautk_Tu5C0XwNuupFvvmXi6bxCrBdwHrKNY-E0qZTLw3HBbkyf0A1nNPKF2gLZqwWMAeIHpMAOSDHflQGnXcS1p2FaobrPnna9sEKRG70va8G-9zxStomv0_yla_JwoIpeWvNm2Odfk/s2048/IMG_1737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiautk_Tu5C0XwNuupFvvmXi6bxCrBdwHrKNY-E0qZTLw3HBbkyf0A1nNPKF2gLZqwWMAeIHpMAOSDHflQGnXcS1p2FaobrPnna9sEKRG70va8G-9zxStomv0_yla_JwoIpeWvNm2Odfk/w400-h266/IMG_1737.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The main group of petroglyphs located inside a small rock shelter or cave. All the surfaces of the cave, including the floor and ceiling are decorated with geometric and other abstract symbols.</i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Among the numerous petroglyphs are several astronomical markers or pecked crosses, typical of the Teotihuacan culture that dominated central Mexico in the first centuries of our era, as well as solar symbols and other abstract and geometric carvings. A small cave alone contains dozens of petroglyphs including circles, spirals as well as lines and other abstract shapes that may form part of a map. Another rock nearby bears a diagram of what appears to be a temple or shrine approached by a monumental double stairway. There are also several architectural models of what appear to be pyramids with steps, unfortunately now badly eroded. More submerged petroglyphs and rock carvings are said to lie submerged in the waters of Lake Avandaro. Unfortunately the constant water erosion from the lake has now erased most of the carvings and it is doubtful they will survive for much longer unless efforts are taken for their preservation and documentation.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNrxlj_atF4zn5uCMgoBuhMjqRj_wVeoUkYoinnmoWYx4DqrRjQaerArSCiZETZWQd3OPQYGAh56CzrJCV4MtKac8_TiLmBRjr-kIJo1H0IELUM07oImEFLhpTPYspRft1SN9kAOzpTo/s2048/IMG_1773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNrxlj_atF4zn5uCMgoBuhMjqRj_wVeoUkYoinnmoWYx4DqrRjQaerArSCiZETZWQd3OPQYGAh56CzrJCV4MtKac8_TiLmBRjr-kIJo1H0IELUM07oImEFLhpTPYspRft1SN9kAOzpTo/w400-h266/IMG_1773.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A typical Teotihuacan pecked cross, likely used as an astronomical marker or for calendar calculations.</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">An important prehispanic settlement was located in Valle de Bravo near La Peña, containing several small pyramids and monumental sculptures like the pair of giant serpent stone heads now housed in the small archaeological museum of Valle de Bravo, showing a strong Teotihuacan influence. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4uch7VSKp8St2dmydvTFKedwBW07ZlOxAyVaacKhQhBIYWe9Jj_vobIGvT2HxHlDbJn4cq8UEOhXoxiFWkb6a_CcIhzAigahG5bX_lolUlkcxMdtpbU6ehzNsD75XiXMlHQnM6Q4ZzA/s2048/IMG_1739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4uch7VSKp8St2dmydvTFKedwBW07ZlOxAyVaacKhQhBIYWe9Jj_vobIGvT2HxHlDbJn4cq8UEOhXoxiFWkb6a_CcIhzAigahG5bX_lolUlkcxMdtpbU6ehzNsD75XiXMlHQnM6Q4ZzA/w400-h266/IMG_1739.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A detailed view of the main group of petroglyphs on the bottom wall of the rock shelter near the lake shore.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgva0IUA-yvbea9TycfxUMk-p2FrCXenJqjjwqMLrwQbNZ5Y2jxz0j5w190rgL4RVRe7WtGCvAm7bhl3GeOUIOiRT7vDR_W5IB0zOXK_Cr7SF5DQA-PqB8tvld9WDvNn0tGeU4MbLve-4E/s2048/IMG_1740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgva0IUA-yvbea9TycfxUMk-p2FrCXenJqjjwqMLrwQbNZ5Y2jxz0j5w190rgL4RVRe7WtGCvAm7bhl3GeOUIOiRT7vDR_W5IB0zOXK_Cr7SF5DQA-PqB8tvld9WDvNn0tGeU4MbLve-4E/w266-h400/IMG_1740.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the walls of the rock shelter, entirely covered in petroglyphs. These include several circles connected by lines that may represent constellations or a map of the area.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVmMKH8qXxwF08goz6KMHIbwfPl9Z_TPVU65bmKAO-G8ANIhOWoPNzelhCunsw8RjbN1xp3LljKRA5TjvcjwSfBUFqhFl8er0yw6K1tjvJDsHEMiiUz8rVVoucHfRoNvrijxz0ba9mn0/s2048/IMG_1741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVmMKH8qXxwF08goz6KMHIbwfPl9Z_TPVU65bmKAO-G8ANIhOWoPNzelhCunsw8RjbN1xp3LljKRA5TjvcjwSfBUFqhFl8er0yw6K1tjvJDsHEMiiUz8rVVoucHfRoNvrijxz0ba9mn0/w400-h266/IMG_1741.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another view of the same rock shelter taken from the entrance. Some faint petroglyphs are also visible on the floor and ceiling.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8e3dvwM-1w8kkWHL77cJ80T4-ozbFpzuh1RL-CchtIsrc2I7Z-KWtODjJ_FM051ekNYyyRaN4Kne2pnoOW1qzq3wGdelKPutFu0XELxO6jAOMrKPKhDbvj9ziUCrA4vdeOpFOqF3phBo/s2048/IMG_1745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8e3dvwM-1w8kkWHL77cJ80T4-ozbFpzuh1RL-CchtIsrc2I7Z-KWtODjJ_FM051ekNYyyRaN4Kne2pnoOW1qzq3wGdelKPutFu0XELxO6jAOMrKPKhDbvj9ziUCrA4vdeOpFOqF3phBo/w400-h266/IMG_1745.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More carvings and petroglyphs near the entrance.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZMBvMiUaux4eSjEBtp0mhU0OEc-STl-q0QOeIBuz_4uSMufKwFU5UqVWFiUbWanS4PdMYZbSZLy6JR944RTSbvv90C6ixmjRXj7gf9joJ4EuZF5qmX8FSSxT9M-qVF1SMZ8qv7dINJo/s2048/IMG_1747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZMBvMiUaux4eSjEBtp0mhU0OEc-STl-q0QOeIBuz_4uSMufKwFU5UqVWFiUbWanS4PdMYZbSZLy6JR944RTSbvv90C6ixmjRXj7gf9joJ4EuZF5qmX8FSSxT9M-qVF1SMZ8qv7dINJo/w400-h266/IMG_1747.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A badly eroded architectural model carved from a single colossal stone, depicting what appear to be a group of pyramids surrounding a central plaza. The very faint outlines of steps can be made out on the rock surface.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXCJ-L8TDE_Ikmn2lGZ3lviL8RgBphm3KElGaAE5WPRoonA2HO20u37juBfC9hIU4abFrFLFpf41cp0HWPk_btWWxMRNck5M5nkXgS4CWbqaNuOqlH7rgF2Fa3LfOSeLkyojS4pQww3s/s2048/IMG_1749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXCJ-L8TDE_Ikmn2lGZ3lviL8RgBphm3KElGaAE5WPRoonA2HO20u37juBfC9hIU4abFrFLFpf41cp0HWPk_btWWxMRNck5M5nkXgS4CWbqaNuOqlH7rgF2Fa3LfOSeLkyojS4pQww3s/w400-h266/IMG_1749.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another view of the same stone showing more stepped carvings.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYbYWu67Y4XqYi7C_En4qgPixJj_etTCk3b7WiRzMny99ljlNVb928PV__QlstV_L-alr26CTjDg37-OPt0L46V9KTv4Y3BMtevAbI06BjOKcVu4t31qaJAWNcIOIx7M0oyMDWDLHEfI/s2048/IMG_1752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYbYWu67Y4XqYi7C_En4qgPixJj_etTCk3b7WiRzMny99ljlNVb928PV__QlstV_L-alr26CTjDg37-OPt0L46V9KTv4Y3BMtevAbI06BjOKcVu4t31qaJAWNcIOIx7M0oyMDWDLHEfI/w400-h266/IMG_1752.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The location of the main petroglyphs site, near the shore of Lake Avandaro. These huge rocks are usually submerged under the waters of the lake.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc4ijEFvsDnbJ8RbpgMxornxji0zWZHXSeVolqToRr3-oqVGv4DbKJJFqAzmqn1ETgv1icb_i4sSVokv35zrWoiu1LasaKNO7T_EspxyaEE1Lm6PX8xLpZDuUQ2VQ-l2UqH9L7PDU4KM/s2048/IMG_1754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc4ijEFvsDnbJ8RbpgMxornxji0zWZHXSeVolqToRr3-oqVGv4DbKJJFqAzmqn1ETgv1icb_i4sSVokv35zrWoiu1LasaKNO7T_EspxyaEE1Lm6PX8xLpZDuUQ2VQ-l2UqH9L7PDU4KM/w400-h266/IMG_1754.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>More carved boulders near the shore. The group of stones barely emerging from the water in the distance form part of another architectural model depicting a pyramid and Mesoamerican ballcourt.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYpB8LnSEr5Q0TyXDHWdRvB1x_CnqCGYQD9IR4hlVj1AjrT2Y4Wml1gB2Yl495zUhpZ5z-nCuXppFs9paQGbjo4X1dU-uXdhBkmXUJlLdi1-T16dVbA142C0rZ0z63BVeET4YOX-Pb38/s2048/IMG_1761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYpB8LnSEr5Q0TyXDHWdRvB1x_CnqCGYQD9IR4hlVj1AjrT2Y4Wml1gB2Yl495zUhpZ5z-nCuXppFs9paQGbjo4X1dU-uXdhBkmXUJlLdi1-T16dVbA142C0rZ0z63BVeET4YOX-Pb38/w400-h266/IMG_1761.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Huge boulders apparently carved and piled together near the shore. Any petroglyphs that may have once been present on their surface have now disappeared.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68AaHtYpz2YOKKrw8bRSGn65rp01_FhhQY-iV-rf5VUmYynv2aE_cmMK0qF-q4fCz6LcEghYUMAyA7IJUySUkTh0cQ4Iz_ws9Yga9oBpLK7AYA56WUWV-XNUkaW4ge6_5t1n55sH8JjY/s2048/IMG_1762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68AaHtYpz2YOKKrw8bRSGn65rp01_FhhQY-iV-rf5VUmYynv2aE_cmMK0qF-q4fCz6LcEghYUMAyA7IJUySUkTh0cQ4Iz_ws9Yga9oBpLK7AYA56WUWV-XNUkaW4ge6_5t1n55sH8JjY/w400-h266/IMG_1762.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A huge carved stone with an artificially flattened top. The outlines of several faint stairways and stepped symbols are visible to the right of the stone.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4ungxdiMiU039OnMI9PWktuA7Xlvu0EyWJIX4b4O4Kq2oJzFa-8FWoZG9maPig_0zfynIZSMNtVnjE2aPby4zCfEaAZ0nuAIoFmpvJRg7PmI2gWMWrYtNzD2YVEsNqgGyX7G23xaKgM/s2048/IMG_1764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4ungxdiMiU039OnMI9PWktuA7Xlvu0EyWJIX4b4O4Kq2oJzFa-8FWoZG9maPig_0zfynIZSMNtVnjE2aPby4zCfEaAZ0nuAIoFmpvJRg7PmI2gWMWrYtNzD2YVEsNqgGyX7G23xaKgM/w266-h400/IMG_1764.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another stone with small steps carved into it. It may have symbolized a sacred mountain or peak.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pVhovIpd5lI5RFI-7T5iMhqP1u9T_4D5OMcbbyIuEM6-ZmL5uOfv6DQaGlDU8JpYZAoOrrCUNDQOv1ygpRq3wf_zK0ZThMnZJV1ukh4JWPueQmTUNEANRQ4YzQIjgRPZ296eDk8sE6M/s2048/IMG_1765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pVhovIpd5lI5RFI-7T5iMhqP1u9T_4D5OMcbbyIuEM6-ZmL5uOfv6DQaGlDU8JpYZAoOrrCUNDQOv1ygpRq3wf_zK0ZThMnZJV1ukh4JWPueQmTUNEANRQ4YzQIjgRPZ296eDk8sE6M/w266-h400/IMG_1765.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A solar symbol carved on a large boulder. The first rays of the sun illuminate this stone on the morning of the Winter Solstice.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgVBBsVUIe_fd8K0u6qwg93gSCZc3POBdUNBxTMAxRoJ3xbGNdpBX9zuoh2JzJbmUQVcP1HYmm1cYqJP1bAZ1bmXa62cNG4rNIal3EqsDMXGjeJg9BmCgPRX08QthD_gQ1UI9siKrb4M/s2048/IMG_1768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgVBBsVUIe_fd8K0u6qwg93gSCZc3POBdUNBxTMAxRoJ3xbGNdpBX9zuoh2JzJbmUQVcP1HYmm1cYqJP1bAZ1bmXa62cNG4rNIal3EqsDMXGjeJg9BmCgPRX08QthD_gQ1UI9siKrb4M/w400-h266/IMG_1768.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Deeply carved grooves in one huge boulder.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIkL0G2KCqeiUMtMJQSs2H-Pb6EMIAu_TIp6PbU021jZnsDerqHga1yujIkeWJ7LhKlIQBjK7yfoQIjRpzXArjUGjsA1WaR2hEkNy0Am8d5lXiu5_8lZEQHn0EqxEdaM-6aaJ5h9DS7k/s2048/IMG_1769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIkL0G2KCqeiUMtMJQSs2H-Pb6EMIAu_TIp6PbU021jZnsDerqHga1yujIkeWJ7LhKlIQBjK7yfoQIjRpzXArjUGjsA1WaR2hEkNy0Am8d5lXiu5_8lZEQHn0EqxEdaM-6aaJ5h9DS7k/w400-h266/IMG_1769.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another badly eroded architectural model of a stepped structure (left), possibly a pyramid or temple, with a broad central stairway. It is still possible to make out the faint outlines of steps.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUB4hMyiPw3ZapFhmiWEuEi4281n_t5M_3EKRuPbl0G7Y91oEDppLn6orcDmIxARXobFEkNQiFuNUVl9r0K8kOOsBtLFkGr_sgwokh6k6kIYs8hIEn4EmcLXPK5-aag7mGODuyNW91NqM/s2048/IMG_1775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUB4hMyiPw3ZapFhmiWEuEi4281n_t5M_3EKRuPbl0G7Y91oEDppLn6orcDmIxARXobFEkNQiFuNUVl9r0K8kOOsBtLFkGr_sgwokh6k6kIYs8hIEn4EmcLXPK5-aag7mGODuyNW91NqM/w266-h400/IMG_1775.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A typical Teotihuacan pecked cross, likely used as an astronomical marker or for calendar calculations. One of the arms of the cross points in the direction of La Pena, a large rocky outcrop on the opposite shore of the lake where a ceremonial center and numerous caves were located.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyrzUyHRRyMLYTnzIAwYdNWoP5lcaUtOo6cJhpeC21KNHFd0lC3G4guUKwAyeTI3lo-6NMEnJLSM7yVS8g3qQpa0TZRNCsFtqYyRv2tGZLcu7bXcepMVp4tA-1V-bcJc9fQcPW4tZEis/s2048/IMG_1778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyrzUyHRRyMLYTnzIAwYdNWoP5lcaUtOo6cJhpeC21KNHFd0lC3G4guUKwAyeTI3lo-6NMEnJLSM7yVS8g3qQpa0TZRNCsFtqYyRv2tGZLcu7bXcepMVp4tA-1V-bcJc9fQcPW4tZEis/w266-h400/IMG_1778.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the most intriguing carvings is this representation of what appears to be an architectural plan. Two square structures, possibly pyramids or temples, are approached by monumental stairways. The uppermost one appears to be connected to a set of three chambers in a cruciform arrangement, connected by a corridor. </i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYC-wrZXxfhOqViqJGZT1krQgQHcoZY-D4pU4RcfLLFi-vOSLFjBxYRUF3MpEpnyhmW2hGdUUwQNVSvH3QMps-TgprDEAIOtygF_tbR9wT7RE0q4Hj9krmJDCtER23ohTmX79cmVkWLR4/s2048/IMG_1779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYC-wrZXxfhOqViqJGZT1krQgQHcoZY-D4pU4RcfLLFi-vOSLFjBxYRUF3MpEpnyhmW2hGdUUwQNVSvH3QMps-TgprDEAIOtygF_tbR9wT7RE0q4Hj9krmJDCtER23ohTmX79cmVkWLR4/w400-h266/IMG_1779.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another badly eroded petroglyph - One of several dozens on boulders near the shore, now threatened by the waters of the lake.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div>Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com0Valle de Bravo, State of Mexico, Messico19.1950964 -100.1326725-9.1151374361788449 -135.2889225 47.50533023617885 -64.9764225tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-60399532941127556272020-05-25T12:11:00.002-05:002020-05-28T18:00:30.585-05:00Tamoanchan - Cradle of Mesoamerican civilization?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-Suawe-H2eharnU2X8L9yIJnrW2arVxULcAov_RE3bO88sQx3zfgnQ44M3ohZ8I3nK2uaOxZgHe0qtNaAp9Io3ly7UjpTCmzNDwwtoRmpUSRWmI1fBGgU0BNuq4yrO0RjpQMh-NqrfU/s1600/IMG_6383_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-Suawe-H2eharnU2X8L9yIJnrW2arVxULcAov_RE3bO88sQx3zfgnQ44M3ohZ8I3nK2uaOxZgHe0qtNaAp9Io3ly7UjpTCmzNDwwtoRmpUSRWmI1fBGgU0BNuq4yrO0RjpQMh-NqrfU/s400/IMG_6383_1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In search of a Lost Cradle</span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The oldest Nahua
legends speak of a mythical place called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tamoanchan</i>,
considered to be the cradle of all Mesoamerican civilizations and a sort of
terrestrial paradise from which the ancestors of the Aztecs and the Toltecs
would go out to repopulate the earth after a great Flood. According to the
early colonial historian Bernardino de Sahagún (1500-1590 AD), the original
inhabitants of Tamoanchan had come from the Sea: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They say the came to this land to rule over it…they came from the sea
on ships, a multitude of them, and landed on the shore of the sea, to the
North…from there they went on, seeking the white mountains, the smoky
mountains…led by their priests and by the voice of their gods. Finally, they
came to the place that they called Tamoanchan…and there they settled</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">[1].</b>” These learned men invented the
sacred books, the count of destiny, the book of years and the book of dreams.
Tamoanchan has been since identified with a number of places in ancient Mexico,
including Tula and Teotihuacan, but these are likely later associations from a
time when its true location had already become lost and shrouded in
legend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The oldest Mesoamerican Civilization<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The earliest historical traditions locate
Tamoanchan far from the coast, in the province of Cuauhnahuac near present-day
Cuernavaca. From there, the tribes that would become the ancestors of all later
Mesoamerican civilizations spread to the North, East and South to give rise to
the civilizations of the Toltecs, the Olmecs and the Maya. These people called
themselves the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chan</i>, the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">People of the Serpent</i>”, and the very
name of Tamoanchan may have come from them <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">[2]</b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In 1911, the bishop of Cuernavaca, Francisco Plancarte y Navarrete
formulated a theory that Tamoanchan was once a real place, whose ruins were to
be found in the Southern part of the state of Morelos. He believed that the
civilization of Tamoanchan was older even than that of the Olmecs and had
spread throughout Mesoamerica from a single point of origin. A few years
earlier, Plancarte had collected rumors of the discovery of immense stone ruins
in the remote mountains of the Sierra de Huautla, to the South of Cuernavaca, which
he believed could point to the location of Tamoanchan. These ruins were of a
cyclopean kind, entirely different from the crude constructions of the Aztecs
and of an antiquity so remote that no record of their builders had survived in
the records of the Conquest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhzC3bhMcHZW-58JsiDqv0kE8uU8fJxINuFMQnufIsT0HK2sTKHxz1XtkLdXYw8f7X0NnpT82d2t7W6J1s6j83fVYSVptREIpLE0MWLJ4hwO8I1FrnGQLF9KKIcG5kVU396Ebusrk5K8/s1600/IMG_6370_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhzC3bhMcHZW-58JsiDqv0kE8uU8fJxINuFMQnufIsT0HK2sTKHxz1XtkLdXYw8f7X0NnpT82d2t7W6J1s6j83fVYSVptREIpLE0MWLJ4hwO8I1FrnGQLF9KKIcG5kVU396Ebusrk5K8/s400/IMG_6370_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<i>A corner at the base of the megalithic ramparts of Chimalacatlan, where the walls rise to a height of nearly 10 meters (33 ft). The foundations of the walls rest directly on the natural bedrock, making a precise dating of these structures extremely problematic. <b>[Photo by Author] </b></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSUuRrEbUSNXbsBIVJWsme_bR8E5yORYptopYL2JMpAQaNYV8Ogo1FZZt-03JMHbVqhMsGw2t7s8JT2dmkjRjBFPVEATfRLAbKqI9nlclGAgMb_zgi7g5FboicnIcCo6t7SJfJgYQGyk/s1600/IMG_6450_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSUuRrEbUSNXbsBIVJWsme_bR8E5yORYptopYL2JMpAQaNYV8Ogo1FZZt-03JMHbVqhMsGw2t7s8JT2dmkjRjBFPVEATfRLAbKqI9nlclGAgMb_zgi7g5FboicnIcCo6t7SJfJgYQGyk/s400/IMG_6450_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A view of the great megalithic walls surrounding the Acropolis of Chimalacatlan. Some of the stones measure over 3 meters long, with an estimated weight of between 5 to 8 tons <b>[Photo by Author]</b></i></td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: justify;">“A most ancient and famous work”</b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The ruins were again rediscovered in 1948 by
the archaeologist Florencia Müller, who similarly considered them to be of very
great antiquity. In the absence of datable remains, she tentatively attributed
them to the Olmecs, whose presence in the region is attested since at least 1,200
B.C. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">[3]</b> The largest structures were
located near the village of Chimalacatlan and consisted of a number of
megalithic stone platforms occupying the artificially-leveled summit of the
Cerro del Venado. The walls survived up to a height of nearly 8 meters in
certain points and were built of huge blocks of stone measuring up to 3 meters
long, laid in regular rows without mortar. Immense efforts had certainly gone
into the construction of the massive walls and terraces, yet no trace could be
found of the original builders and inhabitants. The only ceramic and a few
tombs found at the site dated to a much later period than that of the
construction of the walls. Nor was there any trace of the structures that were
intended to be built on top of the megalithic platforms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">One large stone platform measured some 40 by 30 meters and would have
once contained a sunken courtyard also lined with megalithic stone blocks. A
partially carved rock surface and some giant monoliths on the upper terraces of
the site are all that remains of a great unfinished structure that may have
been a temple. Some of the stones that had been prepared for the construction,
only partially detached from the natural bedrock, would have weighted as many
as 20 tons. A number of cylindrical column shafts, each measuring about 2.5
meters long, were also found nearby. More constructions were certainly planned
near the summit of the hill, where the rock was artificially flattened and
carved, but these were either dismantled or were never built. Even so, the
ruins of Chimalacatlan are not only the largest and best-preserved examples of
cyclopean megalithic architecture in all of Mesoamerica, but also quite possibly
the oldest. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5Sysnrqlyn-djAlJUJs2hiqXlifr0ZSKjRzEGjUAXVgMDsszeRIq5L8c4kBOdbCHFC1OyBDHIr_PhQ1XK0o-9vL6TifTmhhlWjIV5xR7ETHoOeAUnu2-r3ZyTnQw0KQzUtbu_8RaQV4/s1600/IMG_6390_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5Sysnrqlyn-djAlJUJs2hiqXlifr0ZSKjRzEGjUAXVgMDsszeRIq5L8c4kBOdbCHFC1OyBDHIr_PhQ1XK0o-9vL6TifTmhhlWjIV5xR7ETHoOeAUnu2-r3ZyTnQw0KQzUtbu_8RaQV4/s400/IMG_6390_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<i>The wall of the upper terrace on the Acropolis of Chimalacatlan, built of large megalithic stone blocks. The top of the lower platform contains a large sunken courtyard that has not been excavated. </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaxwkkS6yW2baSDlCdKlwZLwgGyIUY1FNcnb7sa84tdVx08Eao_JlXfaphwS7umK6OPf7uOYccliZhkTzh7gp-TVmrvl7_gLq_FOGf82TVCpcPfqMRsFWQsNzj2dNLPPo53kiK37d2wY/s1600/IMG_6424_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaxwkkS6yW2baSDlCdKlwZLwgGyIUY1FNcnb7sa84tdVx08Eao_JlXfaphwS7umK6OPf7uOYccliZhkTzh7gp-TVmrvl7_gLq_FOGf82TVCpcPfqMRsFWQsNzj2dNLPPo53kiK37d2wY/s320/IMG_6424_1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">Another view of the Northwest corner in the lower platform walls of Chimalacatlan, preserved to a height of nearly 10 meters. </i><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSFd4zB3i61QNVhI774gkrFfCsuko7qMfREJlJOcvlayMALXu4RMx_9Ja7LzTBVdNBWVgOubWQEfhSa_o54XdBBXKTWGdi56YwNfU2Sp5p_fZq0o4sVs6UrEiK2UvRZEZG4sf3L7JCYA/s1600/IMG_6433_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSFd4zB3i61QNVhI774gkrFfCsuko7qMfREJlJOcvlayMALXu4RMx_9Ja7LzTBVdNBWVgOubWQEfhSa_o54XdBBXKTWGdi56YwNfU2Sp5p_fZq0o4sVs6UrEiK2UvRZEZG4sf3L7JCYA/s400/IMG_6433_2.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">A detail of the very precise mortarless construction of the walls of Chimalacatlán, a style which may be called "cyclopean" and of which only few other examples exist in all of Mexico and Central America. </i><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQHev1w7gLPLu30aoYepnrGrfeGSmNVyAarj7L-iItrW8KXn9sVtaJPi59OkEbjPzto7PFTPZ4Wwf_yWRXV_aFpyoPv70wpCFFW6JgLpU7z4Ndtcr-1YzYL_SdUOmFAKYIz1D1NT-o4o/s1600/IMG_6438_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQHev1w7gLPLu30aoYepnrGrfeGSmNVyAarj7L-iItrW8KXn9sVtaJPi59OkEbjPzto7PFTPZ4Wwf_yWRXV_aFpyoPv70wpCFFW6JgLpU7z4Ndtcr-1YzYL_SdUOmFAKYIz1D1NT-o4o/s400/IMG_6438_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">A nearly perfect section of a megalithic wall at Chimalacatlan, running alongside a sort of alley between two building platforms. </i><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: justify;">Lost Cities of the Mexican
Highlands</b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">With the exception of some consolidation work
conducted by the Mexican National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH)
during the early 2000’s, and in spite of their enormous historical importance, the
ruins of Chimalacatlan remain today in a state of near complete abandonment. Yet
they are by no means the only megalithic ruins in the area. When the famous
explorer and archaeologist William Niven visited the region in 1891, he
recalled walking for miles among the ruins of ancient habitations that would
have once formed part of an immense prehistoric city: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">broken walls, ruined buildings, huge in size beyond
comprehension…marked the slopes as far as the eye could reach</i>”; he later
wrote in his diaries. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">[4] </b>Some of
the buildings he encountered were larger than those of Mitla and covered an
immense area: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It must have been an
immense nation that once dwelt here</i>”, he observed;<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and this city, or chain of
cities, must have been fully as large as Babylon, or Thebes, or Memphis, or
other famous cities of antiquity</i>.”</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni7fLhB53CulGLyo7-_WGqzkuXBXXbf-qaY7t6bWsUWC2ed1XsGm-m4Z7Yp8SlUVZz8hQpBRxVnwCcugOcGxareRIFBauRLzBuyCkiYr5ot2ioeEwvTSsFGJVeZdIQHCD3xjAcThmx6Q/s1600/IMG_6335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjni7fLhB53CulGLyo7-_WGqzkuXBXXbf-qaY7t6bWsUWC2ed1XsGm-m4Z7Yp8SlUVZz8hQpBRxVnwCcugOcGxareRIFBauRLzBuyCkiYr5ot2ioeEwvTSsFGJVeZdIQHCD3xjAcThmx6Q/s400/IMG_6335.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very peculiar landscape of bushes and cactuses that characterizes the southern portion of the state of Morelos and the north of Guerrero, making exploration and progress through the harsh terrain extremely difficult. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">In January 2019 we were accompanied on an expedition into the Sierra de
Huautla by the responsible for Culture of the municipality of Tlaquiltenango,
Prof. Rogelio Ortega Gallardo. Our goal was to photograph the ancient ruins
that were said to exist near the village of Huaxtla. Just as described by Niven
over a century ago, the ruins cover an immense area and extend over several
hilltops and across great ravines. Everywhere one could see the remains of
fallen walls, badly dilapidated pyramids and stone platforms. Although the
thick vegetation only allowed to appreciate a small portion of the site, the
style of the ruins appeared to be entirely similar to that of Chimalacatlan, as
consisting of huge megalithic stone blocks arranged in regular courses.
Unfortunately, only a small portion of the walls remained intact, the rest
having fallen long ago. The local villagers confirmed that the ruins extend for
several miles in all directions, but no systematic mapping of the site has ever
been carried out. According to information provided by Prof. Ortega, at least
41 sites with megalithic architecture are known to exist within the
municipality of Tlaquiltenango alone, which would have formed part of a nearly continuous
chain of cities. There are moreover legends of a network of ancient tunnels
extending throughout the entire region, including a walled-up entrance under
the ruins of the colonial convent of Las Bovedas.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzzZ2HpUeDc4QLJD3DhBcImt63wuIUFEbBJg3Eqhp-4mvix3sEZaorhq3xi8aFQ777EtqjPngMxCLniMDltw7EofVUnJ7wkko-C3HW_zC_OUgAZrWEzelREXirVc0b7e6QhL96G0GFoc/s1600/IMG_6337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzzZ2HpUeDc4QLJD3DhBcImt63wuIUFEbBJg3Eqhp-4mvix3sEZaorhq3xi8aFQ777EtqjPngMxCLniMDltw7EofVUnJ7wkko-C3HW_zC_OUgAZrWEzelREXirVc0b7e6QhL96G0GFoc/s400/IMG_6337.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A large collapsed structure in the ruins of Huaxtla, showing portions of a megalithic wall of large basalt stone blocks.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBNr_9o4iqClKl3nctDG6UP1-3zDgZvCiuealIx3r7eaIxuXE_JANXQp9m79XyivPtQxTTUT4qotSuu5uo2SqpKNQWdIr8FXzFYCA-Nx4HFmmmcQn162IFcDLsGoD9b74gNkUs9Yg1FQ/s1600/IMG_6345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBNr_9o4iqClKl3nctDG6UP1-3zDgZvCiuealIx3r7eaIxuXE_JANXQp9m79XyivPtQxTTUT4qotSuu5uo2SqpKNQWdIr8FXzFYCA-Nx4HFmmmcQn162IFcDLsGoD9b74gNkUs9Yg1FQ/s400/IMG_6345.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A corner construction of large megalithic stone blocks in the ruins of Huaxtla. The incline of the walls and the rounded corners of the walls are reminiscent of the megalithic structures of Peru. Note the use of smaller stones for the filling and the upper portions of the walls, perhaps indicative of two different phases of construction.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk1lLJtYzXL4XNNThhIz6XQ07RuABDpGtkMNqj7DteReZDzEH17tzlLoPaUFPo5wUU5gnh6_HrwqYGjp_AU_tUgtECeVYJZ-dtuZ8560GHrb3e5E8ixyIXPx2BeqFFw5jG-yUCTGebGY/s1600/IMG_6348+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk1lLJtYzXL4XNNThhIz6XQ07RuABDpGtkMNqj7DteReZDzEH17tzlLoPaUFPo5wUU5gnh6_HrwqYGjp_AU_tUgtECeVYJZ-dtuZ8560GHrb3e5E8ixyIXPx2BeqFFw5jG-yUCTGebGY/s400/IMG_6348+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>For miles around Huaxtla, the hills are covered with remains of collapsed walls and massive stone ramparts, exhibiting a kind of cyclopean mortarless construction that has few parallels in Mesoamerica. Although it is impossible to provide an accurate estimate, hundreds of thousands of tons of hard basalt stone were carved and put into place to build the massive walls and fortifications of Chimalacatlan and Huaxtla. </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The unknown megalithic civilization of Mexico</span></b></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The mysterious ruins that are found in the
Southern part of the state of Morelos are among the largest to be found in the
entire American continent and could also turn out to be among its oldest. They
belong to a time possibly earlier still than that of the Olmecs, and may indeed
turn out to be those of the legendary lost city of Tamoanchan – The Cradle of
Mesoamerican civilization. A mighty megalithic civilization once reigned over
much of Central Mexico, which left behind the great stone ruins of unknown date
that the later Toltec, Maya and Aztec invaders encountered and appropriated. The
quality of the stonework of Chimalacatlan, as well as the many more examples of
rock-cut surfaces and megalithic architecture found throughout Central Mexico,
would put this civilization on a par, if not with those of Peru, at least with
that of the equally mysterious builders of the great cyclopean cities of Italy,
Greece and Turkey. We can only hope that in future years more of the past of
this fascinating region will be revealed as its ancient cities are also rescued
from centuries of oblivion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT"><b>Note: </b>This article first appeared on Ancient Origins on February 9th, 2019: </span></span><a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/tamoanchan-0011452">Link here</a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT">References:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT">[1] </span></b><span lang="IT">Bernardino de Sahagún, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Codice
Matritense de la Real Academia</i>, folio 191,192 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT">[2]</span></b><span lang="IT"> Francisco Plancarte y Navarrete, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tamoanchan:
El Estado de Morelos y el principio de la civilizacion</i>, Imp. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">El Mensajero, Mexico, 1911<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>[3]</b> Florencia Muller, Chimalacatlan, Acta Anthropologia, Mexico 1948</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">[4] </span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Robert S. Wicks and Roland H. Harrison, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Buried Cities, Forgotten Gods</i>, Texas Tech University Press, 1999,
p. 43</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT">[5]</span></b><span lang="IT"> Mario Cordova Tello, Juan Pablo Sereno Uribe, Sur de Morelos:
Chimalacatlan, INAH, <a href="http://consejoarqueologia.inah.gob.mx/wp-content/uploads/1_proychimala.pdf">http://consejoarqueologia.inah.gob.mx/wp-content/uploads/1_proychimala.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT">[6]</span></b><span lang="IT"> Morelos Turistico, Turismo Tlaquiltenango <a href="http://www.morelosturistico.com/espanol/pagina/z_146_Tlaquiltenango__Turismo.php">http://www.morelosturistico.com/espanol/pagina/z_146_Tlaquiltenango__Turismo.php</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-76385639552066574532020-03-30T12:28:00.002-06:002020-03-30T12:29:42.018-06:00The Megalithic Ruins of Ancient Mexico - Part V<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGsYdHCX10ETk49z9RghPhPC0PLzC9hhbs7e5RxnRQk-Pr_xPxLFAPpWYotgUXNmqCuhcfcHash-uO62Jp7qNLwHMEu9sHbAO57-0keaQlWPtrvShIRBt3yMtNMev5XPrkUIOfy6AqCE/s1600/Guiaroo+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="468" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGsYdHCX10ETk49z9RghPhPC0PLzC9hhbs7e5RxnRQk-Pr_xPxLFAPpWYotgUXNmqCuhcfcHash-uO62Jp7qNLwHMEu9sHbAO57-0keaQlWPtrvShIRBt3yMtNMev5XPrkUIOfy6AqCE/s400/Guiaroo+tomb.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Forgotten Tombs of Guirún and the search for the
largest megalith in North America</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The valley of Tlacolula in Central
Oaxaca, Mexico, is home to one of the largest concentrations of megalithic
monuments in Mesoamerica. The origin of these structures is conventionally
attributed to the Zapotec and Mixtec peoples, who occupied the area since at
least 500 B.C. Their largest and most important sites were Monte Alban and
Mitla, characterized by a sophisticated stone architecture, magnificent
underground tombs and advanced metalworking techniques. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The palaces and underground tombs of Mitla, with their
intricate stone decoration, would cause the greatest impression in the early
Spanish Conquistador and in later travelers during much of the 17<sup>th</sup>
and 18<sup>th</sup> Century. Early chroniclers marveled at the extraordinary
workmanship of these structures and the immense size of the stones – buildings
which were “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prouder and more magnificent
than any that they had hitherto seen in New Spain</i>. [1]”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These early chroniclers described vast halls supported by
round pillars consisting of one stone, and immense doorways built with huge
monolithic lintels and jambs. An even greater marvel were the stone mosaics
that ornated the walls, consisting of an infinite number of small rectangular
stones “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as smooth and regular as if they
had all come from one mould</i>”. And, more wonderful still, these stones were
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">adjusted without a single handful of
mortar</i>”, a feat “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">inexplicable even to
the greatest architects</i>”. All of this was accomplished, according to
another source, wholly “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">without tools,
with nothing but hard stones and sand</i>. [2]” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The palaces of Mitla and their impressive stone architecture
have been covered at length in a previous article on this blog, which can be
accessed </span><a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-megalithic-ruins-of-ancient-mexico.html"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A few years ago I came across a brief description and some
black and white pictures of what appeared to be an enormous cruciform
megalithic structure in the mountains near Mitla. The report in question had
been published in 1909 by the American archaeologist Marshall H. Saville and
only named the site as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Guiaroo</i> [3]. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Initial enquiries into the location of the mysterious ruin
in 2017 turned out to be largely unsuccessful. We were, however, able to locate
another interesting megalithic tomb on the grounds of the abandoned Hacienda of
Xaaga (See </span><a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-megalithic-ruins-of-ancient-mexico.html"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> for a description of our find). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Finally, in March of 2020 our friend Ludovic Celle from
Oaxaca City, who had himself visited the site a couple of years earlier and
provided GPS coordinates, put us in touch with a local guide, Misael Martinez,
who also knew the location of the ruins. His experience proved invaluable not
only in locating the cruciform structure, but also a second tomb and various
other ruined structures not mentioned by Saville in his initial report of the
site. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVfl0134bOuMe72wTWlK6sQ8xPhBIi2SC0ay6CWsiWbqI7rXn7MHXb5nSAmxQCJb1POzEgJxCfgbWJD7gUoxBYXRE_hpznj8ukpjCBBbMGA80n57EqyKwJaFVMKoo-EfgJDGK3yczU2M/s1600/IMG_0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVfl0134bOuMe72wTWlK6sQ8xPhBIi2SC0ay6CWsiWbqI7rXn7MHXb5nSAmxQCJb1POzEgJxCfgbWJD7gUoxBYXRE_hpznj8ukpjCBBbMGA80n57EqyKwJaFVMKoo-EfgJDGK3yczU2M/s400/IMG_0475.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Palace" of Guirún, in the Upper Group. The Temple of the Two Rooms appears as a large stepped pyramid on the opposite side of the rectangular Plaza. The cruciform chamber is located on a ridge less than 200 meters from the Palace. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The ruins of Guirún (or Guiaroo) are located on a hilltop
some 5 kilometers to the NE of the little town of Xaagá, amidst spectacular
cliffs and deep canyons. The site was studied by Gary M. Feinman and Linda M.
Nicholas in 2004, which conducted a comprehensive survey of the remaining
structures but did not conduct any excavations [4].</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The largest building is called the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Palace of the Two Rooms</i>”. It is in fact a group of four ceremonial
structures facing a square plaza with a large terraced pyramid on the eastern
side. The temple on the top of the pyramid is still in a reasonable state of
preservation and consists of two large rooms approached by a stairway, from
which the entire complex receives its name. The plan of the structure is
similar to that of the largest palaces at Mitla, but lacks the same
high-quality workmanship and stone decoration. It is quite possible that
underground tombs may exist under each of the ceremonial platforms to the North
and to the East. There are also traces of fortifications and of what could be a
small Mesoamerican ball game to the South of the palace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The cruciform structure, often called a “tomb”, is found
less than 200 meters from the main Palace, on another low ridge covered in
bushes and shrubs, next to a ruined pyramidal mound some 10 meters high.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlyEa_HqxxMj15_WP4IkjyB2Pxv_xXIl8eVPWYpCH1zPw1ktPWVQfqkQHBFr0_1xH-FcB_SgoFKEVCwit588fBaUUwnM4aQjm9AJvyYgmseURJ7_YiKngoV5Pb06esvdYutdckWMXg84/s1600/IMG_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlyEa_HqxxMj15_WP4IkjyB2Pxv_xXIl8eVPWYpCH1zPw1ktPWVQfqkQHBFr0_1xH-FcB_SgoFKEVCwit588fBaUUwnM4aQjm9AJvyYgmseURJ7_YiKngoV5Pb06esvdYutdckWMXg84/s400/IMG_0478.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the Cruciform chamber looking North. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRXfG0CNAHlV6MJJE87MqYh6ALbAQs0qBgPewjcVPKeX0C8zQfN76yHXHl6Bs-X-7DWhhfPDNJOpGBrfrg36isHYq7K5hg9HWLdA1YHLQY6q95TttI9PhA5YZ_YLk6xy1ZghwNVWtr8g/s400/IMG_0488.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the Cruciform chamber looking East. Note the immese size of the stone blocks forming the walls and the perfect jointing along the exposed face. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRXfG0CNAHlV6MJJE87MqYh6ALbAQs0qBgPewjcVPKeX0C8zQfN76yHXHl6Bs-X-7DWhhfPDNJOpGBrfrg36isHYq7K5hg9HWLdA1YHLQY6q95TttI9PhA5YZ_YLk6xy1ZghwNVWtr8g/s1600/IMG_0488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">There are few words to describe a structure so entirely
unique in the panorama of Mesoamerican architecture. Its measurements are given
by Saville as 32.8 ft. (10 meters) along the East-West axis and 28.6 ft. (8.7
meters) along the North-South axis. It is in the shape of a cross, precisely
oriented to the cardinal directions, and has the entrance to the West. The
walls, up to 2.5 meters (7.5 ft) high, consist of enormous megalithic stone
blocks laid without mortar or cement. The largest stone block, located on the
southern wall of the western arm, measures 12.5 by 3.3 by 3 ft, or
approximately 3.8 by 1.0 by 0.9 meters, weighting an estimated 10 tons or more
in its finished state. A total of 52 stone blocks were employed for the
construction of the chamber, which remained unroofed. The interior walls, with
the sole exception of the terminal wall of the southern arm, are entirely
decorated with intricate geometric pattern resembling the mosaic stonework at
Mitla – except that the carvings were applied here directly on the stone
surface. The patterns run on three bands, the ones at the bottom and the top
resembling waves or swastikas, with a labyrinthine design in the middle band.
Traces of red and white paint still survive in places.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The large stones were pinched into place by means of holes
in the back of them, where levers were most certainly inserted. One huge stone
block lying near the chamber also shows two enigmatic U-shaped bosses in relief
that served possibly for transportation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQX5N97A6TXx0cA8rBfWzkK_dm9vx5Nkig2Jyv5thxT-GrNZ927bGCHzzEC7o5E0BVBdTVf3lIyDCPINKKV7N8Z4jirxLa7RnzOAbtsmiohcOAiUmKkjojmWBGZL_oza2_iOG_M9rbNI/s1600/IMG_0501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQX5N97A6TXx0cA8rBfWzkK_dm9vx5Nkig2Jyv5thxT-GrNZ927bGCHzzEC7o5E0BVBdTVf3lIyDCPINKKV7N8Z4jirxLa7RnzOAbtsmiohcOAiUmKkjojmWBGZL_oza2_iOG_M9rbNI/s400/IMG_0501.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The author posing next to the largest stone block on the souther wall of the western arm. [<b>Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaPaLTrWHPBqAOQyxOp-2uUQRHa9ZdcJKLpXnnR5nck1ZV-agSZWJUHJog7Ig6gPogy1eF4gpxzX2IbZtCIr_pbFjO03DIMz1cvxYzTNbZh_aAXg4e_xLNQvjZJhq8tbXoHYha0IvX4Q/s1600/IMG_0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaPaLTrWHPBqAOQyxOp-2uUQRHa9ZdcJKLpXnnR5nck1ZV-agSZWJUHJog7Ig6gPogy1eF4gpxzX2IbZtCIr_pbFjO03DIMz1cvxYzTNbZh_aAXg4e_xLNQvjZJhq8tbXoHYha0IvX4Q/s400/IMG_0541.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close-up view of the largest stone block on the southern wall of the western arm. Note the curious embossment in the middle, which probably served to ensure a tight fit the other stones. Similar features have been documented at other megalithic sites, such as at Ollantaytambo in Peru. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKH-eDnuDeKiqbEvJCkzypM63fRHpn_D5Ld76Ilv6v3GbOPDJbtc7S3-_OXKITGVRJwQ7b7s_EiQUlR7vQVrSbbCDunfcCfMtZ5OvVZkALT3M0ooUDwyTWxoYFPToUbcSQYccb2a-vno/s1600/IMG_0554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKH-eDnuDeKiqbEvJCkzypM63fRHpn_D5Ld76Ilv6v3GbOPDJbtc7S3-_OXKITGVRJwQ7b7s_EiQUlR7vQVrSbbCDunfcCfMtZ5OvVZkALT3M0ooUDwyTWxoYFPToUbcSQYccb2a-vno/s400/IMG_0554.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the western and southern arm of the cruciform structure, each consisting of a single stone. Notice the holes in the back of the stones, possibly for the insertion of levers. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">It has been suggested that the “tomb” was left unfinished,
due to the presence of several large construction blocks abandoned in the
vicinity and the absence of a roof. This seems to contrast, however, with the
evidence from the exquisitely carved decoration and traces of paint on the
inside. Saville remarked that the debris filling the chamber at the time of
discovery did not contain the slightest trace of human remains or other pottery
fragments by which the structure could be dated. There is also no trace of a
floor, so it is not clear whether the structure actually rests on bedrock or
continues underground. Compass readings show that the longest arm is oriented
about 17 degrees to the East of North. As such, Guirún would join a long list
of Mesoamerican sites with anomalous orientations, including Teotihuacan,
Chichen Itzá and Tula, which are all oriented between 15.5 and 17 degrees to
the East of North.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Our friend Ludovic Celle from Oaxaca also noticed a close
similarity between the geometric patterns that ornate the walls of the
cruciform structure of Guirún and those of the Palace of the Columns at Mitla.
These differ significantly from the mostly plain decoration of other
underground tombs, which only contain isolated mosaic panels. Ludovic also
created a great 3D reconstruction of the tomb which may be accessed from the
following link: <a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/kAG8y">https://www.artstation.com/artwork/kAG8y</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is possible that the cruciform structure of Guirún was therefore never intended as a tomb, but as a ritual chamber or astronomical observatory. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvmNOhtgC3azk3gWfPejS7YE2uObAXnqO-SreaZ1SXURkCx5dMXLVFyBnk3YjS569UtX2AW-D4Kz48WYJQJXmkkS03FdLvm_Exezx8ZI0YmA0Njqg07uzZ_DQTq7Yb_1EU1YP0_9ypQU/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvmNOhtgC3azk3gWfPejS7YE2uObAXnqO-SreaZ1SXURkCx5dMXLVFyBnk3YjS569UtX2AW-D4Kz48WYJQJXmkkS03FdLvm_Exezx8ZI0YmA0Njqg07uzZ_DQTq7Yb_1EU1YP0_9ypQU/s320/IMG_0509.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the interior of the cruciform chamber, looking East, from which it is possible to appreciate the remarkable decoration on the inside. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3isSGcLUvDAZeree0vr18H7o_COH31Bd68GxMus2G3y_FoA5nrXL8qulO3PqmocbKs1m2pkvZnRm_EVAVhPhIDik9uF0hrkftbr2KYi2uC7HAotLMk056dkogszcbth7DFKzsckrAfe8/s1600/IMG_0515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3isSGcLUvDAZeree0vr18H7o_COH31Bd68GxMus2G3y_FoA5nrXL8qulO3PqmocbKs1m2pkvZnRm_EVAVhPhIDik9uF0hrkftbr2KYi2uC7HAotLMk056dkogszcbth7DFKzsckrAfe8/s400/IMG_0515.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view from the interior of the cruciform chamber, looking North. It is possible to appreciate the three different patterns that form the lower, middle and upper band. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">At a distance of about one mile from the Upper Group and the
cruciform structure, we found the remnants of another ruined palace supported
by massive stone embankments. Inside the courtyard of this second palace we
found the entrance to another tomb, which was also briefly described by
Saville. This is a cruciform structure, measuring some 24 by 22 ft, or about
7.3 by 6.8 meters along its two horizontal arms, built entirely underground of
loose cemented stones covered with a roof of large megalithic flagstones. The
workmanship of this structure, which was most certainly a tomb, appears rather
crude if compared to the other examples of cruciform tombs from Mitla and
Xaaga, and does not share the least similarity with the exquisite finishing of
the cruciform structure in the Upper Group, neither in the use of large
megalithic stones nor in the quality of the decoration. The walls were covered
in plaster and painted bright red and white. Only traces of the original
plastering and paint remain. Of a third megalithic tomb described by Dupaix in
1805 as containing a monolithic stone pillar in the middle and carved mosaic
panels, we could find no trace.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrvYttOfjCEoTv7cIZaDc4Ul6Nvt4BNtr0N926k7oAGK7332kSWf7Vp73wE0D2Y74ipdxamEQgmxIhz6c8sXQpES7t-Z1RdA6FiUpD_4_BGQgl2GBJ2uYV0z7tAMu2Pwo5zVDKd2bnKs/s1600/IMG_0568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrvYttOfjCEoTv7cIZaDc4Ul6Nvt4BNtr0N926k7oAGK7332kSWf7Vp73wE0D2Y74ipdxamEQgmxIhz6c8sXQpES7t-Z1RdA6FiUpD_4_BGQgl2GBJ2uYV0z7tAMu2Pwo5zVDKd2bnKs/s400/IMG_0568.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very narrow entrance to the other small cruciform chamber in the Lower Group of ruins at Guirún <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXCJPKreJuv8vqEf6yQaPv3vb93m57yM69vRByjc5bkfgJuz4Hw5l1rrsRfQ0fGvGKmQ8gPLCUIEK8UxKJp3r33YiUOyVIPmaLnSmMShm2Ad24PTW4dTHoG23hyJdd_GJOayVnMyxuMk/s1600/IMG_0576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioXCJPKreJuv8vqEf6yQaPv3vb93m57yM69vRByjc5bkfgJuz4Hw5l1rrsRfQ0fGvGKmQ8gPLCUIEK8UxKJp3r33YiUOyVIPmaLnSmMShm2Ad24PTW4dTHoG23hyJdd_GJOayVnMyxuMk/s400/IMG_0576.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the interior of the small cruciform chamber in the Lower Group. The roof is formed of enormous megalithic stone slabs, but the general construction appears quite crude. The walls still retain traces of red and white paint. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our attention was then drawn to some of the nearby quarries.
A large prehispanic quarry was first reported by archaeologist Nelly Robles in
1994 at a site known as </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">La Cuadrada</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">,
about one hour from Guirún, containing some 57 worked pieces. Unfortunately,
the limited time available did not allow for a thorough examination of this
site. Most of the stones seem to be of comparable size to some of the largest
stone blocks at Guirún. We explored instead another stone quarry located near
the village of Xaagá, near a rock face known simply as </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">La Peña</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">, where prehistoric rock art is also visible. We found there
one very large stone, possibly a lintel, measuring approximately 4 by 1.5 by
1.25 meters. The approximate weight of the stone would be in the range of 15 to
20 tons. Our guide drew our attention to the fact that most quarries are
located in close proximity to small streams, implying that water was perhaps
employed to facilitate the cutting.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIb9GcRhhAffkdWTEBS4MDu59l4i8dX15ID743l2lY6kdxv1IqEwiuFbARDTAczoHNImLlSUGcIZgrWMCVJz791WpKE6wznZehOofuxwEivr6jUlAPgj1dXE5qir2oSHw6ey5oVozYQyg/s1600/IMG_0588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIb9GcRhhAffkdWTEBS4MDu59l4i8dX15ID743l2lY6kdxv1IqEwiuFbARDTAczoHNImLlSUGcIZgrWMCVJz791WpKE6wznZehOofuxwEivr6jUlAPgj1dXE5qir2oSHw6ey5oVozYQyg/s400/IMG_0588.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the megalithic stone quarry at the site of La Peña, near the village of Xaaga. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoC1ywNCDNeId5YdVESWpO6Ql8pSyll6OajTslp23pfIrf_YS0f6NaOzfPhOnbNfO65b9YsB6o1-G9VmLkG-xFQZ6Iw2WOQmj3F5WU810xTarnB24LvMSZdL7yMQvbko72EhbHWKEgSqA/s1600/IMG_0596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoC1ywNCDNeId5YdVESWpO6Ql8pSyll6OajTslp23pfIrf_YS0f6NaOzfPhOnbNfO65b9YsB6o1-G9VmLkG-xFQZ6Iw2WOQmj3F5WU810xTarnB24LvMSZdL7yMQvbko72EhbHWKEgSqA/s400/IMG_0596.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The largest stone block still lying in the quarry at the site of La Peña, measuring some 4 meters long - most likely an unfinished lintel or pillar. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">We also learnt of one immense stone block lying on a
mountain slope near the village of Unión Zapata, some 2 kilometers to the East
of Mitla. The site is known as Guigosj, meaning “fallen stones”. Archaeologist
Nelly Robles describes at least 6 huge stones “</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">of uncommon size</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">” lying horizontally in the quarry. In her 1994
report, Dr. Robles observed that “</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">at
first, the enormous size and monumentality of the stones made us doubt that
these could have been quarried intentionally; yet the perfection of the cuts
and their geometric shape indicated otherwise</i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> [5].” The largest stone would
have had the enormous dimensions of 12 meters long by 4 meters wide and 2.5
meters high. Assuming a specific weight of the stone between 2.3-2.5 tons per
cubic meter, its weight could be close to 300 tons.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Also in this case, however, time limitations did not allow
us to fully explore the site, which we will leave for a future expedition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8dQdWe4cYQk7UX9o7xbILOQS0t3cZXo93impMA1UddpLDW9-JegLZ_K96PCde3YCKk3ub_yoxBiDCOyACq27KUy2FxhYqx5ueeNaueLy9eK68hgKVIiF_URvZ5WQnBEHAcTIK1u2EfA/s1600/IMG_0547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8dQdWe4cYQk7UX9o7xbILOQS0t3cZXo93impMA1UddpLDW9-JegLZ_K96PCde3YCKk3ub_yoxBiDCOyACq27KUy2FxhYqx5ueeNaueLy9eK68hgKVIiF_URvZ5WQnBEHAcTIK1u2EfA/s400/IMG_0547.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various large stones found abandoned in the vicinity of the cruciform structure in the Upper Group of ruins of Guirún. Note the holes in the back of the large lintel and the curious U-shaped bosses on the other stone block in the foreground - probably another transporation device. <b>[Photo by Author]</b> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Judging from the enormous number of stones still abandoned
in the quarries, and their immense size, it is clear that a colossal building
program in the valley of Tlacolula and Mitla was suddenly interrupted and
remained unfinished. In her 1994 study, Dr. Nelly Robles documented at least
nine major quarries in the area of Mitla alone, containing an estimated 200
megalithic stone blocks in various stages of completion, the majority of which
in the 5-10 tons range. This would be enough to build at least four cruciform
structures like the one at Guirún.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is not clear what circumstances led to the abandonment of
such a colossal building program. When the first Spanish Conquistadors visited
Mitla in the 1520’s, they found the city already in ruins, after the Aztecs had
conquered and sacked it in 1494. Perhaps it was the Aztec conquest that caused
the abandonment of the quarries, or maybe this occurred much earlier. A recent
2019 study found evidence of a massive landslide to the north of Mitla that may
have contributed to the abandonment of the site and the collapse of Zapotec
civilization. The same study also found evidence of what could be buried
pyramids or structures under the landslide, suggesting that the avalanche could
have occurred within historical times [6]. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Another mystery is the technique employed for cutting and
transporting the enormous stone blocks. The stone itself is a type of andesitic
toba, which would have required stone or metal tools for its extraction and
polishing. A further question is posed by the intricate grecques and
ornamentation found on some of the blocks – the finest being those that
decorate the walls of the cruciform structure of Guirún. The perfect right
angles and minute details suggest almost the use of molds, as the design is
always repetitive and perfect, without the slightest error or deviation. One
may also consider the possibility that the stone is in fact a type of
geopolymer and that it was cast into place rather than quarried and
transported. This possibility may only be confirmed by future studies and
analyses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">While this is only a suggestion for now, there is something
in the obsessive repetition of geometric patterns and designs in the palaces of
Mitla and the cruciform structure of Guirún that suggests almost a form of
writing or a mathematical code, whose true meaning may however always escape
us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilW0VJ2sQPGTxqXN8xAB7G0EY2ytCnH_zdqo4BkaamF4gsw2Rjl_6_8mep8MZqkomu5jexad6VrEtPtZJusmiy933P4IwaY5QMg3F6yKxEyUpNTZMo49lyu-xCoz8KDwZz9YYAt1UdJi0/s1600/IMG_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilW0VJ2sQPGTxqXN8xAB7G0EY2ytCnH_zdqo4BkaamF4gsw2Rjl_6_8mep8MZqkomu5jexad6VrEtPtZJusmiy933P4IwaY5QMg3F6yKxEyUpNTZMo49lyu-xCoz8KDwZz9YYAt1UdJi0/s400/IMG_0527.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close-up view of some of the geometric patterns in the interior of the cruciform structure of Guirún. Were these intricate pattners carved or molded on the stone? <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The ruins of the valley of Tlacolula and Mitla represent a
unique example of megalithic architecture displaying a workmanship and a
tendency towards monumentality unknown in the rest of Mesoamerica. These
magnificent structures appear as if out of nowhere, and are the expression of a
tradition of working in stone that had already become extinct long before the
time of the Spanish conquest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">References<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-MX" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[1] Toribio
de Benavente Motolinia (1482-1568), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Historia
de los Indios de la Nueva España<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-MX" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[2] Francisco
de Burgoa, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Geográfica Descripción</i>,
1674<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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[3] Marshall H. Saville, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Cruciform Structures of Mitla and Vicinity</i>, Putnam, 1909<o:p></o:p></div>
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[4] Gary M. Feinman and Lind M. Nicholas, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hilltop Terrace Sites of Oaxaca: Intensive
Surface Survey at Guirún, El Palmillo and the Mitla Fortress</i>, Field Museum
of Natural History, Chicago, 2004<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-MX" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[5] Nelly
M. Robles Garcia, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Las Canteras de Mitla</i>,
Vanderbilt University, 1994, pp. 17-19<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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[6] V. H. Garduño-Monroy, et al., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mitla Landslide: An event that changed the fate of a Mixteco/
Zapoteco Civilization in Mesoamerica</i>, International Journal of Geophysics,
vol. 2019, https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/5438381<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Note:</b> <i>All the pictures on this page are intended for non-commercial use only and may be reproduced on other websites or publications so long as the source is cited. Exploration of the site was conducted with the help of certified guides to ensure the preservation of archaeological remains and the natural environment. </i></div>
<br />Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com0San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Oaxaca, Mexico16.9213244 -96.362505316.8605594 -96.4431863 16.9820894 -96.2818243tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-92045518776891006702019-08-09T19:15:00.000-05:002019-08-09T19:15:19.618-05:00The Lost City of the Eagle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
mysterious Olmec presence in the Mixteca</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: justify;"> Huehuepiaxtla is a small town located in the heart of the Mixteca region, 150 kilometers (100 miles) south of Puebla. Overlooking the town is a huge isolated peak, called by locals ‘</span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: justify;">La Peña</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: justify;">’ – The rock. Tradition has it that the mountain was home to the first inhabitants of the region, who were later turned into stone by the gods.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nV78DzQemOVB8L5A9NHMkwoObILUFzYvLQLI294a4DNouD1_H0PhyphenhyphennzWCg0YSfciotnO4w0uIiEaSSks0qD3Tuyq9xodGpXMNX44w7DehU6-bnBxHCijIZ0eXI1__k8_zaRzGMUZ6Q0/s1600/IMG_7104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nV78DzQemOVB8L5A9NHMkwoObILUFzYvLQLI294a4DNouD1_H0PhyphenhyphennzWCg0YSfciotnO4w0uIiEaSSks0qD3Tuyq9xodGpXMNX44w7DehU6-bnBxHCijIZ0eXI1__k8_zaRzGMUZ6Q0/s400/IMG_7104.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The municipal president of Huehuepiaxtla, Dr. Florencio Dominguez (left) and our guide German (right) near a section of megalithic stone wall decorated with the image of an eagle on the summit of the Great Rock of Huehuepiaxtla<b> [Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
first became interested in this mysterious site after coming across pictures
online of what appeared to be several broken stelas and bas-reliefs </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">[1]</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">. There were also rumors of more
extensive ruins near one of the peaks, including great stone walls and a broken
obelisk. After contacting the local authorities, the municipal president Dr.
Florencio Domínguez was kind enough to arrange for a guide and equipment to
climb the peak and document whatever ruins we might find on top.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Upon
arriving in Huehuepiaxtla, the summit of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peña</i> was still entirely shrouded in the morning mist. After the
necessary preparations, we approached the cliff from the West. The peak now
loomed directly a full 450 meters (1,470 ft) above us and the Rio Mixteco
running below. Luckily, no rain had fallen in the past few days, so the rock
was quite dry. Florencio explained that had it rained the night or the day
before, the rock would have been too slippery to climb. Our guide, German, was
an expert climber and one of very few people in town who know the difficult
trail to the top.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPujOOqarPb7OYRx7W_ibeL9D73DO1eMAJVgg9s7R1wg8ldFSw5cMlsdaMCN54YslG8jtoNC1LuRBC7PwcXRzz9wxcrla9fBfFMcFLlx2MSeSPARFaqxz1WbJibItgvjBtNUut91nsmJg/s1600/IMG_7175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPujOOqarPb7OYRx7W_ibeL9D73DO1eMAJVgg9s7R1wg8ldFSw5cMlsdaMCN54YslG8jtoNC1LuRBC7PwcXRzz9wxcrla9fBfFMcFLlx2MSeSPARFaqxz1WbJibItgvjBtNUut91nsmJg/s400/IMG_7175.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The Great Rock of Huehuepiaxtla, as seen from the Mixtec River running below and around it. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">Already at 10:00 am the temperature was nearly 30°C. Near the base of the cliff, we walked through a large flat area, trapezoidal in shape, which appeared to have been artificially leveled with steep embankments on all sides. Some overgrown mounds on the western side suggested this might have been a ceremonial plaza flanked by pyramids.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">From
there, a small trail led directly to the base of the cliff. Some steps and
ledges had been originally carved in the rock, but these were now very worn.
The path required to go through some very steep sections of exposed bedrock,
which made the climb particularly difficult even in dry weather. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I_XlZYVJmPwOQyMG6rs4DHRvC_6pS3T40J8m3LiKSLgCOzSqpJOHFCo9DEkmBNzthqmfTIAlsi-eN6YjWYpu385PKm8dGkDAs8Ih4OwaNX-9rb_znjf9JgCjf8nAYqqC3rMqUvfWQYo/s1600/IMG_7072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_I_XlZYVJmPwOQyMG6rs4DHRvC_6pS3T40J8m3LiKSLgCOzSqpJOHFCo9DEkmBNzthqmfTIAlsi-eN6YjWYpu385PKm8dGkDAs8Ih4OwaNX-9rb_znjf9JgCjf8nAYqqC3rMqUvfWQYo/s400/IMG_7072.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The steep trail leading up to the summit of the Rock of Huehuepiaxtla. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTlbOKinEa1M1myAhOjKfRoJhNTwd2oartL93ng6AGM9DD3b1fvJBpiCwhFatVUvV8b0VeFhbe20MA57Gquqpcs4Wpo0rvsbn6ZgdsHqysVLKCljoWFacf1KLytk0qZCKfcP7-kIHMAE/s1600/IMG_7062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTlbOKinEa1M1myAhOjKfRoJhNTwd2oartL93ng6AGM9DD3b1fvJBpiCwhFatVUvV8b0VeFhbe20MA57Gquqpcs4Wpo0rvsbn6ZgdsHqysVLKCljoWFacf1KLytk0qZCKfcP7-kIHMAE/s400/IMG_7062.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another section of the difficult trail along the exposed cliff face, overlooking the village of Huehuepiaxtla and the Mixtec River below. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Along
the trail we observed several pieces of obsidian and fragments of pottery.
About half-way up, we passed through a set of terraces with massive stone retaining
walls. The quality of the visible stonework varied, with some sections composed
of huge, finely fitted rectangular stone blocks and others formed of rough
boulders. The stone appeared to be a kind of basalt, which was probably sourced
locally from the slopes of the great rock itself. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1JP872sxToL8UzAdEWS3oRVJnrhtgX-BFKztMKMRyByCmhWqAk_ziE7Mq98PoLRT-J0jnXzA88I84tp3YPINu4VETnIjOwirZPn70Q6rNCWVD2jZSgiyj8bfGuqWfkxtD6eo54E7Zdo/s1600/IMG_7086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1JP872sxToL8UzAdEWS3oRVJnrhtgX-BFKztMKMRyByCmhWqAk_ziE7Mq98PoLRT-J0jnXzA88I84tp3YPINu4VETnIjOwirZPn70Q6rNCWVD2jZSgiyj8bfGuqWfkxtD6eo54E7Zdo/s400/IMG_7086.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Dr. Florencio holding a piece of obsidian, probably a small arrowhead, found along the trail to the summit. Note: No artifact was removed during the exploration, and all pieces were returned to their original location. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUYfgHJ2ERZ5vJpBpNYylPUWv7vL4LleFxxkji-8YIcKCQNMO6_ycoExal_1jxWZYBHMzQIlN07On7ulB1Cdt-4T91qmGZrbZhLngTCqDPem_USIbWMfNQov-nhjGioy3DcfVaNj_WhQ/s1600/IMG_7087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUYfgHJ2ERZ5vJpBpNYylPUWv7vL4LleFxxkji-8YIcKCQNMO6_ycoExal_1jxWZYBHMzQIlN07On7ulB1Cdt-4T91qmGZrbZhLngTCqDPem_USIbWMfNQov-nhjGioy3DcfVaNj_WhQ/s400/IMG_7087.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The handle of a broken ceramic vessel. Note: No artifact was removed during the exploration, and all pieces were returned to their original location. <b>[Photo by Author] </b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAT5UXtq8J7JkfD8MNsWC_UCz9wYj3K-gCMhQH_iWaHrcgp2v3TWg1RLXshQJWbhJynHYRLNJaxE-ZipeJdOapVTP1Ww2ReRbVcT6w_CQOuIs8ZjELu23K50NOGYgRyw1f_Orw6uOiij8/s1600/IMG_7081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAT5UXtq8J7JkfD8MNsWC_UCz9wYj3K-gCMhQH_iWaHrcgp2v3TWg1RLXshQJWbhJynHYRLNJaxE-ZipeJdOapVTP1Ww2ReRbVcT6w_CQOuIs8ZjELu23K50NOGYgRyw1f_Orw6uOiij8/s400/IMG_7081.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A partially exposed section of a megalithic stone wall about half-way towards the summit of the Great Rock. Some of the larger stones in the picture measure up to 3 meters (10 ft) long. The style of construction is reminiscent of Chimalacatlan and Huaxtla, two early Pre-Classic sites in the state of Morelos.<b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur5gvl5Fy7lgH-eWflXkSxwR0pfD2c1Zn0sALV58pT2hS_Dta_WYAO0JsjdKLy-avRn8_f48wIug-LpdS0zZZOBbykapaCAvXMgMf_64BEEx02UId5BGMczgGDa5Fpt3UrPm8QW1F62s/s1600/IMG_7084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur5gvl5Fy7lgH-eWflXkSxwR0pfD2c1Zn0sALV58pT2hS_Dta_WYAO0JsjdKLy-avRn8_f48wIug-LpdS0zZZOBbykapaCAvXMgMf_64BEEx02UId5BGMczgGDa5Fpt3UrPm8QW1F62s/s400/IMG_7084.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A retaining wall formed of large roughly shaped boulders laid without cement. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRv1rxTquemXR2GpeOwdWeHCBB9wzLx4-gAeAoJFP2IQ_oklefQmF0MkbVU9pMmWaXrjqH8hYVAgMCXGm5V30EWNjHsin2lEXYnFQJ4xkWhyphenhyphenG7YzvDAhCS9UHgsGuvZpTx8JpbUPVRJg/s1600/IMG_7085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRv1rxTquemXR2GpeOwdWeHCBB9wzLx4-gAeAoJFP2IQ_oklefQmF0MkbVU9pMmWaXrjqH8hYVAgMCXGm5V30EWNjHsin2lEXYnFQJ4xkWhyphenhyphenG7YzvDAhCS9UHgsGuvZpTx8JpbUPVRJg/s400/IMG_7085.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Some large broken sections of megalithic stone walls, like the one in the picture, suggest the existence of buried monumental structures on this side of the hill. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">After some more climbing, we finally reached the summit at about noon. The summit consists in fact of a small, mostly level plateau or ridge in between two separate peaks, one to the East and the other to the West. This plateau contained extensive remains of ancient constructions and some overgrown mounds. However, the thick vegetation made it impossible to make out but the general outline of most of the structures.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPlUoUNrPfQZLG2FpNn8oC3HlXWV3vYuGbBKNKl-m-Ulg8v8elN4Tk9RgURo6ynzm4fnyOGIre6chQjjWOOtKA2yG9RrREvVzM96u1Q81UEtv3qRu_9beyg8gDranmpk4fpnisq402Og/s1600/IMG_7092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPlUoUNrPfQZLG2FpNn8oC3HlXWV3vYuGbBKNKl-m-Ulg8v8elN4Tk9RgURo6ynzm4fnyOGIre6chQjjWOOtKA2yG9RrREvVzM96u1Q81UEtv3qRu_9beyg8gDranmpk4fpnisq402Og/s400/IMG_7092.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The small cross located on one of the peaks of the Great Rock of Huehuepiaxtla, overlooking the town and the river below. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwfYOEXj4AI_MOiYNI9ZAWoPZsm8hNrlqTRTuEVBXZrZ0ozOlgWzeeB0HDcx-hf00uhw7nLcX5K4i2AuF34r0h3hcH6zAsKwdvCe2EF78PseV9RX1Cpmg7GG1oA0ZWxGjAbu7Gc4KFeI/s1600/IMG_7097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwfYOEXj4AI_MOiYNI9ZAWoPZsm8hNrlqTRTuEVBXZrZ0ozOlgWzeeB0HDcx-hf00uhw7nLcX5K4i2AuF34r0h3hcH6zAsKwdvCe2EF78PseV9RX1Cpmg7GG1oA0ZWxGjAbu7Gc4KFeI/s400/IMG_7097.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A rock ledge overlooking the Mixtec River 450 meters below. Note how the rock appears to have been artificially leveled and cut into steps. Several glyphs and rock carvings can be found in this area. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">Opening our way with machetes through the thick undergrowth we reached the first of the two peaks, where a small cross has been erected that is visible from the town below. From there, it was possible to descend towards a rock ledge directly overlooking the river 450 meters (1,470 ft) below. The ledge appeared to have been artificially leveled and carved into steps or terraces, each just a few meters wide. Various glyphs and symbols were apparently carved on the rock, suggesting that this was in fact a very important point in the sacred geography of the area. Among the glyphs that we could make out were two apparent calendar symbols including the numeral ‘9’ and the figure of an eagle or vulture. The uppermost terrace, where the eagle bas-relief could be seen, was once delimited by a massive megalithic stone wall that emerged directly from the natural bedrock. The joints between the stones looked extremely tight, except for a point where some tree roots had partially dislodged a large vertical block. According to our guide, the peculiar arrangement of the stones around the eagle glyph indicated a hidden passageway. What made the existence of a passage through the rocks very likely was the presence of another bas-relief, depicting a crouching jaguar, which appeared to continue beyond the joint into the wall. From this point, it was also possible to see the entrance of another cave near the base of the cliff. Local traditions speak of vast subterraneans under the Peña. One of these is said to be covered in carvings and mysterious figures, but no entrance to these subterraneans is presently known.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisujH9DoqQm1GTsQmQVGxLmRmTYxzhfYgGav4izy1GTD3k8wuJtD_p40TlBtiZ6sNhfUTUzkelRojCkjWsT4fxFmvn-ur48ueRFJXGTE9eVBUvj87XmNPjtTib7VDGsmHiIGOEEZ9TOi4/s1600/IMG_7101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisujH9DoqQm1GTsQmQVGxLmRmTYxzhfYgGav4izy1GTD3k8wuJtD_p40TlBtiZ6sNhfUTUzkelRojCkjWsT4fxFmvn-ur48ueRFJXGTE9eVBUvj87XmNPjtTib7VDGsmHiIGOEEZ9TOi4/s400/IMG_7101.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A mysterious glyph on one of the rocks near the eagle carving. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUJUZhjcF3zhGmM4fOUHvKvn-yoF3hkUTdjdS89VSqE2RD63Ji5BAxXvDm-LKF4braR7FBfVPdbYxDKTpFCITdUAtxzVK63fNST-Khm3EDV_jRtZSuyJoaZISrxQyokl3G3eDap6M4fY/s1600/IMG_7102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUJUZhjcF3zhGmM4fOUHvKvn-yoF3hkUTdjdS89VSqE2RD63Ji5BAxXvDm-LKF4braR7FBfVPdbYxDKTpFCITdUAtxzVK63fNST-Khm3EDV_jRtZSuyJoaZISrxQyokl3G3eDap6M4fY/s400/IMG_7102.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A section of what appears to be a megalithic stone wall with the carving of an eagle and a calendar glyph with the numeral '9'. Note the peculiar arrangement of the stones to the right of the carving, allegedly concealing the entrance to a subterranean. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KWdnY7e2y71_YcNWXuYpVa_jeNjqrGs4qvpfVY_MKiwKIbExnwj844uqlr24qRTAvghrydbGIvudGg51P-DTpGh6v9__z4zv4NKxOzja6oRMXf-G3yTtpoetGIbcMNwS5e7PSoq4MJw/s1600/IMG_7103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KWdnY7e2y71_YcNWXuYpVa_jeNjqrGs4qvpfVY_MKiwKIbExnwj844uqlr24qRTAvghrydbGIvudGg51P-DTpGh6v9__z4zv4NKxOzja6oRMXf-G3yTtpoetGIbcMNwS5e7PSoq4MJw/s400/IMG_7103.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A close-up view of the eagle glyph on the same rock face. The figure of a jaguar can be faintly made out to the right of it. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICvkZZgQScgN9-amYYcsLqPaIEbI-cpEFf6epoxvcb4tHknz6Iw1uiskv0dXN-Co5H9JED6gK9Dcd7hHnOnXMzgQlb5tAxH_wAX91l3xxlgNOACQnYUF0eJDoInUNREgxkBAlcykxbhw/s1600/IMG_7158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICvkZZgQScgN9-amYYcsLqPaIEbI-cpEFf6epoxvcb4tHknz6Iw1uiskv0dXN-Co5H9JED6gK9Dcd7hHnOnXMzgQlb5tAxH_wAX91l3xxlgNOACQnYUF0eJDoInUNREgxkBAlcykxbhw/s400/IMG_7158.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another glyph near the edge of the rock overlooking the Mixtec River some 450 meters below. The glyph is inscribed inside a circle and is also accompanied by the numeral '9', represented by a bar with four dots. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">From this rock ledge, we continued along a trail overlooking the precipice in the direction of a small plateau separating the two peaks. There, in a small plaza facing an ancient overgrown pyramid lay one of the most fascinating monuments of antiquity in this parts of Mexico. It was a huge fallen stela, some 3 meters (10 ft) long, carved on one side with the image of an undefinable creature. It had slightly open legs, from which emerged what appeared to be a tail. Hands and feet looked like claws, but the creature appeared otherwise humanoid. The head could be that of a bat, with large pointed ears. The presence of clearly marked breasts suggested that the subject represented was a female. It was a unique type of stela, for the deeply embossed relief and the frontal depiction of the main figure. The stela was probably part of a pair that had been once erected in front of the main pyramid. Another fragmentary stela, now in the main square of Axutla, is also said to have been found at Huehuepiaxtla, and shows a very similar iconography. In this latter case, however, the figure depicted looks clearly human, possibly a dancer. The stela of Axutla is also significantly smaller, and the carving much shallower and less precise.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAzA0k7X2pnqc6Y8eF9ZSke9thhllO9ZxRntdjIS4GeVezg8glsiMipj9bp6QySb0UdCvkkJMo1jQZo4X01wzQDC-OuxLaYeOlfq5g5qiE_73zDJfwXYPVw5tgZwAzZELOhGO5CbLqf0/s1600/IMG_7110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAzA0k7X2pnqc6Y8eF9ZSke9thhllO9ZxRntdjIS4GeVezg8glsiMipj9bp6QySb0UdCvkkJMo1jQZo4X01wzQDC-OuxLaYeOlfq5g5qiE_73zDJfwXYPVw5tgZwAzZELOhGO5CbLqf0/s400/IMG_7110.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A large fallen stela in front of the main pyramid on the summit of the Great Rock of Huehuepiaxtla. The figure depicted is vaguely anthropomorphic, with claws in the place of hands and a curious head with pointed ears resembling a bat. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1vq-LneYS_w0EfYm_xLi1RwwlKmcPLJCKB8sD_cR4FsFIhbmR1gALNkq4YzGusDHs5q12RRy9GOmlqW5PCDQr2mSf0bcB9wbb5IqL_DL25hGWliou4S53wtveq2FfZwC2RHyOapxpow/s1600/IMG_7111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1vq-LneYS_w0EfYm_xLi1RwwlKmcPLJCKB8sD_cR4FsFIhbmR1gALNkq4YzGusDHs5q12RRy9GOmlqW5PCDQr2mSf0bcB9wbb5IqL_DL25hGWliou4S53wtveq2FfZwC2RHyOapxpow/s400/IMG_7111.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the same fallen stela with a smaller stone block that may have been its base or an offering table, also near the base of the main pyramid. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitERgGP5lq86W6YAV9Z40-u6njMK1Tq8b2xd5oUxVjhMZo9R8dyBLDAex56UxWOznruSSUYmEwEXlyvE6-BMXe5BbelN_fAFntccq7mZmQlYroJkdy2-sddU0n8-VGnHds1liG_8V5Mug/s1600/IMG_7115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitERgGP5lq86W6YAV9Z40-u6njMK1Tq8b2xd5oUxVjhMZo9R8dyBLDAex56UxWOznruSSUYmEwEXlyvE6-BMXe5BbelN_fAFntccq7mZmQlYroJkdy2-sddU0n8-VGnHds1liG_8V5Mug/s400/IMG_7115.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of what appears to be the main pyramid of the site, with its partially exposed stone core. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">After passing the main pyramid, the trail led in the direction of the second peak. About half-way up towards the summit, we found a pair of strange megalithic arrangements. The first apparently consisted of some huge boulders, each probably weighting 1 ton or more, roughly piled up to form some sort of cairn about 3 meters (10 ft) high. A short distance from this first arrangement was a second one, consisting of even larger basalt columns stacked together as to form a fence. I found the resemblance to the famous Olmec megalithic tomb of La Venta particularly striking, especially for the use of prismatic basalt columns. From there, we entered another small plaza delimited on three sides by a stone wall. The wall had entirely collapsed, but the debris still reached up to 1 meter (3 ft) in height. The purpose of the wall was probably to delimit a sacred precinct in front of another very ruined pyramid that occupied the summit of the second peak. A large hole could be seen where a temple would have stood on top of the pyramid, probably dug by looters in search of treasure. From this vantage point it was possible to see at a distance of some 5 kilometers another giant rock, known as the Peña de Tlaxcuapan, where more ancient ruins are said to exist. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpZTWaFZQTrd0ayJoN-zysJptvUzuwVwov52GjrK1PtlR7BbeVzORCyYJl-nLa5psVSSjJ69wARLMV348wyHEE8_qPOayuczhCwFlBo-qFAiaRJfEVOoZ1W628J0U12S5sWc_dq7sNyI/s1600/IMG_7116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpZTWaFZQTrd0ayJoN-zysJptvUzuwVwov52GjrK1PtlR7BbeVzORCyYJl-nLa5psVSSjJ69wARLMV348wyHEE8_qPOayuczhCwFlBo-qFAiaRJfEVOoZ1W628J0U12S5sWc_dq7sNyI/s400/IMG_7116.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A cairn formed of huge megalithic stone boulders on the summit of the Great Rock of Huehuepiaxtla. It is possible that these stones once formed part of some large fallen structure. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCo1V-XXG3-hyviLRfQg-1zm_2zWgKmfv3HfrFBndKo9FDZLg-3gWtYTXQtTMqHHCQFqtusNTtEnhsFf3sPz1ofLBl7wMRPyVP9b7TAABk0yQj8d37VlygHvlsSR2wooAc8_gOwwaEWac/s1600/IMG_7117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCo1V-XXG3-hyviLRfQg-1zm_2zWgKmfv3HfrFBndKo9FDZLg-3gWtYTXQtTMqHHCQFqtusNTtEnhsFf3sPz1ofLBl7wMRPyVP9b7TAABk0yQj8d37VlygHvlsSR2wooAc8_gOwwaEWac/s400/IMG_7117.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A curious megalithic arrangement consisting of several basalt columns, each up to 3 meters (10 ft) high. This is reminiscent of the famous Olmec tomb of La Venta, probably early Pre-Classic. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGWDO5p5HRL2pOOQCzgClH5HTJchXgtIhCzQ45WNs9VbIvIuqcFiXVHCjIcBlTKtFZniRQDk26C7eczxxyW_tQjgda-CJvvytAQMaSFv7nKEvh2WSpxfNwUPcyF3JYSAFyhy511EmvnI/s1600/IMG_7125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGWDO5p5HRL2pOOQCzgClH5HTJchXgtIhCzQ45WNs9VbIvIuqcFiXVHCjIcBlTKtFZniRQDk26C7eczxxyW_tQjgda-CJvvytAQMaSFv7nKEvh2WSpxfNwUPcyF3JYSAFyhy511EmvnI/s400/IMG_7125.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view of the Rock of Tlaxcuapan from the summit of small pyramid that occupies the second peak of the Great Rock of Huehuepiaxtla. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We
then began a difficult descent along a small overgrown pathway towards a spot
where our guide German claimed a huge broken stela or obelisk could be found.
After a turn, we found ourselves in front of an immense stone wall, formed of
huge megalithic blocks up to 4 meters (13 ft) long, laid in regular courses
without mortar or cement. The wall apparently formed the side of a large stone
platform or terrace, on top of which rose a second platform also lined with
great megalithic stones. The overall impression was one of extraordinary
antiquity. Near the base of the lower platform we found another curious
arrangement of basalt columns, each probably 3 or 4 meters (10-13 ft) long, placed
horizontally as to form a kind of bridge. We could not determine whether the
columns actually formed part of the roof of some buried structure, but this seemed
very likely. A short distance from there we reached the ‘Stone of Sacrifice’.
This was in fact an enormous broken stela, which may have stood up to 6 meters
(20 ft) tall when still erect, but which now lay broken in four parts. The
decoration on the stela betrayed a clear Olmec influence. Although now badly
defaced, it probably depicted a ruler crowned by what appeared to be a very
elaborate headdress.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4KfP8eWJHoYCwMMS3xxc-__g5k9kkciHO_jBiDa9qYSzAqwzVEqD4rSCCdSMiyZW7M9V-W-WkSBFrdtaiLPN7gvjJGBCzRqVFKKEg0IuSY6yJpCsAAutbKq27SKSxw9ZfPX5AEqEyB5M/s1600/IMG_7128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4KfP8eWJHoYCwMMS3xxc-__g5k9kkciHO_jBiDa9qYSzAqwzVEqD4rSCCdSMiyZW7M9V-W-WkSBFrdtaiLPN7gvjJGBCzRqVFKKEg0IuSY6yJpCsAAutbKq27SKSxw9ZfPX5AEqEyB5M/s320/IMG_7128.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A set of huge monolithic basalt columns laid horizontally as to form a sort of bridge, possibly the roof of a tomb. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0_pIB2phJtc6hgQFNheU7x89UmebAIarpWFD1TX8VToiQNY9OF4IxWGIs5lVQwrLp_TMh9r381t43uOV5laPm0zQypeYVKGMOJO-agIwCT-VXGJbc-78jiJzcLxs6foXX6rCZVuqi14/s1600/IMG_7135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0_pIB2phJtc6hgQFNheU7x89UmebAIarpWFD1TX8VToiQNY9OF4IxWGIs5lVQwrLp_TMh9r381t43uOV5laPm0zQypeYVKGMOJO-agIwCT-VXGJbc-78jiJzcLxs6foXX6rCZVuqi14/s400/IMG_7135.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A section of a massive megalithic wall forming the side of a terrace. Some of the stones pictured above measure over 3 meters (10 ft) long, with a weight of several tons. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcinmRXqjLkKrOpzAXVB9Xb7KKYrday372IbawMpy2E5nY2lRHTAJQB_4Ihh1GrQIqSCv51qrqivvxXuwSMQOQoorGRNol_r6jvuwoDqkfvC_6hHWY9yz7R9F73p1AXSLBPsKDyjt5S4/s1600/IMG_7137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcinmRXqjLkKrOpzAXVB9Xb7KKYrday372IbawMpy2E5nY2lRHTAJQB_4Ihh1GrQIqSCv51qrqivvxXuwSMQOQoorGRNol_r6jvuwoDqkfvC_6hHWY9yz7R9F73p1AXSLBPsKDyjt5S4/s400/IMG_7137.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the same megalithic terrace, formed of massive prismatic basalt columns laid in rows without mortar or cement. Probably early Pre-Classic. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNNeCK7nokQuVBVGXFO_oZfFDD74UnuQZvnItef5GKyb4e7lEx2ZnKN9q93D6J-wpyjOC6iuHAJbgyMuLyMkzCV5c2oYzcxBXun1TN8PbxcVvKLYPynRIebWQE164lpvpjxnCTIpuWL8/s1600/IMG_7139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNNeCK7nokQuVBVGXFO_oZfFDD74UnuQZvnItef5GKyb4e7lEx2ZnKN9q93D6J-wpyjOC6iuHAJbgyMuLyMkzCV5c2oYzcxBXun1TN8PbxcVvKLYPynRIebWQE164lpvpjxnCTIpuWL8/s400/IMG_7139.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">More ruined megalithic stone walls, partially covered by vegetation. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6P62dyf6lvU-dYDTywUdllscIh0AsrtiiB6UJw7mE68swO-JHDJJZ-2sh1esm2Sv_zfFjIopHO5Jr7vvSL2GRjTqHT-jaGvyc89M9rsUQ8Y8lzJkji4QxWUxkn7sHoy2aaeRAAvvhAY/s1600/IMG_7144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm6P62dyf6lvU-dYDTywUdllscIh0AsrtiiB6UJw7mE68swO-JHDJJZ-2sh1esm2Sv_zfFjIopHO5Jr7vvSL2GRjTqHT-jaGvyc89M9rsUQ8Y8lzJkji4QxWUxkn7sHoy2aaeRAAvvhAY/s320/IMG_7144.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view of some other megalithic structures on the upper terrace, also built of huge blocks of prismatic basalt laid without mortar or cement. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9FyfsOPqUbl2GUCqAK4IGjniDOZlDhuGIpgApdYLVhwsNHgtj0covQKIgk1bAUBi8EzCrC5LpYNuinNQCmDvIEjSVh2A64QKU8k9xF7kf_6JBULQ2s5_-9xXZ1IGKc0C2Pupx96tGdA/s1600/IMG_7153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9FyfsOPqUbl2GUCqAK4IGjniDOZlDhuGIpgApdYLVhwsNHgtj0covQKIgk1bAUBi8EzCrC5LpYNuinNQCmDvIEjSVh2A64QKU8k9xF7kf_6JBULQ2s5_-9xXZ1IGKc0C2Pupx96tGdA/s400/IMG_7153.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The great broken stela known as the 'Stone of Sacrifice' at the base of the lower terrace. The fragment on the left shows a badly eroded head and torso, while the larger fragment on the right contains part of an elaborate headdress. The style of the sculpture is typically Olmec. When erect, the stela (now broken in at least four pieces) would have stood at least 6 meters (21 ft) tall. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">More Olmec-style carvings could be found near the base of the </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Peña</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">. These appeared to have also been part of another large broken stela. A glyph accompanied by the numeral ‘4’ could be seen on one of the fragments.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUd2dhcE1FiSIf-gAt7U3pXbVzoGCLb_f9JUTcq4fjnuXvKSxYGSHBhDLZEI7TwecGctLmnasDFGqZDelSxdx2ppxNZYlgTutX-805vmW1VspV8aTYACGUBX5FTccUHJ1G5ofZv2XbugU/s1600/IMG_7168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUd2dhcE1FiSIf-gAt7U3pXbVzoGCLb_f9JUTcq4fjnuXvKSxYGSHBhDLZEI7TwecGctLmnasDFGqZDelSxdx2ppxNZYlgTutX-805vmW1VspV8aTYACGUBX5FTccUHJ1G5ofZv2XbugU/s400/IMG_7168.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Fragments of a large broken stela found near the base of the Rock of Huehuepiaxtla. A glyph with the numeral '4' can be clearly made out in the center of the picture. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6tVamtJwu3NJjYNFvVWdIWDUUQoiKCJXDHu6KFzU2FMJUOEcljtdBTm0y3KcjcGw50MHluMb0l-SQmucBGEKKBcRmq0twJq42c3zj4jPi7W4cQJCmUtG2CgMS0T3abchYyKY6nWNC3I/s1600/IMG_7167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6tVamtJwu3NJjYNFvVWdIWDUUQoiKCJXDHu6KFzU2FMJUOEcljtdBTm0y3KcjcGw50MHluMb0l-SQmucBGEKKBcRmq0twJq42c3zj4jPi7W4cQJCmUtG2CgMS0T3abchYyKY6nWNC3I/s400/IMG_7167.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">More fragments of the same broken stela, with apparently Olmec carvings. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">The
rock of Huehuepiaxtla was certainly a very important site in ancient times, and
it is a pity that so little is known about it. Everything suggests that this
was a major ceremonial center in the Pre-Classic period, probably as early as
1,000 B.C., and may be related to the other Olmec sites in the region, at
Chalcatzingo, Chimalacatlan, Huaxtla, Teopantecuanitlán and Juxtlahuaca.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
possibility of a connection between these sites is further suggested by the
fact that a line drawn through Chimalacatlán and Huaxtla (<i>as described
in a previous article</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">[2]</b>) leads
directly to the rock of Huehuepiaxtla. A continuation of the same line crosses
the nearby rock of Tlaxcuapan and ends at Apoala. This alignment of five sites,
all displaying unusual megalithic architecture, appears to be hardly
coincidental. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It
is only to be hoped that the Mexican Institute of History and Anthropology
(INAH) also gathers an interest in this now forgotten site and helps
preserve it from looting for the benefit of future generations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz_21VfBpBC_GWGiTP7E_5LrQsrYnJeaT0Tfct0rDN50e9q5pCwExSrH1TT1mJr3Nwr1GP02X9kpsjNn0FwvL47M0fowFPfOve6GACWylyoGeBQ5i-KqBPyRZeygeyWMsISHerviQs1w/s1600/IMG_7057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz_21VfBpBC_GWGiTP7E_5LrQsrYnJeaT0Tfct0rDN50e9q5pCwExSrH1TT1mJr3Nwr1GP02X9kpsjNn0FwvL47M0fowFPfOve6GACWylyoGeBQ5i-KqBPyRZeygeyWMsISHerviQs1w/s400/IMG_7057.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A herd bathing in the Mixtec River, at the base of the Great Rock of Huehuepiaxtla. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GGbkBBJBpM8NxqniE687qeyudVMVekF3fb_oj8AzXWuLVY6LsyML-2mxt3QDENcvMf_5Fe0x77WPk0a52Y9RFun6CMkztFXT8GBuKwo1kzmkl6c3xRi411yZ-CnC5VZpOrclX9EMpVo/s1600/IMG_7180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7GGbkBBJBpM8NxqniE687qeyudVMVekF3fb_oj8AzXWuLVY6LsyML-2mxt3QDENcvMf_5Fe0x77WPk0a52Y9RFun6CMkztFXT8GBuKwo1kzmkl6c3xRi411yZ-CnC5VZpOrclX9EMpVo/s400/IMG_7180.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the Rock of Huehuepiaxtla, standing in monumental isolation in the hilly landscape of the Mixteca. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMoBh7p92rUJy_uwwUPTDqZa_gyWlgUHA5zMhjpKefGKmCw3G2Egrd2iHZry2jToVMx-wA2U4zjI9y3KtgQzQFWguZyQp4GWZBXi0sJO2KYi6ZXwVXLX3OJ1Z75xkKuWsSdHPhIe0Kj8/s1600/IMG_7182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyMoBh7p92rUJy_uwwUPTDqZa_gyWlgUHA5zMhjpKefGKmCw3G2Egrd2iHZry2jToVMx-wA2U4zjI9y3KtgQzQFWguZyQp4GWZBXi0sJO2KYi6ZXwVXLX3OJ1Z75xkKuWsSdHPhIe0Kj8/s400/IMG_7182.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Part of a broken stela, allegedly from Huehuepiaxtla, found in the main square of the town of Axutla. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72fVjYAiqWZ0rq1lVwx_NThQ5hA40rY4mxIc87JWng2ZZnDfeVoK7tHhM0X2PYTkAlJVL1cH_t67WJ44nWylFHJ-FAnDcu9_1Wwr2O36Y5r6elOA71J-ioVVZOnW0qeO7vWwkQV_8E7c/s1600/IMG_7183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72fVjYAiqWZ0rq1lVwx_NThQ5hA40rY4mxIc87JWng2ZZnDfeVoK7tHhM0X2PYTkAlJVL1cH_t67WJ44nWylFHJ-FAnDcu9_1Wwr2O36Y5r6elOA71J-ioVVZOnW0qeO7vWwkQV_8E7c/s400/IMG_7183.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another stone fragment in the main square of Axutla, possibly from the same stela. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">References</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately,
no bibliography could be found concerning Huehuepiaxtla and its ruins, as the
site is presently unpublished and no mention of it exists in academic literature. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">[1] <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Gran Peña, origen de mitos y leyendas en la Mixteca poblana y
oaxaqueña</i></span></b><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;">, in
MunicipiosPuebla.mx, December 22, 2013 – On-line resource: </span><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;"><a href="http://municipiospuebla.mx/nota/2013-12-22/acatl%C3%A1n-de-osorio/la-gran-pe%C3%B1a-origen-de-mitos-y-leyendas-en-la-mixteca-poblana-y">http://municipiospuebla.mx/nota/2013-12-22/acatl%C3%A1n-de-osorio/la-gran-pe%C3%B1a-origen-de-mitos-y-leyendas-en-la-mixteca-poblana-y</a></span></span><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Marco M. Vigato, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tamoanchan,
in Search of the Lost Cradle of Mesoamerican Civilizations</i></b>, in Ancient
Origins, February 9, 2019 – On-line resource:</span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/tamoanchan-0011452">https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/tamoanchan-0011452</a></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also
on this blog: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Location of the Mesoamerican ‘Hall of Records’ at Chalcatzingo</i></b>:
</span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-location-of-mesoamerican-hall-of.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-location-of-mesoamerican-hall-of.html</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
- Note the striking similarity between the profile of the rock of Chalcatzingo
and the Peña of Huehuepiaxtla, as if to suggest that these may have in fact
been sister sites belonging to the same culture</span></div>
</div>
Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com2Huehuepiaxtla, Puebla, Mexico18.1539378 -98.38690209999998618.1388493 -98.407072099999979 18.169026300000002 -98.3667321tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-80518739748939443712019-04-05T19:02:00.003-06:002019-04-05T19:02:21.970-06:00Ancient high-technology in the National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYRgj2ZqlduTQtJ6AM_huU07otwaH9B8ETVvrSNiQnHxSarUxCFHYQpo616mixv0b01-ujd5TTAeyzHkWDWO2KtnEyPnozkDXjes9hSSTuZDlx1GsbasedC3KjKxoN0Mr4aMY-eBuRg0/s1600/389713_3891743090398_1278960775_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="960" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYRgj2ZqlduTQtJ6AM_huU07otwaH9B8ETVvrSNiQnHxSarUxCFHYQpo616mixv0b01-ujd5TTAeyzHkWDWO2KtnEyPnozkDXjes9hSSTuZDlx1GsbasedC3KjKxoN0Mr4aMY-eBuRg0/s400/389713_3891743090398_1278960775_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The National Museum of Anthropology in downtown Mexico City <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">
<span style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">The National Museum of Anthropology
in Mexico City hosts one of the largest collections of archaeological artefacts
and pre-Columbian masterpieces in the world. Among those, are a number of
pieces, some extremely famous, others entirely neglected by tourists, that
exhibit a level of technical sophistication far beyond the capabilities of the
ancient peoples who supposedly realized them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">1. The Aztec Calendar
stone<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9penaIk7_eborwXenBMX3e8ghAKP-_jdwio1Hnua2zKrOloOVKs9H6PCB26xQPxv5A-eT72TYhq7e5dIwkDTkF7I1_7fPKdu34VLMxP2S2cEoSr5ACaX9MmSZovvfPp78PAJiTCxOzQ/s1600/IMG_1123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9penaIk7_eborwXenBMX3e8ghAKP-_jdwio1Hnua2zKrOloOVKs9H6PCB26xQPxv5A-eT72TYhq7e5dIwkDTkF7I1_7fPKdu34VLMxP2S2cEoSr5ACaX9MmSZovvfPp78PAJiTCxOzQ/s400/IMG_1123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Aztec Calendar stone - This 24-ton monolith was discovered in 1790 in what is today the great Cathedral Square of Mexico City, near the Aztec Templo Mayor <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">This enormous monolith, weighting an
estimated 24 tons, was discovered under the ruins of the </span><i style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">Templo Mayor</i><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">, the greatest temple of the Aztec capital city of
Tenochtitlan. The enormous stone must have been dragged by thousands of peoples from quarries located at a distance of over 22 kilometers. It contains three
rings or calendar wheels surrounding a central disk containing a depiction of
the present Sun and of the four previous Eras or Suns, which ended in cataclysms. The
first ring contains 20 glyphs corresponding to the days of the 18 months’ Aztec
calendar. A second ring is similarly divided into squares, each containing 5
points, while the outermost ring contains the depiction of entwined fire
serpents and more calendrical symbols. With its complicated symbolism and
concentric rings or gears, the Aztec Calendar stone appears eerily similar to
the petrified version of a mechanical device.</span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;"> </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcQIpppeZtmNwL_ICG4pzCoSmAxG1I4DT9NtTCVJOfrHZVu4z-0OuyekTz_WNVSQcCGExIN9MKkElXY49PSi9Ov80Kz0dLGqnKCD_5G4VA5rBc3K4d1Pp4iikBuB84hJXOO4rPsqrZUA/s1600/IMGP0597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcQIpppeZtmNwL_ICG4pzCoSmAxG1I4DT9NtTCVJOfrHZVu4z-0OuyekTz_WNVSQcCGExIN9MKkElXY49PSi9Ov80Kz0dLGqnKCD_5G4VA5rBc3K4d1Pp4iikBuB84hJXOO4rPsqrZUA/s400/IMGP0597.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another bas-relief displaying a circular object (probably a shield) resembling the calendar stone. Was this curious design based on an ancient mechanical device? <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;"><span lang="EN-US">2. The monolith of
Coatlinchán</span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvnJYuo0Q-F76twM6DsQdzpe5vurq-6NAK-lb403pYRsJsR1fT38s9-xkTLdQT4vAIPibEpbif2tcfI2df4uSmDeYIsyKOX_1Pdv_pMiII8gkdlZMvHiKxYgVGz-RegoDKAsdxTSfEaw/s1600/IMGP4267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvnJYuo0Q-F76twM6DsQdzpe5vurq-6NAK-lb403pYRsJsR1fT38s9-xkTLdQT4vAIPibEpbif2tcfI2df4uSmDeYIsyKOX_1Pdv_pMiII8gkdlZMvHiKxYgVGz-RegoDKAsdxTSfEaw/s400/IMGP4267.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The giant monolith of Coatlinchan, as it stands on a fountain outside of Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">The monolith of Coatlinchán is a
colossal ancient statue that for centuries lay abandoned in an andesite quarry
near the ancient city of Texcoco, before it was finally moved to Mexico City in
1964. The same andesite quarry is also believed to have provided much of the
construction materials for the stone sculptures and megalithic architecture of
Teotihuacan, some 25 miles to the North-East of Mexico City. It is believed
that the monolith of Coatlinchán is a representation of the Rain-god Tlaloc. It
is nearly 7 meters high and weighs an estimated 152 tons, making it the largest
ancient statue and one of the largest carved monoliths in all the American
continent. The monolith now decorates a fountain in front of the National
Museum of Anthropology in downtown Mexico City.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>3. Colossal Aztec
sculptures</b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_C5SgC6XWjfDJ76ij7PNC6ICe8ePzZwdbaiZ7nj9en21wnKk0ql1fu7LshYFGBiZ1csIoxOb_n42GxC8r7z6cW21RyCT5kkPrfMlvcMGb-kPmGZaLHAwdmDyFmwFgYlGioTv-YDL7scw/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_C5SgC6XWjfDJ76ij7PNC6ICe8ePzZwdbaiZ7nj9en21wnKk0ql1fu7LshYFGBiZ1csIoxOb_n42GxC8r7z6cW21RyCT5kkPrfMlvcMGb-kPmGZaLHAwdmDyFmwFgYlGioTv-YDL7scw/s400/IMG_1160.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An enormous serpent head carved out of a single block of andesite - It is believed to be a depiction of the 'Fire Serpent' and would have once adorned the sacred precinct of the Templo Mayor. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">The Aztec room of the National
Museum of Anthropology contains a number of colossal Aztec sculptures that once
adorned the area of the </span><i style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">Templo Mayor</i><span style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">.
Some of the most impressive ones include a giant crouching jaguar, depictions
of the fire serpent or </span><i style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">Tochancalqui</i><span style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">,
and some enormous serpent heads. The Coatlique statue is a particularly
striking piece of sculpture depicting the ancient Aztec goddess of snakes,
wearing a gown of entwined serpents and a necklace of severed human heads and
hearts. From her decapitated head, two great serpents spring out. These
statues, each weighting many tons, were carved from the hardest basalt and andesite stone by a
people that had allegedly no knowledge of metal tools, and may be ranked among
the finest and most striking pieces of sculpture anywhere on earth.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYeJl30r4FRqkIgnSw9Yfcl-iFMJQKsi4R3XYV3F9v1bwexdDM3o25MvaoggWuziprd5ZwPdrtOGBGtUjYqk5On2nHntqJJXTOmwM0b-PIHlLQLCmjt9y_tOj-tn1NlV7CaY_B-lRH6E/s1600/IMGP4160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYeJl30r4FRqkIgnSw9Yfcl-iFMJQKsi4R3XYV3F9v1bwexdDM3o25MvaoggWuziprd5ZwPdrtOGBGtUjYqk5On2nHntqJJXTOmwM0b-PIHlLQLCmjt9y_tOj-tn1NlV7CaY_B-lRH6E/s400/IMGP4160.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Coatlique statue, also carved from a single block of andesite measuring 2.7 meters (8.9 ft) tall. It was considered so terrifying that soon after its discovery in 1790 it was quickly reburied on fear that it would encourage the return of bloody rituals and necromantic practices. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">4. Teotihuacan’s
‘Goddess of Water’<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYz8aD4cdK0ZfOozf04fWApGtSE89EsVKd4JpR6Vmgmu6aq8-xtf7f2ggqNZd_aST64ZBm025hIxzhgAHy73RVXehwr70mzW3d325SRJs-ZUMEoewJEzAfkwapwfHO3mTqwfndPq95RM/s1600/IMG_1140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYz8aD4cdK0ZfOozf04fWApGtSE89EsVKd4JpR6Vmgmu6aq8-xtf7f2ggqNZd_aST64ZBm025hIxzhgAHy73RVXehwr70mzW3d325SRJs-ZUMEoewJEzAfkwapwfHO3mTqwfndPq95RM/s400/IMG_1140.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This statue of the 'Water Goddess' or 'Great Goddess' of Teotihuacan was found near the base of the Pyramid of the Moon. It was probably part of a pair that decorated a large, monumental temple on top. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">This enormous statue popularly known
as the ‘Goddess of Water’ was found at Teotihuacan, near the base of the
Pyramid of the Moon. The huge andesite statue is over 3.2 meters (10 ft) tall
and weighs an estimated 15 tons. It is stylistically similar to the great monolith
of Coatlinchán and may have originally formed part of a pair of statues decorating a temple on top of the Pyramid of the Moon.</span><div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbIzHgsFshYd2QXGsf6FVVIxW0HVpqfGSkGZNWVOuGwnhTHPyppjtPXG_Lqb1Y9Ukref0LbmH9LnbtkykHYDGD7PrJLX42rFJMgp8ZluGK-qCo3UrWEP2BwZHGBEvz2CpS1_NJy5AW94/s1600/IMGP0568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbIzHgsFshYd2QXGsf6FVVIxW0HVpqfGSkGZNWVOuGwnhTHPyppjtPXG_Lqb1Y9Ukref0LbmH9LnbtkykHYDGD7PrJLX42rFJMgp8ZluGK-qCo3UrWEP2BwZHGBEvz2CpS1_NJy5AW94/s400/IMGP0568.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This group of sculptures, which once decorated the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, is a fine example of the great mastery achieved by the builders of Teotihuacan in working with hard stones like andesite. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 47.2px;"><span lang="EN-US">5. Colossal Olmec
stone heads</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6RzK6VMeU3gNmSg0r0jNsOXH9p6CWNySe73L96bLVHcGIJoOQNJXJOkM1beMtJUOUZ3SeTuzRzYI7sKwRC4nMJPL5h8lrhtPBfk8JVUEYJ75fw_lsmtGfHd7wa8NhAArfH3198xmp2c/s1600/IMG_4868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6RzK6VMeU3gNmSg0r0jNsOXH9p6CWNySe73L96bLVHcGIJoOQNJXJOkM1beMtJUOUZ3SeTuzRzYI7sKwRC4nMJPL5h8lrhtPBfk8JVUEYJ75fw_lsmtGfHd7wa8NhAArfH3198xmp2c/s400/IMG_4868.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A colossal stone head in the Olmec room of Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology. Notice the negroid features and what appear to be en elaborate helmet covering the head. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">Over 20 colossal Olmec stone heads
are known, most of which from the Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco. The
two examples that are found in Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology
come from the ancient Olmec capital of San Lorenzo, Veracruz. Other than for
their enormous size (each weighs between 8 and 12 tons), these sculptures are
remarkable for their ornate headdresses and negroid features, with slanting,
deep-set eyes and high cheek bones, suggesting they may depict individuals of a
race different from that of the present inhabitants.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6KXCIclP075M7rkF_GXC7pFnATZ_I3oXpK6GAmNWaNx6fRkwznEkJrNIkCSjmN2vi8kNQ0Fbk_AOWRVKX7uu7nnT-qDlPprCSA7GB97jfSnXoaXgO6KTgIhGvcN6V04aSwDGkXH9B1g/s1600/IMG_4869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6KXCIclP075M7rkF_GXC7pFnATZ_I3oXpK6GAmNWaNx6fRkwznEkJrNIkCSjmN2vi8kNQ0Fbk_AOWRVKX7uu7nnT-qDlPprCSA7GB97jfSnXoaXgO6KTgIhGvcN6V04aSwDGkXH9B1g/s400/IMG_4869.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More examples of Olmec sculpture - This life-sized statue of a wrestler is notable for the presence of a beard and the highly naturalistic pose. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ979tYKb93c-tcK-RzeiyNmYp6CY8NQXpoN6vZ1TmuvVa9eLgz7y0zzuWVJ1f5367rBnCnGMly1jx_v4kuStDekani6e6MZsFmfN6TYf7OL5iwP8HSI-QP5WmolnTNUQ8JZXdq3E4PFY/s400/IMG_4872.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monolith n.20 from La Venta, dated to 1,200-800 B.C., contains one of the earliest depictions of the Feathered Serpent and the Myth of Quetzalcoatl. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;"><span lang="EN-US">6. Drilled alabaster
vases</span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ979tYKb93c-tcK-RzeiyNmYp6CY8NQXpoN6vZ1TmuvVa9eLgz7y0zzuWVJ1f5367rBnCnGMly1jx_v4kuStDekani6e6MZsFmfN6TYf7OL5iwP8HSI-QP5WmolnTNUQ8JZXdq3E4PFY/s1600/IMG_4872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQwu4jo9XUohpwiCCsua_BdnT0HyMizHWr97RdjiClIysTl3f6RImHT8vpj0UJvnohVIhg-qDEBdprv37N5q5Mdol_VyaAEI7cLvs6DY2q_1K70joFYy48IiE5hWhyphenhyphenDAFcnU5yTQLMSE/s1600/IMG_1119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQwu4jo9XUohpwiCCsua_BdnT0HyMizHWr97RdjiClIysTl3f6RImHT8vpj0UJvnohVIhg-qDEBdprv37N5q5Mdol_VyaAEI7cLvs6DY2q_1K70joFYy48IiE5hWhyphenhyphenDAFcnU5yTQLMSE/s400/IMG_1119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An exceptionally drilled alabaster vase. Found in the ancient Toltec capital of Tula, Hidalgo, this unfinished vase shows clear evidence of the use of a tubular drill for carving its interior and hollowing out material. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pLQBwgdvXsI5Y9gd26WYUsPyyMgUzeiU0WkLJ0kbIfdRpNUpn294Ev6LSuENB_WyLD_dmLL8LwpkSLR_cHXLgrcCMTaM3f4UL1Lx8scKeVdUXT9nyi4s5SDmAi3SmKbQhuBMPeKn2iM/s1600/IMG_1121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pLQBwgdvXsI5Y9gd26WYUsPyyMgUzeiU0WkLJ0kbIfdRpNUpn294Ev6LSuENB_WyLD_dmLL8LwpkSLR_cHXLgrcCMTaM3f4UL1Lx8scKeVdUXT9nyi4s5SDmAi3SmKbQhuBMPeKn2iM/s400/IMG_1121.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the same vase - Note the perfect elliptical shape and the evidence of drilling in the interior. It is inconceivable that such an object could have been manufactured without the use of the lathe and of sophisticated metal tools and abrasives.<b> [Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">A unique example of a drilled
alabaster stone vase can be found in the Tula room. Discovered in Tula,
Hidalgo, this unfinished vessel was carved with the aid of a tubular drill that
left peculiar drill marks on the inside. There is no explanation as to how this
was achieved by a people that supposedly ignored the use of metals but the
material used (a very fine kind of alabaster) and the general workmanship are reminiscent
of the finest early Dynastic Egyptian stone vessels.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghSeonhQUGyeNtynqQEYIVoLMc8qLoAXrtx-zbBFjJwFSBdQYHmSxgoOvvWZ3rHUBdCfYgLxt1grZoA_FQzfdg58D4GEJd6DXsBOmLir0hVxRW_ubMHq54b4Y5fUd7pdQC6oRDetoy_0/s1600/IMGP0673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgghSeonhQUGyeNtynqQEYIVoLMc8qLoAXrtx-zbBFjJwFSBdQYHmSxgoOvvWZ3rHUBdCfYgLxt1grZoA_FQzfdg58D4GEJd6DXsBOmLir0hVxRW_ubMHq54b4Y5fUd7pdQC6oRDetoy_0/s400/IMGP0673.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another example of a drilled alabaster vessel from the Olmec culture, with a lizard sculptured on the outside. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafFXONTaoT5BwnMnyzuwiMcSK9Vjp6gKttJakmgndW8P3mpQpCbQ4E9w35EnECgBvSxpGG9jUZEDd1348C-009wZHSrXt0dywiWv7aBjhhDzPLQeF2XgUITSyTF7-INFGcjjqt7d6ErQ/s400/IMGP5854.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="265" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another drilled alabaster vessel from the Maya region. Its decoration is strangely reminiscent of the early Chinese bronzes of the Xia and Shang Dynasty. <b>[Photo by Author] </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;"><span lang="EN-US">7. The ‘Monkey Vase’
of Texcoco</span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgafFXONTaoT5BwnMnyzuwiMcSK9Vjp6gKttJakmgndW8P3mpQpCbQ4E9w35EnECgBvSxpGG9jUZEDd1348C-009wZHSrXt0dywiWv7aBjhhDzPLQeF2XgUITSyTF7-INFGcjjqt7d6ErQ/s1600/IMGP5854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyR0rP03bHYGUuba5TXzT_XeFY7v8Aku-3pdZHBVPFPKeDiy9u2WKLkr_-7iBZm4n-0mpUFkYYVepOSjM5rgX3PQimfUO2yqVMcQAkvc6b7fEH376kLgd4pZAu94Ibvr9BcAW9Hg218FI/s1600/IMG_1158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyR0rP03bHYGUuba5TXzT_XeFY7v8Aku-3pdZHBVPFPKeDiy9u2WKLkr_-7iBZm4n-0mpUFkYYVepOSjM5rgX3PQimfUO2yqVMcQAkvc6b7fEH376kLgd4pZAu94Ibvr9BcAW9Hg218FI/s320/IMG_1158.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous 'Monkey Vase' from Texcoco, a masterpiece of ancient obsidian stonework and one of the most valuable artifacts in Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology. <b>[Photo by Author] </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">This small obsidian jar is perhaps
one of the most exquisite objects in Mexico City’s National Museum of
Anthropology. Made of a single piece of obsidian, it depicts a monkey holding
its tail above its head as a kind of handle. It is not known by what means the
hard obsidian (a type of black volcanic glass) was finished to achieve a
perfect mirror polish without breaking it, nor how it was so precisely carved on
the inside with walls just a few millimeters thick. The vessel was discovered
in 1880 inside a tomb near the ancient city of Texcoco, but nearly nothing else is known of its provenance.</span><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sqWFH8BhoaL0YJcLpvxyLe9WI9J3XqnLcfQdVy_DZ7i8GzXvv20yfJOFraNnHLv_hhv7-inXkaUWEsd7xMK67gG1m2PLvLkKD_GvHBrhRmL_kCltHQ0CEpbPRG6TmfB0gPdPmUXcQqM/s1600/IMG_1157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7sqWFH8BhoaL0YJcLpvxyLe9WI9J3XqnLcfQdVy_DZ7i8GzXvv20yfJOFraNnHLv_hhv7-inXkaUWEsd7xMK67gG1m2PLvLkKD_GvHBrhRmL_kCltHQ0CEpbPRG6TmfB0gPdPmUXcQqM/s320/IMG_1157.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the same vessel, from the front. The quality of the polish and finesse of the carvings is astonishing. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTByrpIZtn8mF5i81IZo2FQZs5U0CvMrIZXFMvA_SrgTgJcaooaWMTKCd_rl145oQfNrgrzpeP5wSmThej85npmL9onBV8gc5DFSNAelqIiP0Hebo1J81LnKRgPQIg6m-BfhAwvifhDWo/s1600/IMG_1159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTByrpIZtn8mF5i81IZo2FQZs5U0CvMrIZXFMvA_SrgTgJcaooaWMTKCd_rl145oQfNrgrzpeP5wSmThej85npmL9onBV8gc5DFSNAelqIiP0Hebo1J81LnKRgPQIg6m-BfhAwvifhDWo/s320/IMG_1159.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the same 'Monkey Vase' of Texcoco. The perfect geometry of the vase and the quality of its mirror-like polish can be appreciated from every side. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;"><span lang="EN-US">8. Incredible obsidian
and rock-crystal objects</span></b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2M-makIxDJ7QYcnR-DGrJ8w7kKm7-O9mDSZ8N4g7tHibgch1vUdqKPU5fe6TKvHcGMru941eohaEry6Yml-i1PtRwUrgWSn3D1mvO8gq2ohp2RPV5J23VA3SM3cOgYa9dMFybc2PJfM/s1600/IMG_1128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2M-makIxDJ7QYcnR-DGrJ8w7kKm7-O9mDSZ8N4g7tHibgch1vUdqKPU5fe6TKvHcGMru941eohaEry6Yml-i1PtRwUrgWSn3D1mvO8gq2ohp2RPV5J23VA3SM3cOgYa9dMFybc2PJfM/s400/IMG_1128.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A set of remarkable obsidian ear spools, believed to be of Azted manufacture. The thickness of the walls is less than 1 mm, making each disc look almost transparent. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-indent: 35.4pt;">Similar to the Monkey Vase of
Texcoco, but on a smaller scale, these ear spools and pendants are also made of
obsidian. They are carved to a perfect mirror-like polish, with walls so thin
as to be almost transparent. Other examples are known from rock crystal and
other extremely hard stones. It is a mystery how this level of workmanship was
achieved without the aid of sophisticated metal tools by a people who allegedly
ignored even the use of the lathe.</span><span style="text-indent: 35.4pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">9. Polished basalt
statues<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVU-Lgf5KD2nu2QlGbo4C3bJUuQJPD56fXH2HWxfudkjX46Oxs4jpgzbdptKG2sxybMNkj27KFg1S81wyDMNFhDOlqjqDo078O07OWQiVd2hQT91jkI4IOabt9piqzr4iNJ-KhLzndHQ/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVU-Lgf5KD2nu2QlGbo4C3bJUuQJPD56fXH2HWxfudkjX46Oxs4jpgzbdptKG2sxybMNkj27KFg1S81wyDMNFhDOlqjqDo078O07OWQiVd2hQT91jkI4IOabt9piqzr4iNJ-KhLzndHQ/s400/IMG_1125.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A polished basalt snake, also believed to be of Aztec manufacture. The stone has been polished to a perfect mirror-like finish. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The same level of mirror-like finish that is
found on the smallest obsidian and jade objects can also be found on some
larger basalt statues, like a number of magnificent coiled serpents. These
works of art are not only striking for their extremely accurate workmanship,
but also for their precise geometry that is almost suggestive of the use of
machines or other unknown mechanical methods for cutting and shaping the stone.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0tKKAbOOooJMq1EG8tU-_fnZDUnxt-eN0RGut9eCS7bQucJSXO7BRsNJ1oL-T7RC1OOsXBTeQhNchljUZNpBbjE3F6z5YDByp8NghB0sBZIqmUIIuvnT-7fi4xPEkd2H1iBPn8tL5lw/s1600/IMG_1127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0tKKAbOOooJMq1EG8tU-_fnZDUnxt-eN0RGut9eCS7bQucJSXO7BRsNJ1oL-T7RC1OOsXBTeQhNchljUZNpBbjE3F6z5YDByp8NghB0sBZIqmUIIuvnT-7fi4xPEkd2H1iBPn8tL5lw/s400/IMG_1127.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detail of another coiled snake sculpture, from below. Note the perfect geometry of the scales and the spiral-form of the sculpture, which makes it rank among the finest artworks of all times. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">10. The <i>Codex Boturini</i></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdMjMzPrD9w9R7nYXQy5-07QG8zwTV27Mz2vLrr57UOV4UoPK68B6CzgvGKzqxaEHVKOMzQVwykEAhbuxNemZq8BZe8liIOW7nOJBu8GpwmEVVaW2Vo_D_DtN9YBUPJY4UlS3QEn29mM/s1600/IMGP5897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdMjMzPrD9w9R7nYXQy5-07QG8zwTV27Mz2vLrr57UOV4UoPK68B6CzgvGKzqxaEHVKOMzQVwykEAhbuxNemZq8BZe8liIOW7nOJBu8GpwmEVVaW2Vo_D_DtN9YBUPJY4UlS3QEn29mM/s400/IMGP5897.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An illustration from the Codex Boturini, depicting the Aztec's migration from Aztlan to the mythical mountain of Coatepetl. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.4pt;">The mystery of the <i>Codex Boturini</i>
lies not in how it was made, but rather in its contents. One of only a handful
surviving Aztec codices, it contains a detailed account of the Aztec migration
from a mythical place called Aztlan, depicted as a large island surrounded by
water. From Aztlan, the Aztecs allegedly came to Mesoamerica, passing through a
number of mythical and real historical places. The <i>Codex Boturini </i>has often
been claimed to preserve the memory of the Aztec’s ancestral migration from
Atlantis. The very name of Aztlan may be translated as the ‘place of whiteness’
or the ‘white island’. The equally legendary <i>Chicomoztoc</i>, the ‘Place of the
Seven Caves’, from where the ancestors of the Aztecs emerged to repopulate the
earth appears instead as a subsequent step in the Aztecs' migration after their
departure from Aztlan.</span><br /><br /></div>
Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-42399413549839087312018-07-02T16:27:00.001-05:002018-07-02T16:27:58.470-05:00The Secret Tunnels of Ancient Mexico and Central America<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just like Peru, with its countless legends of ancient tunnels and buried treasure, rumors of a vast ancient tunnel network that extends under much of Mexico and Central America are nearly as plentiful, many dating to a time earlier than that of the Spanish conquest. The Aztecs themselves believed that their ancestors had emerged from this mysterious underworld after a great cataclysm. In Aztec myths and legends, this underground world was known as <i>Chicomoztoc</i>, the “<i>place of the seven caverns</i>”. Maya creation stories also speak of the underground kingdom of<i> Xibalba</i> as a real, physical place, from which humanity had emerged at the dawn of time. Caves and ancient tunnels were believed to be the gates to this mysterious subterranean world.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lGXRg0sR5kD7Izn-98PiQRPVPWh4AqOnrr_qd2e4SbI-7Fc8sQwfl9P_3ZxrB5BGhAjy0dx5drDHjwFwaDGg0us7Z9pP5cNajmublZ5zO8Ybt9OWwUTzsI5Y_KBK7B63yI-A7PPs9H4/s1600/IMG_2816+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lGXRg0sR5kD7Izn-98PiQRPVPWh4AqOnrr_qd2e4SbI-7Fc8sQwfl9P_3ZxrB5BGhAjy0dx5drDHjwFwaDGg0us7Z9pP5cNajmublZ5zO8Ybt9OWwUTzsI5Y_KBK7B63yI-A7PPs9H4/s400/IMG_2816+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The entrance to the Maya labyrinth of Yaxchilan, in Chiapas, a sprawling underground complex of chambers and corridors that may conceal the entrance to Edgar Cayce's fabulous Hall of Records. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What follows is a list of the most famous ancient cave and tunnel entrances found throughout Mexico and Central America. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Texcoco – The palace of Nezahualcoyotl</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLqxRQKI7qDIBO5LV2zwPDVZUZJvgOmzJbSTZ81GNILu9ikq8-fYS0qa6uJABRUhhC65LgsqtokpMTdWBRz7k0wMWnbzGgdkLGT_zVBANdjIx0yNmZGQ-kxrVdp6FJ09t5urxmN6xId0/s1600/IMGP4851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLqxRQKI7qDIBO5LV2zwPDVZUZJvgOmzJbSTZ81GNILu9ikq8-fYS0qa6uJABRUhhC65LgsqtokpMTdWBRz7k0wMWnbzGgdkLGT_zVBANdjIx0yNmZGQ-kxrVdp6FJ09t5urxmN6xId0/s400/IMGP4851.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The entrance to one of the many ancient tunnels that pierce the hill of Tezcotzingo. <b style="text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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The hill of Tezcotzingo, overlooking the ancient city of Texcoco, a short distance from Mexico City, contains the remains of several monolithic temples, rock-cut stairways and artificial aqueducts. It is believed that these remains date to the time of the king Nezahualcoyotl (1402-1472 AD), who built a magnificent palace on the hill. The unusual megalithic character and severe erosion of these structures may however point to an antiquity far more remote than the foundation of the city of Mexico by the Aztecs. Several cave entrances are visible on the hill of Tezcotzingo, all of which are presently blocked. When Bullock visited the ruins of Texcoco with the hill of Tezcotzingo in 1824, he could still admire the ruins of several pyramids and the great palace of the Kings of Texcoco on the hill, “<i>of huge basaltic stones, carved and polished with the utmost exactness</i>”. Bullock also described the whole mountain as “<i>entirely perforated by artificial excavations</i>”, in which immense riches were said to be buried, although for no amount of money his guides would accept to take him into the underground labyrinth. A tunnel entrance dug into one of the flanks of the hill leads through a steep descending passageway to an underground chamber. The entrance to another collapsed tunnel is visible below the floor of the chamber. It is rumored that this tunnel connects with another blocked passage exiting below a large monolithic basin known as the “<i>Bath of the King</i>”. </div>
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A report of our 2016 expedition to Texcoco and Tezcotzingo can be found <a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-mysterious-rock-and-tunnels-of.html"><b>here</b></a>.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mexico City – The “Tomb of the Aztecs” on the hill of Chapultepec</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The "<i>Tomb of the Aztec Kings</i>" inside Mexico City's Chapultepec Park. A V-shaped rock covered with mysterious hieroglyphs (to the left of the picture) is believed to conceal the entrance to a legendary tomb, inside a labyrinth of tunnels said to extent under much of present-day Mexico City. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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Inside Mexico City's Chapultepec Park lies a little-known monolithic temple that was at some point known as the “<i>Tomb of the Aztecs</i>”. It contains a number of badly-defaced bas-reliefs believed to depict the Aztec king Moctezuma, mysterious hieroglyphs and what are possibly astronomical figures of the stars, the Sun and the Moon. There are legends of a tunnel entrance in the same area where the hieroglyphic carvings and a giant rock-cut serpent sculpture are found. This cave, known as <i>Cincalco</i>, was said to be an entrance to the underworld. According to the Aztec “<i>Legend of the Suns</i>”, it was through this cave that the mythical Toltec king Huemac entered the underworld. Other traditions speak of the legendary tomb of the Aztec kings, hidden inside a maze of tunnels deep underneath the hill of Chapultepec in present-day Mexico City. The entrance to the cave was apparently sealed during the course of the 1990’s, and is presently blocked by a concrete slab. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mexico City – The "<i>Cueva del Diablo</i>" on the Cerro de la Estrella</span></b></div>
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Many legends surround the so-called <i>Cueva del Diablo</i> or “<i>Devil’s Cave</i>” in Mexico City’s Cerro de la Estrella. The mountain, a prominent feature in the geography of the Valley of Mexico, was a sacred site since pre-Columbian times. Its name “Mountain of the Star”, suggests the hill may have served as a place of astronomical observations in antiquity. The remains of a large Aztec pyramid sit on its summit, where every 52 years a special ceremony was performed. During this celebration, known as the <i>New Fire</i> Ceremony, a giant fire was lighted to mark the beginning of a new calendar cycle. On the hill, among the many ancient petroglyphs and rock carvings, may be found the entrances to several caves. Of these, the <i>Cueva del Diablo</i> has a particularly sinister reputation due to mysterious disappearances and a number of reported attacks by what has been described as an “unknown creature”. The cave connects to a vast network of ancient lava tunnels whose true extent is presently unknown, but which are believed to run under much of present-day Mexico City. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The underworld of Teotihuacan</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A view into one of the chambers that are part of a maze of tunnels extending for miles under the ancient city of Teotihuacan. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Dry-stone walls and burn marks on the ceiling of some of the caves and tunnels are evidence of a long human occupation of the mysterious underworld of Teotihuacan. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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The ancient metropolis of Teotihuacan contains three massive pyramids and hundreds of structures. At its height, between the 2nd and 5th Century AD, it was home to an estimated population of 250,000, which would have made it the largest ancient city in the pre-Columbian world – the “<i>Rome of America</i>”. Yet, the identity of the city's original builders is still shrouded in mystery. </div>
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A vast labyrinth of man-made tunnels and natural lava caves exists under the ancient metropolis, believed to extend for tens if not hundreds of miles. In 1880, the French archaeologist and explorer Desiré Charnay was among the first Europeans to penetrate the underground labyrinth of Teotihuacan. In his book “<i>The ancient cities of the new world</i>” he recalls having been led to what he described as the entrance to a cavernous quarry, some two and a half miles west of the pyramid of the Moon. There, several galleries branched off in different directions, leading to vast halls and chambers. Charnay also described an immense chamber with a dome-like ceiling, filled with human remains, which he considered to be the mausoleum of the mysterious race who built Teotihuacan and its great pyramids. Charnay speculated that the tunnels had originally been quarries, and were only at a later point converted into catacombs. Some of the tunnels that Charnay explored were remarkable for their straightness and perfection of construction, with one in particular said to run on a straight line to Amecameca, some 40 miles to the South-East. </div>
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The entrance to the original tunnel system first entered by Charnay in the late 19th Century is presently lost, but more tunnel entrances can be found a short distance to the East of the pyramid of the Sun. In 2017 we explored a section of these tunnels, finding a system of interconnected chambers and blocked passageways that seem to extend for an unknown distance in the direction of the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. Reports also exist of vast tunnels under the Cerro Gordo mountain and in the nearby Tlapacique mountain range, where the openings of several air shafts or “<i>respiraderos</i>” point to the existence of yet more unexplored tunnels and chambers. </div>
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In the 1950s, archaeologist René Millon speculated that the largest pyramids at Teotihuacan were built on top of vast underground cavities. He even found evidence of what he described as a “<i>huge sealed pit</i>” under the pyramid of the Sun, which he believed could lead to a tomb of immense proportions. Another tunnel was explored under the pyramid of the Sun in 1971, terminating in a clover-leaf chamber. This seems, however, to bear no relationship with Millon’s supposed tomb. </div>
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In 2003, torrential rains revealed the entrance to another ancient tunnel under the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent. Vast quantities of liquid mercury, mysterious pyrite spherules and over 50,000 buried artifacts were recovered from the excavation, yet no burial could be found. At present, the function of these tunnels is unknown, It is possible that they may have formed part of a secret representation of the Underworld extending for miles under the ancient city of Teotihuacan. </div>
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A report of our latest explorations into the mysterious underworld of Teotihuacan can be found <b><a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/descending-underworld-teotihuacan-labyrinthine-tunnels-and-rivers-mercury-021401">here</a></b>.</div>
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Find also a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jveH39bnYI&feature=youtu.be"><b>video from the 2017 expedition here</b></a>.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The subterraneans of Xochicalco</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view of the Acropolis of Xochicalco from the lower terrace. The entrances to several caves and man-made tunnels are visible at the base of the cliff, penetrating deeply into the rock face <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A map drawn at the beginning of the last century of a section of the subterraneans of Xochicalco, forming part of the so-called "Cave of the Sun". <b>[Courtesy: INAH]</b></td></tr>
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The ancient ruins of Xochicalco sit on top of an artificially terraced hill pierced by a number of ancient tunnels and mysterious passageways. There is evidence on the hill of earlier megalithic structures, including some enormous retaining walls built in the polygonal/ cyclopean style. The Pyramid of the Feathered Serpents, which dominates the Acropolis of Xochicalco, is also built of immense basalt stone blocks, decorated with sculptured panels that may allude to the destruction and later resurrection of the original “<i>homeland of the Gods</i>”. </div>
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In another article we even suggest that the hieroglyphs of the pyramid of Xochicalco may in fact tell the history of Atlantis - Read the <a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-pyramid-of-xochicalco-monument-to.html"><b>complete article here</b></a>. </div>
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The so-called “<i>Cave of the Sun</i>” is the only one of several tunnel entrances under the hill of Xochicalco that are presently open to the public. The main attraction of this tunnel system is a small, nearly circular chamber with an opening on top. On the day of the Spring and Autumn equinox, a ray of sun enters through the opening in the roof to light up the chamber. More blocked tunnel entrances can be found along the cliff face. In 1791, the learned scholar father Alzate y Ramirez was the first to report the existence of the tunnels or “<i>subterraneans</i>” of Xochicalco. One in particular he describesd as consisting of several “hallways” connected by winding stairways. The Indians accompanying the father on his expedition warned him that a person entering the underground labyrinth in the early hours of the morning would still not be able to find an end to it by sundown, or risk getting forever lost in the maze of tunnels and chambers. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mitla's Temple of Doom and the <i>Liyobaa </i>cavern</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view into one of the tombs of Mitla - Note the extremely fine workmanship of the stones and the mosaic panels on the walls. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the chambers and tunnels under one of the main palaces of Mitla. A similar cruciform structure may have served as the antechamber to the legendary Liyobaa cavern, believed to be an entrance to the underworld. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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The ancient city of Mitla was the capital of a powerful Mixtec kingdom between the 9th and the 12th Century AD. A sacred city, it contained a number of palaces, pyramids and structures that are today found in varying states of preservation. Mitla is particularly famous for the elaborate stone mosaics that decorate its ancient buildings. Some immense megaliths, some of which weighing in excess of 45 tons, were employed in the construction of the ancient palaces, including a number of curious monolithic columns. </div>
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Several tombs have been found under the main ceremonial structures of Mitla, the largest and most elaborate ones mimicking the architecture of the palaces above ground. The subterranean chambers are built of stone, finely cut and dressed, and frequently contain monolithic pillars and stone mosaics. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The entrance to a subterranean chamber at Yagul, another archaeological site located in the vicinity of Mitla. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">At Yagul, a short distance from Mitla, one can still see the entrances to many ancient tunnels believed to be part of an immense necropolis. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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The first European reports of the ruins of Mitla date to the early 16th Century. One such report by a father Torquemada describes an immense cavern by the name of <i>Liyobaa</i>, believed to be the entrance to the underworld and the seat of a powerful oracle of the dead that was famous throughout the land. This cave was entered though a set of three underground chambers located under the main palace of Mitla, which father Torquemada calls the “<i>Palace of the Living and the Dead</i>”. The cave itself was said to extend for more than 30 leagues underground, its roof supported by pillars. The Spanish priests sealed the entrance to the cave and built a church on the former site of the palace. Portions of the ancient building, including some immense monolithic lintels and columns, can still be appreciated under the small colonial parish church of Mitla. A comparison with the floor plan and orientation of the other surviving palaces of Mitla suggests that the entrance to the underground chambers and the cavern of <i>Liyobaa</i> would be found in the approximate location occupied by the altar of the present day Church.</div>
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Other tunnels and cruciform tombs built of enormous megalithic stone blocks are found at Guiaroo and Xaagá. An ancient tunnel under the ruined hacienda of Xaagá is said to run all the way to Mitla, a distance of nearly 5 miles, its walls built of interlocking stone blocks like the underground tombs of Mitla.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXawW4yVxDTZUJOu_PsPqTZCC3XKZlAQeaC4jQfh7GR_GOEYalG5yanJbvNsV48YipWykKVaPKBJAEpd8VL-6WoGdKkAW3ZQl9LoiH7B54Ck83nFmXqK4nwxAYbSLKtl0pG_VdEiEMqA/s1600/IMGP9750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXawW4yVxDTZUJOu_PsPqTZCC3XKZlAQeaC4jQfh7GR_GOEYalG5yanJbvNsV48YipWykKVaPKBJAEpd8VL-6WoGdKkAW3ZQl9LoiH7B54Ck83nFmXqK4nwxAYbSLKtl0pG_VdEiEMqA/s400/IMGP9750.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The entrance to an ancient tunnel under the old Hacienda of Xaagá, said to run for nearly 5 kilometers in the direction of the ancient city Mitla. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Inside another ancient tunnel in Xaagá. The tunnel leads to a large cruciform chamber from where local tradition has it that a now blocked well-shaft in the floor communicates with a fabulous cavern. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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Read <b><a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-megalithic-ruins-of-ancient-mexico.html">here a full report</a></b> of our 2017 expedition to Mitla and Xaagá. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The tunnels of El Barreno in Morelia</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A 1956 sketch of the tunnels under El Barreno, in Morelia <b>[Source: http://www.espejel.com/] </b></td></tr>
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In 1956, the excavations of an ancient mound in the outskirts of Morelia, in central Mexico, revealed a curious structure formed of giant blocks of stone apparently fused or melted together. What was at first believed to be a small volcanic outcrop, known to locals as “El Barreno”, turned out to be an ancient pyramid of unknown age. An opening close to the northern side of the pyramid revealed the entrance to an ancient tunnel with rock-cut steps. According to a map that was published by Dr. Jesús García Tapias shortly after his discovery of the tunnels, the main tunnel led to a large domed chamber from which at least 6 other passageways ran in different directions. After following some of the passages for a distance of over 500 meters, it was found that they were either blocked or flooded. Over the course of the last decade, the pyramid and its tunnels have been largely obliterated by the growth of the city of Morelia. It is however possible that future excavations in the area will again reveal one of the original entrances. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The lost caves of Chalcatzingo</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The stunning natural landscape of Chalcatzingo, with the Olmec pyramid and ceremonial center in the foreground. In this aerial picture, the openings of several caves are visible in the cliff face of the Cerro Chalcatzingo (to the right) and the nearby Cerro Delgado (to the left). <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOt_3DcPJLrZjVElqKQ8h9X60CF2gMAzUnYJVM1-mZ_Eq0UI6Fx-7e2tWj_CLRbadsvEUyTTDnMrQSIQRHc-XOHruvzXLCxdasxfWA9K8VmxObeeMElhyphenhyphenMKp4LC4cUd5-9BZNLCJ0190/s1600/IMGP2025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOt_3DcPJLrZjVElqKQ8h9X60CF2gMAzUnYJVM1-mZ_Eq0UI6Fx-7e2tWj_CLRbadsvEUyTTDnMrQSIQRHc-XOHruvzXLCxdasxfWA9K8VmxObeeMElhyphenhyphenMKp4LC4cUd5-9BZNLCJ0190/s400/IMGP2025.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The most famous Olmec bas-relief found at Chalcatzingo. It shows a seated figure holding a bundle of scrolls or a tablet inside a cave from which emanate curious guts of steam or air. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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Chalcatzingo is an ancient site of the Olmec civilization located in the Valley of Morelos, in Central Mexico. It dates to between the 7th and 5th Century B.C., with the ruins of a large ceremonial center which included at one time two pyramids, a ballcourt, various altars and sculptured monuments. Chalcatzingo is mostly famous for its rich rock-art, consisting of a number of carved bas-reliefs distributed along the slopes of the Cerro Chalcatzingo. One of the most famous carvings, known as “<i>El Rey</i>” (The King) depicts a man seated on a throne inside a cave. The mysterious figure is holding an object resembling a tablet or a scroll. Another scene illustrates a procession of torch-bearers, also seemingly taking place inside a cave, with more of the curious objects resembling tablets or scrolls. There is every hint that a sacred cave existed at Chalcatzingo, where sacred objects may have been stored. No such cave is known at the site, but a drone fly-over conducted in 2017 along the slopes of the Cerro Chalcatzingo revealed a few possible cave entrances. These are located high on the cliff-face, in a nearly inaccessible position. It is presently unknown what these caves may contain and how deep they reach inside the mountain. </div>
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In <a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-location-of-mesoamerican-hall-of.html"><b>this article</b></a> we discuss the possible existence of an ancient and still undiscovered cavern at Chalcatzingo which may hold evidence of the visit of ancient "Gods". </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Sacred Valley of Tepoztlán and Daniel Ruzo</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KFOLFPY6iDccbKw9muXpqnWX-Muy4DTj_-2HQS1-vt9VhNoooDVEY-MxB17qmsLZd_6NZu4uZclnHM8zFmFImfG3K09rOiWZq27WwuUpOT9CRxJXFB2EFIKKVMUbiL-BIz7-QR8v9Z4/s1600/IMGP2033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KFOLFPY6iDccbKw9muXpqnWX-Muy4DTj_-2HQS1-vt9VhNoooDVEY-MxB17qmsLZd_6NZu4uZclnHM8zFmFImfG3K09rOiWZq27WwuUpOT9CRxJXFB2EFIKKVMUbiL-BIz7-QR8v9Z4/s400/IMGP2033.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The mysterious "Sphinx" of Tlayocapan, near Tepoztlán. According to Daniel Ruzo this rock was artificially carved in the shape of a giant sphinx by a lost civilization he called Masma. Ruzo believed this civilization was also responsible for the incredible rock sculptures of Marcahuasi, in Peru. The entrance to a large natural cave can be seen on one side of the rock formation. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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Tepoztlán is a small town located some 50 kilometers south of Mexico City. Here, amidst a setting of stunning natural beauty and unusual rock formations, the famous Peruvian explorer Daniel Ruzo believed he had discovered the remains of a “<i>sacred forest</i>” of giant rock sculptures similar to the ones he had himself discovered at Marcahuasi, in Peru, just a few years earlier. These sculptures, which Ruzo believed could be thousands if not tens of thousands of years old, formed a coherent sequence that in his mind described the full cycle of development of present humanity and of the races that preceded it. Ruzo also believed that some of the sculptures were in fact “portals” to a labyrinthine network of tunnels where the knowledge of the ancient races had been stored since time immemorial for the benefit of a future humanity. Many people perceive a strange energy or magnetism in Tepoztlán and its “Sacred Valley” is one of the places in the world with the highest frequency of UFO sightings and other unexplained phenomena.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Loltun cave in Yucatan</span></b></div>
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The Loltun cave in Yucatan is a large natural cavern containing extensive layers of human occupation that date back to the last ice age, some 10,000 years ago. It also contains a set of cave paintings attributed to the Maya civilization from the Pre-Classic period or even older. The true extent of this labyrinthine system of caves and passages is presently unknown, although nearly two kilometers of the entire cave systems have been mapped and explored. In 1931, the American archaeologist Robert Stacy-Judd recounted a strange episode in which, after getting lost in the cave, he was rescued by a mysterious man dressed like a Maya priest and carrying a torch. The explorer even managed to take a photograph of the mysterious “hermit”, which appeared in several newspapers at the time. There are rumors of secret passages inside the cave, and of a blocked rock-cut tunnel which is believed to lead into a deeper, unexplored section of the cave where great treasures are said to be buried. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The secret tunnels of Aké and Izamal</span></b></div>
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Within the Maya region of Yucatan, early explorers like Brasseur de Bourbourg, Stephens and Catherwood reported the existence of extensive ancient tunnels at both Aké and Izamal. These sites contain a number of pyramids and megalithic structures unlike any other in the Maya region, which may point to great antiquity. A sacred cave exists under the pyramid of <i>Kinich Kakmo</i> in Izamal, where a tunnel is said to connect this pyramid (the 3rd largest in Mesoamerica and one of the largest in the world, with a base of 195 by 173 meters and a height of 35 meters) with another that existed on the site now occupied by the great Franciscan convent of Izamal. Brasseur de Bourbourg explored and left a description of this tunnel in the early 1800’s, in which he mentioned a great subterranean chamber and more blocked passageways built of immense megalithic stones. Unfortunately, there seems to be no record of the existence of these tunnels in any of the more recent publications on the ruins of Izamal and Aké. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Maya labyrinths: Oxkintok, Toniná, Yaxchilan</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The entrance to the ancient Maya labyrinth of Toniná, in Chiapas also known as the "<i>Palace of the Underworld</i>". <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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Caves played a fundamental role in Maya cosmology as physical representations of the Underworld. At Oxkintok, Palenque, Toniná and Yaxchilan, mysterious labyrinthine passageways built underneath some of the main pyramids and palaces were meant to serve as symbolic caverns for initiation ceremonies related to the cult of death and of the ancestors. These Maya labyrinths contain underground corridors and chambers of unknown function. Over the course of initiation ceremonies, the candidate would be led in complete darkness through the confusing maze of passages and corridors, possibly under the influence of psychoactive drugs. Perhaps the best example of Maya labyrinths is found at Yaxchilan, along the Usumacinta river. The labyrinth extends on three separate levels and contains a number of blocked passages and chambers. At Oxkintok, a labyrinthine network of tunnels exists under one of the main pyramids, known as the <i>Satunsat</i> (meaning “<i>Place where one gets lost</i>”); while the labyrinth of Toniná, although of comparatively more limited extent, is perhaps the most monumental of all, with high corbelled ceilings that warranted it the name of “<i>Palace of the Underworld</i>”. For unknown reasons, these labyrinths were deliberately sealed or filled with rubble (as in the case of Toniná) during the 7th Century AD. It has been speculated that this occurred during a veritable “Underground revolution” during which the old gods of the Underworld were literally overthrown and their subterranean temples either sealed or destroyed. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">A lost Hall of Records at Yaxchilan?</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view of Structure 19 at Yaxchilan, being the main entrance to the labyrinth near the base of the Acropolis. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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The ancient Maya labyrinth of Yaxchilan, with its labyrinthine corridors, sealed chambers and blocked passageways on at least three separate levels also appears to be a prime candidate for the location of the fabled Yucatan Hall of Records. First mentioned by the mystic Edgar Cayce in his readings, the Hall of Records is supposed to be a subterranean repository of ancient knowledge built in the days of Atlantis. This seems to be supported by local Tzeltal legends that speak of a subterranean “House of Darkness” built in the days of the mythical civilizing god and culture-hero Votan on the Usumacinta River to preserve the sacred records of his race. Teobert Maler was among the first archaeologist to conduct excavations at Yaxchilan in 1903. He was surprised to find several carved stalactites erected as stelae in front of some of the major buildings of the ancient Maya city, which led him to believe that the ruins may conceal the entrance to some immense underground caverns. It is very well possible that the lower and still unexplored levels of the Labyrinth may communicate with these caverns. </div>
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Find out more about the Maya labyrinths of Yucatan and Chiapas and our quest for the Yaxchilan Hall of Records <a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/legendary-yucatan-hall-records-found-yaxchilan-strange-labyrinths-and-edgar-021842"><b>here</b></a> (<a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/legendary-yucatan-hall-records-found-yaxchilan-strange-labyrinths-and-edgar-021842"><b>part I </b></a>and <b><a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/house-darkness-secret-caverns-legendary-yucatan-hall-records-found-yaxchilan-021843">part II</a></b>).</div>
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And also a <b><a href="https://youtu.be/7cab5najhFU">video from our 2018 expedition</a></b> into the mysterious labyrinth and tunnels of Yaxchilan.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The mysterious cavern of Tibulca at Copán</span></b></div>
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The ancient city of Copán, in present day Honduras, is one of the greatest marvels of Maya civilization. Its discovery dates to the early 1700’s, although reports of the city’s existence had been in circulation perhaps for nearly a century before then. One of the most curious reports, published by Fuentes and quoted by several other antiquarians, including Galindo, Bancroft and Stephens, is that concerning the great cavern of Tibulca. This is usually described as a temple of great size, carved from the living rock in one side of the hill a short distance from the “Temple” and the “Great Circus” of Copan (no doubt referring to the main plaza of the ceremonial center, near the Acropolis). According to Fuentes, all these ruins still stood entire in his time around the year 1700. The underground temple of Tibulca in particular was said to be “<i>adorned with columns, with bases, capitals and crowns</i>”. A great number of windows, also hollowed out of the solid rock, illuminated the gloomy interior. No trace of this fabulous cavern of Tibulca could be found by later explorers, who additionally found many of the buildings first described by Fuentes in ruins, many having been washed away by the nearby river. Although a vast network of caverns was discovered in one of the hills near Copán during the 1800’s, no trace of the fabulous cavern of Tibulca nor of its underground temple has so far emerged. </div>
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Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-33931215660601724232018-02-11T11:59:00.000-06:002018-02-11T11:59:26.815-06:00The Megalithic Ruins of Ancient Mexico - Part IV<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Palenque and the Megaliths of the Mayas</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Palenque, one of the greatest Maya cities, lies in the foothills of the Chiapas mountains of Southern Mexico, in the basin of the Usumacinta River. Its jungle-covered ruins lay abandoned and forgotten for hundreds of years until their epic rediscovery in the 18th Century. <b>[Photo by Author]</b> </td></tr>
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Palenque is perhaps one of the better known of the ancient Maya sites, visited every year by hundreds of thousands of tourists. Located deep in the forests of Chiapas, the ancient city lay abandoned for hundreds of year until its rediscovery by Europeans in 1773. Over the following decades, it was visited by various explorers, including John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, who left some of the earliest drawings and plans of the ruins. Palenque reached its greatest prosperity in the late classical period during the reign of the legendary king Pakal (611-683 AD), before falling into decadence and being eventually abandoned towards the midst of the 9th Century AD. </div>
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The ancient name of the city, as known from inscriptions, was probably <i>Lakam Ha</i>, meaning "<i>Plentiful Waters</i>". The name appears to be a reference to the many water sources and streams that surround the ancient site. The Spanish called the ruins <i>Palenque</i>, from the name of the nearby village of Santo Domingo del Palenque that was founded in their vicinity in the late 17th Century. </div>
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<b>Mythical Origins</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtLcUuaWotM6gYqmMPXG2DYYIELm8k94LkR9aBlW60K3FrM_l8yu74OT8GRxFcrTQmCRSX4QDF9ZGOKI3798RVD9l5ZWuMcZ8nWyvpphXJ9PN7qX2OlkzsFktgKLHCoQjrZn0gNuGh2Q/s1600/IMG_2159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtLcUuaWotM6gYqmMPXG2DYYIELm8k94LkR9aBlW60K3FrM_l8yu74OT8GRxFcrTQmCRSX4QDF9ZGOKI3798RVD9l5ZWuMcZ8nWyvpphXJ9PN7qX2OlkzsFktgKLHCoQjrZn0gNuGh2Q/s400/IMG_2159.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The Palace of Palenque is a unique Maya structure., containing four major courtyards and a three-storied tower that served as an astronomical observatory. The Palace rests on a massive megalithic platform measuring some 91 by 73 meters (300 by 240 feet), pierced by a number of tunnels and underground passageways. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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Although the earliest known king of Palenque, Kúk B'alam I, did not reign until 431 AD, the ruling dynasty of Palenque bolstered in inscriptions a divine origin dating back many thousands of years. The first divine ruler of Palenque known from inscriptions was the "God G1 the Elder" or <i>Muwaan Mat</i>, which was believed to have ascended to the throne in the year 3,309 BC (two centuries before the beginning of the present world age, in 3,114 BC, a date that also coincides with the beginning of the Maya calendar). A second divine dynasty began in 2,360 BC and comprised three more kings (known as the God G1 the Younger, God G2 and God G3). These divine kings were thought to have come from a mysterious land called <i>Matwiil,</i> symbolized by a cormorant. In honor of their ancestral homeland, the rulers of Palenque of the historical period still boasted in their titles that of "<i>Divine Matwiil Lord</i>" <b>[1]</b>.<b> </b>Nothing of this prehistoric homeland is known, but it is possible that another enigmatic place name, <i>Tokhtan </i>(meaning "<i>Mist Center</i>), similarly occurring in hieroglyphic inscriptions, may as well be associated with it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DXEqilpilpwVEsgGknFztnL1LvztVX0ktYj5dV-QLtpcA-Nn99tNh9ScZHyydni67-2k8ZRydToHUb9BkHtMGDdtO5JcaLCny0NfK2dWUWaaGKbuJ09FPUa68qNdQX9ab099GIphnZA/s1600/IMG_2333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DXEqilpilpwVEsgGknFztnL1LvztVX0ktYj5dV-QLtpcA-Nn99tNh9ScZHyydni67-2k8ZRydToHUb9BkHtMGDdtO5JcaLCny0NfK2dWUWaaGKbuJ09FPUa68qNdQX9ab099GIphnZA/s400/IMG_2333.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Palenque was known in ancient times as <i>Lakam Ha</i>, meaning "Great Waters", due to the presence of many streams and water sources in the vicinity. The Otulum river (here in the picture, near the archaeological site) was diverted by the ancient Maya engineers into a number of channels and underground water tunnels. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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A no less interesting story of the origins of Palenque was collected from the sacred books of the Tzeltal Maya in the late 17th Century by the then Bishop of Chiapas Francisco Nuñez de la Vega. Even before the city's rediscovery, the Tzeltal tradition spoke of a great lost city built by a foreign race, the <i>Chanes</i> (literally "<i>Snakes</i>"), under the guide of a mysterious prophet called <i>Votan</i>, a great hero and legislator who established a great empire of the Tzeltal people called <i>Xibalba</i>. According to the early Mayanist Abbé Brasseur de Bourbourg, this ancient empire once covered all of Mexico and Guatemala, and had Palenque as its capital (In the the Tzeltal legend, the city is called <i>Nachan</i>, "<i>City of the Snakes</i>"). Many have seen in these legends a variation of the familiar story of Quetzalcoatl and Kukulkan, as the hero was known to the Aztec and Yucatec Mayas. Votan, like Quetzalcoatl, was said to have come from a mysterious island kingdom, located beyond the sea, to the East, known as <i>Valum Votan</i>. The name of the Mexican colony of this great maritime empire was <i>Valum Chivim</i>. According to the original manuscript in the possession of Bishop Nuñez de la Vega, called the <i>Probanza de Votan </i>(the "<i>Trial of Votan</i>"), the kingdom of <i>Nachan</i> was one of four tributary monarchies of <i>Valum Votan</i> that together formed the empire of <i>Xibalba </i>or <i>Valum Chivim</i>. To the capitals of the other three kingdoms the same manuscript gives the names of <i>Tulan</i> (Tula?), <i>Mayapan</i> and <i>Chiquimala </i>(near Copán). Various voyages are mentioned between <i>Valum Votan</i> and its colony of <i>Valum Chivim</i>, each under the guidance of a different <i>Votan</i>. During one of these voyages, a great temple was said to have been under construction on the island of <i>Valum Votan</i>, whose description is strongly reminiscent of the biblical Tower of Babel <b>[2]</b>. </div>
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Moreover, after his final voyage Votan was said to have built a "<i>House of Darkness</i>" on a certain river (probably the Huehuetan or the Usumacinta), where he deposited in subterranean chambers all the sacred records of its race, under charge of certain old men and priestesses <b>[3]</b>. In a later article we will explore the possible connections between Votan and the esoteric legends of an ancient prehistoric "Hall of Records" in the Yucatan. <br />
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Could <i>Valum Votan</i> be the same as the mysterious land of <i>Matwiil</i>, to which the kings of Palenque traced the beginning of their first divine dynasties? </div>
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<b>Megalithic Foundations</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq14YZYCWwu4432B9OEvDAZkYG9bZ348rMwebeFb0moXp9c2cQjJ4vFVZXWxU1vtQ8hY3CAtYuWlRmvuEquSmvoM7b81s0GHIZJ0V7_leWE_od6ShDBhYlPO4V4Vy9566v7TB5per4kro/s1600/IMG_2298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq14YZYCWwu4432B9OEvDAZkYG9bZ348rMwebeFb0moXp9c2cQjJ4vFVZXWxU1vtQ8hY3CAtYuWlRmvuEquSmvoM7b81s0GHIZJ0V7_leWE_od6ShDBhYlPO4V4Vy9566v7TB5per4kro/s400/IMG_2298.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Megalithic foundations near the southeastern corner of the Palace of Palenque. Many of the stones, some of which weighing several tons, appear to have been displaced from their original location. Note the fine workmanship and jointing of the stones forming the first rows, as compared to the rough masonry of smaller stones of the platforms above. <b>[Photo by Author]</b> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPboP0ML3zgWqb7CKR5yGUBt2g6wjAy9QZleTk3QdaHvUkpPP6XwDivuFmX4AZG3P6XEuY3Q7utm9-qzW6S2pEFjjGWk9ksfVzPvYx6ShkKUaxw_yG5ysua9DY_b7izIBtAH6ef08V5N4/s400/IMG_2212.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">More megalithic stonework and precision jointing inside one of the courtyards of the Palace. Some of the stones in the picture measure over 2 meters (6 feet) long. This style of megalithic architecture is in stark contrast with that of the structures above, and may belong to a much earlier epoch hinted by in mythological texts. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPboP0ML3zgWqb7CKR5yGUBt2g6wjAy9QZleTk3QdaHvUkpPP6XwDivuFmX4AZG3P6XEuY3Q7utm9-qzW6S2pEFjjGWk9ksfVzPvYx6ShkKUaxw_yG5ysua9DY_b7izIBtAH6ef08V5N4/s1600/IMG_2212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgiW4pLNoxdXAZiDh0JblEF7JeAeytubzfPwdkrnEqlJeJ196dJjqYyyERe1XKUQmap0ko1z4xGGzLOx5fj4QHCBDCrfJ0gke6VWLtbQAL5SfOvvyXRbnNQgfaMmffZaGuD_jjp0p4Nk/s1600/IMG_2204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgiW4pLNoxdXAZiDh0JblEF7JeAeytubzfPwdkrnEqlJeJ196dJjqYyyERe1XKUQmap0ko1z4xGGzLOx5fj4QHCBDCrfJ0gke6VWLtbQAL5SfOvvyXRbnNQgfaMmffZaGuD_jjp0p4Nk/s400/IMG_2204.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A stairway consisting of large and finely fitted megalithic stone blocks leads into one of the rooms of the Palace, of much cruder construction. The first step from the top is a single monolithic stone block measuring nearly 4 meters (12 feet) long. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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What proof is there of a prehistoric, non-Maya origin of Palenque? Clue may come from one of the largest structures in Palenque, the Palace, and from a vast underground network of aqueducts and tunnels that may predate the construction of the Classic Maya city.<br />
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The Palace is an immense structure, rising on an artificial platform 300 feet (91 meters) long by 240 feet (73 meters) wide. The platform itself measures nearly 30 feet (10 meters) high, and is crossed by a number of galleries and vaulted corridors. The Palace grew over time to include a number of courtyards and an astronomical observatory in the form of a three-storied tower. Although most of the construction visible today dates to the Classic period, it is possible that earlier structures were incorporated in its foundations. These structures appear to be of the megalithic type, consisting of large, finely fitted and jointed blocks of stone, quite unlike the stuccoed masonry of small cemented stones, typical of Classic Maya architecture ,that forms the rest of the Palace structures.<br />
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A wall consisting entirely of megalithic stone blocks, some of which measuring as much as 2 meters long, forms the first tier of the South side platform of the palace. These blocks appear to have suffered significant displacement due to natural forces that have altered the straightness of the joints and caused a deformation of the edges of the wall. This is particularly puzzling given the otherwise remarkable state of preservation of the Palace and may hint to this section of the Platform belonging to an earlier stage of construction.<br />
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On the uppermost Palace platform, the lower walls delimiting Courtyard 1 are also entirely faced with large, smooth megalithic stone blocks comparable in workmanship and size to the ones in the bottom platform, and quite unlike any other of the surrounding structures. Many of the large flagstones in this area were apparently re-carved at a later time. A beautiful megalithic stairway, in a remarkable state of preservation, is also found in this area of the Palace.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2tfD0UGiB2NbtsAmwT6zRwiUAfqze2RaguEtCmYR_Ptd0rESKu8b5bpGI8m4-HJhhXyTHveEwIxDUfN7mMIpp2xtYRJbQb7H9FznEABPFyfe0wkWyAU228RGWb4rJygDEzuBBZdcsas/s1600/IMG_2233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2tfD0UGiB2NbtsAmwT6zRwiUAfqze2RaguEtCmYR_Ptd0rESKu8b5bpGI8m4-HJhhXyTHveEwIxDUfN7mMIpp2xtYRJbQb7H9FznEABPFyfe0wkWyAU228RGWb4rJygDEzuBBZdcsas/s400/IMG_2233.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another megalithic stairway inside the Palace of Palenque. Note how many of the larger stones appear to have been placed here in secondary use, as hinted by their imperfect fitting and the use of smaller stones to create an even surface. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKqJF6806svuqa6a-3xhEn5p_iuO_RsAnWCiNaDm_69tCcL-ZqTeQ6VQe5Tugbq_yfoUqnNJ4dCUTImu4v2rvHtb63Q_J1p3IsBIofWhNuZ6MQktXU2gjCW6VwSThMeFjkzoTbvSg_qY/s1600/IMG_2506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKqJF6806svuqa6a-3xhEn5p_iuO_RsAnWCiNaDm_69tCcL-ZqTeQ6VQe5Tugbq_yfoUqnNJ4dCUTImu4v2rvHtb63Q_J1p3IsBIofWhNuZ6MQktXU2gjCW6VwSThMeFjkzoTbvSg_qY/s400/IMG_2506.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">One of the entrances to the system of tunnels and chambers that run under the palace of Palenque. The purpose of these subterraneans is unknown, but from the remains of stuccoed decoration it is possible to assume a ceremonial rather than utilitarian function. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoM-D5H250hUuh-9faKryjLMr0uAQ6ZWkevtLWe-OZva5Rcou7eMx3xwjLPtiEVfX4f6922rWbTls96l2KIhF37cnC_e2xMOQKXNXp9dPr1Ydk4zXB0-BwTsdhBYWJCvy-JT9JD56AdI/s1600/IMG_2488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoM-D5H250hUuh-9faKryjLMr0uAQ6ZWkevtLWe-OZva5Rcou7eMx3xwjLPtiEVfX4f6922rWbTls96l2KIhF37cnC_e2xMOQKXNXp9dPr1Ydk4zXB0-BwTsdhBYWJCvy-JT9JD56AdI/s400/IMG_2488.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A section of the water tunnel that runs parallel to the Palace, along its Western side. Where the original stone vault has collapsed, it is possible to appreciate the use of very large stones in the walls and roof of the tunnel. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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A short distance from the Palace, along its Western side, more evidence of megalithic stonework can be found in the underground aqueduct that runs parallel to its base from a mountain stream located a few hundred meters to the North.<br />
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The underground aqueducts are one of the most unique characteristics of Palenque, not found at other Maya sites. The course of the river Otulum ("<i>Fallen Stones</i>") was deviated and channeled into an underground tunnel running for nearly 300 meters (1,000 feet) under the main plaza and portions of the Palace. This tunnel, a masterpiece of megalithic engineering, is built entirely of enormous flagstones, some of which measuring as much as 3 meters (9 feet) long, to withstand the water pressure. The peculiar architecture of the tunnel and corbelled vaulting is visible in several places where the roof has collapsed.<br />
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Another impressive stretch of aqueduct, running entirely underground, can be found in the so-called "<i>Picota</i>" Group, a remote group of ruined structures located in a deep forest outside of the limits of the archaeological site. Also in this case a stream was channeled into an underground tunnel that runs for 30 meters (90 feet) under a large palatial compound. Both the entrance and exit of this aqueduct are visible, built of large megalithic stone blocks. The entrance of the aqueduct, where the river goes underground, is rectangular in shape, surmounted by an immense monolithic lintel measuring as much as 4 meters (12 feet) long. The exit has a triangular profile, consisting of as many as 7 courses of megalithic stone blocks placed in a nearly semi-circular arrangement. <b>[4]</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6InewDq9pD-YaA4kbF3WN68Wx4-tYWwaDfPNj8-T8dhSwAZ8AYuvtZ-WCu6F_Dydm4j12dGe8gBMaidfJu43Y3M10b-jTm27oFcgsLG6v7cPG8e8i5FyAp9PDx71bW-tbMJRNgCvo1o/s1600/IMG_2469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6InewDq9pD-YaA4kbF3WN68Wx4-tYWwaDfPNj8-T8dhSwAZ8AYuvtZ-WCu6F_Dydm4j12dGe8gBMaidfJu43Y3M10b-jTm27oFcgsLG6v7cPG8e8i5FyAp9PDx71bW-tbMJRNgCvo1o/s400/IMG_2469.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The exit of the Picota water tunnel near Palenque, formed by at least 7 tiers of megalithic stone blocks placed in a semicircular arrangement around the triangular opening. The size of the opening barely allows for one person to walk upright during the dry season, when the water level is low. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78bkwMhOeNOLPXiclupakAt_4LuuQtIILt2aKz6-o2cmdq-2lZx0Q2f73YnLCiQpJmKKs5u_Jeeyi6Sx_tTpo2H7d2mNqPygSQAXhkiHJleBRczKb-xQn1jzz4K-94fNNAWbIZUeQ9P4/s1600/IMG_2482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78bkwMhOeNOLPXiclupakAt_4LuuQtIILt2aKz6-o2cmdq-2lZx0Q2f73YnLCiQpJmKKs5u_Jeeyi6Sx_tTpo2H7d2mNqPygSQAXhkiHJleBRczKb-xQn1jzz4K-94fNNAWbIZUeQ9P4/s400/IMG_2482.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The entrance to the Picota water tunnel, where the river goes underground. Note the enormous monolithic lintel above the entrance to the tunnel. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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In some cases these stone aqueducts run underneath structures dating to the early Classic period, an evidence of their great antiquity: In 2016, it was announced that a previously unknown water tunnel was discovered under the famous Temple of the Inscriptions that houses Pakal's tomb<b> [5]</b>.<b> </b>The Temple of the Inscriptions is one of the earliest monumental structures in Palenque, dating to 683 AD, and contains within its structure the remains of earlier layers of construction. Because the newly discovered tunnels run under the Temple, their construction must predate that of the Temple itself. The absence of a connection between the tunnels and the chambers above also suggests that the existence of the tunnels may not have been known to the Maya builders.<br />
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The megalithic tunnels and foundations of Palenque are evidence of a much older origin (perhaps even pre-Maya) of the site, a possibility consistent with the content of the hieroglyphic inscriptions found at Palenque, which include a long list of pre-dynastic rulers stretching back into prehistory, and with the local traditions of the Tzeltal people speaking of the arrival of a foreign race of megalithic builders from a land beyond the Sea.<br />
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Perhaps the most interesting possibility hinted by these traditions is the existence of an ancient "<i>Hall of Records</i>" situated somewhere in the vicinity of Palenque, along the Mexico-Guatemala border.<br />
In a later article, we will speculate on the possible location of this "<i>Hall of Records</i>" and on the possibility that it may in fact have already been found at the ancient site of Yaxchilan on the Usumacinta river. </div>
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<b>References:</b></div>
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<b>[1] </b>Simon Martin and Nikolai Grube, C<i>hronicle of the Maya Kings and Queens: Deciphering the Dynasties of the Ancient Maya</i>. Rev. ed. Thames and Hudson, London, 2008, pp. 155-159</div>
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<b>[2] </b>Excerpts of the now lost manuscript of the <i>Probanza de Votan</i> are included in the work of Dr. Paul Felix Cabrera, <i>Description of the Ruins of an Ancient City discovered near Palenque </i>(based on the original from Captain Antonio del Rio), London, 1822</div>
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<b>[3]</b> Lewis Spence, <i>The Problem of Atlantis</i>, London, 1924, p. 107</div>
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<b>[4]</b> A description of these tunnels can be found in Edwin L. Barnhart, <i>El Proyecto de Mapeo de Palenque - Reporte de la Temporada de Campo de 1999</i>, FAMSI, 2004</div>
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<b>[5] </b>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/25/palenque-mexico-pakal-underground-water-tunnel-system</div>
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Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com1Carretera a Palenque- Zona Archaeologica Km. 8, 29960 Palenque, Chis., Mexico17.4847697 -92.045894900000008-8.0372647999999991 -133.3544889 43.006804200000005 -50.737300900000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-50739418059156510882017-10-16T14:15:00.001-05:002017-10-16T14:15:43.695-05:00Teotihuacan - A photo album<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
As the rainy season approaches its end in Mexico, I wanted to share a few pictures to convey the beauty and mystery of Teotihuacan. </div>
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I can only recommend to anyone interested in having the best photographic experience of this ancient site to visit in the Fall, when the heavy rain makes the colors come to life and the day alternates clouds and sun. If you arrive early on a weekday, you may also have the chance of being the only visitor there - a truly magical experience which is very well worth the early wake-up. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3cDUIa1QFk4Gf2zBCoRc7zWtwP8UkLK-uVSWu5p_-kG-5YcReQpi7our1LGKLv3e8i-1ddtKensgWlR9arRD9YuH_THXPM50009KpPGYnVuX4_LTfQ36xGzesKDaLqbDgHXk7TU-f1A/s1600/Teotihuacan+-+HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3cDUIa1QFk4Gf2zBCoRc7zWtwP8UkLK-uVSWu5p_-kG-5YcReQpi7our1LGKLv3e8i-1ddtKensgWlR9arRD9YuH_THXPM50009KpPGYnVuX4_LTfQ36xGzesKDaLqbDgHXk7TU-f1A/s400/Teotihuacan+-+HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View towards the Avenue of the Dead from the Pyramid of the Moon. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4W63PORG4FdRC10VtgzrmTMdR3w_X1K6twa5XOHk-hCmQS34861vPHRSIafWYPuAOpFvaqQM11pUYv0MBpuCFDS9jwGm-F-pALdAwXZzLwcmF_avMJzRiePQmOvrfTYruEsjrsPp8F4/s1600/IMG_1360-HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4W63PORG4FdRC10VtgzrmTMdR3w_X1K6twa5XOHk-hCmQS34861vPHRSIafWYPuAOpFvaqQM11pUYv0MBpuCFDS9jwGm-F-pALdAwXZzLwcmF_avMJzRiePQmOvrfTYruEsjrsPp8F4/s400/IMG_1360-HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Platforms along the Avenue of the Dead, with the Pyramid of the Sun in the background. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyWLqOkw0vSgUaQUAqbwOwYzyhIfPkDb8q0WJT1zhyphenhyphendpxNp6bTzp33OdIcAagFgZREUH68BNyK58-VFnXbwXg70Y1p9MWq0dOJ0UFR6d2Kl5bZ2DEh5kEkEX-SYD9UKDxiY1FIkhHJ5c/s1600/IMG_1281-HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyWLqOkw0vSgUaQUAqbwOwYzyhIfPkDb8q0WJT1zhyphenhyphendpxNp6bTzp33OdIcAagFgZREUH68BNyK58-VFnXbwXg70Y1p9MWq0dOJ0UFR6d2Kl5bZ2DEh5kEkEX-SYD9UKDxiY1FIkhHJ5c/s400/IMG_1281-HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across the Plaza of the Moon towards the Pyramid of the Sun. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5X8LSZlmJiAju-8yVSoyUaqyT0XDU4Yvr7RpKJKbsPlnNwRPovXbd25TlQcCiC-HRKL8Y40aJZXHe7nS6L35ovPcYU5GG-51o3GyRGNLUjAkFBZpYDtBH0c9ATLrQawduMZyfM92aO4/s1600/IMG_1280-HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5X8LSZlmJiAju-8yVSoyUaqyT0XDU4Yvr7RpKJKbsPlnNwRPovXbd25TlQcCiC-HRKL8Y40aJZXHe7nS6L35ovPcYU5GG-51o3GyRGNLUjAkFBZpYDtBH0c9ATLrQawduMZyfM92aO4/s400/IMG_1280-HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only a small portion of Teotihuacan has been excavated. Several unexcavated mounds dot the landscape around the main pyramid. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUAwpKwJ0mgPytXJgqqpxdtseHic-GpTFmzkP8IIhyGkWpePwgZzlL4jvNZ1eMnwLrVA4NIpclhtjusWrOwYlSYhRiNshGMPDBJmOSXYP_-sEZPwTUR5mm3WHvsMyCkqD09dqedqRP6s/s1600/IMG_1279-HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUAwpKwJ0mgPytXJgqqpxdtseHic-GpTFmzkP8IIhyGkWpePwgZzlL4jvNZ1eMnwLrVA4NIpclhtjusWrOwYlSYhRiNshGMPDBJmOSXYP_-sEZPwTUR5mm3WHvsMyCkqD09dqedqRP6s/s400/IMG_1279-HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the Pyramid of the Sun from across the Plaza of the Moon. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15poVKirAjQGiMDLiZEBxj-qhLWnhqvs_vPIXP5yrXZeCNltMBZlcMc9cFRyH00nVOiKMzTLaVO3OgyAeDppxjX3a2wOZ77GiLENhh_SWmT_atZ-bAGi3VHmB6gvfD1AP5cwS6nLIEfE/s1600/IMG_1241-HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15poVKirAjQGiMDLiZEBxj-qhLWnhqvs_vPIXP5yrXZeCNltMBZlcMc9cFRyH00nVOiKMzTLaVO3OgyAeDppxjX3a2wOZ77GiLENhh_SWmT_atZ-bAGi3VHmB6gvfD1AP5cwS6nLIEfE/s400/IMG_1241-HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pyramid of the Moon, with the Cerro Gordo in the background, as seen from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjYrY-V_lKwB2RDaVAEyjlIWITCOuOSH3x4e7_og4rBQXbE0GROvmNprvcVL-E22GV7cLR_3U7-i99nx4Zv_9eUch1pZrqmWFJqReqhE4EuUIyP_dRbawdWbXNRB0YsFvnl9bRTSrMwrU/s1600/IMG_1251+-+HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjYrY-V_lKwB2RDaVAEyjlIWITCOuOSH3x4e7_og4rBQXbE0GROvmNprvcVL-E22GV7cLR_3U7-i99nx4Zv_9eUch1pZrqmWFJqReqhE4EuUIyP_dRbawdWbXNRB0YsFvnl9bRTSrMwrU/s400/IMG_1251+-+HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A strangely deserted Avenue of the Dead looking towards the Pyramid of the Moon. The Cerro Gordo mountain is in the background, still covered in the morning mist. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_RJBgGe92byUvpTDdm084JIvsL-XH7BEvfNM9jMGnMygbXjIvAgLXaa6hKHm_vnBhHR4-v2sDorsFTbRJ1OUUFWmnloNppnPDrRzfU-nmNEAzI4t92eAr_bTFeBSph-YfYYGBhPZBqI/s1600/IMG_1256-HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_RJBgGe92byUvpTDdm084JIvsL-XH7BEvfNM9jMGnMygbXjIvAgLXaa6hKHm_vnBhHR4-v2sDorsFTbRJ1OUUFWmnloNppnPDrRzfU-nmNEAzI4t92eAr_bTFeBSph-YfYYGBhPZBqI/s400/IMG_1256-HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the Pyramid of the Moon from across the Plaza. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmfS9WQAjriBJrE6ysBMEHYdrfQB2oBzmJ6ZGnQGV9j0Q6fa5sF7HOUtxjgtTtrQvxKGEMUN5QI3rmsrenEBEHq72zmoDLwMFJSKxBI2p4ZVyE0dH8IDRhOaA6uax8n_m8OskIZfvnJY/s1600/IMG_1257-HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmfS9WQAjriBJrE6ysBMEHYdrfQB2oBzmJ6ZGnQGV9j0Q6fa5sF7HOUtxjgtTtrQvxKGEMUN5QI3rmsrenEBEHq72zmoDLwMFJSKxBI2p4ZVyE0dH8IDRhOaA6uax8n_m8OskIZfvnJY/s400/IMG_1257-HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pyramid of the Sun, from the distance across a vast expanse of grass. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwu_LD_vh7ImpJohiFiEw3XYxdNQUcw5iH6bvHfEWQ0PT5ayF9ng0nUpp0TUEDn6W6ZbFHb9h4rZeri_v4_1WVW7SaQF8gCqtDnvFKT2GGtmt9OnDRWYi1LhM67SIZA-_srfm1G-suzYU/s1600/IMG_1337-HDR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwu_LD_vh7ImpJohiFiEw3XYxdNQUcw5iH6bvHfEWQ0PT5ayF9ng0nUpp0TUEDn6W6ZbFHb9h4rZeri_v4_1WVW7SaQF8gCqtDnvFKT2GGtmt9OnDRWYi1LhM67SIZA-_srfm1G-suzYU/s400/IMG_1337-HDR.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The monumental stairway of the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpents, with its spectacular sculptured decoration. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<br />Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-22764244069737260602017-10-02T16:26:00.001-05:002017-10-02T19:47:10.826-05:00Join us on our next Expeditions<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>An Update on Upcoming Expeditions</b></div>
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The objective of this post is to share more details on some of our upcoming expeditions that may help unravel the mystery of the origins of the great and still largely unknown megalithic civilization of the Central Mexican highlands. Many of these locations are of difficult access, in remote or impervious terrain. We need motivated people to help us conduct these expeditions on the ground and document these ancient sites (with photos, videos and aerial images) – many of which have not been published before. </div>
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Anyone interested should contact me in private at the address: <b>unchartedruinsblog@gmail.com</b></div>
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Here is an initial list of sites for investigation, with some preliminary information on their significance to our quest for the lost megalithic civilization. </div>
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<b><u>1) Exploration of the <i>Sierra de Huautla</i>, Morelos</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wOnH5ugWnBIl8K5yMmaZ9Ap4vTkE4J6jUEMVko7-7Ol7jUm5FSSwqEMEL3Wy17OpM8cXN1JdR7gwHlvynd6MDMBEG7DZFqxY6aZlKFLcI_zvqxxzaG680avRuVwl9TK0Xq4uXyktm-Y/s1600/MX13537126630132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="607" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wOnH5ugWnBIl8K5yMmaZ9Ap4vTkE4J6jUEMVko7-7Ol7jUm5FSSwqEMEL3Wy17OpM8cXN1JdR7gwHlvynd6MDMBEG7DZFqxY6aZlKFLcI_zvqxxzaG680avRuVwl9TK0Xq4uXyktm-Y/s400/MX13537126630132.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The construction of the walls of Chimalacatlan in an old postcard drawing <b>[Courtesy: Mexicoenfotos.com]</b></td></tr>
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We believe that the center of the megalithic civilization of ancient Mexico must be located somewhere in the still unexplored reaches of the <i>Sierra de Huautla</i>, a mountainous and heavily forested area to the South of the State of Morelos. This is where ancient legends located <i>Tamoanchan</i>, the fabulous “place of origin” of all Mesoamerican civilization – a city founded by the Gods themselves. </div>
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In February of 2015 we explored the mysterious ruins of Chimalacatlan in the <i>Sierra de Huautla</i> (<a href="https://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2015/06/lost-cities-of-mexican-highlands.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">Link here</span></b></a>). This is a unique megalithic site consisting of immense stone walls and platforms occupying the summit of a hill. For its cyclopean style of construction, Chimalacatlan has been compared to some of the finest megalithic constructions of Peru, and is of a type entirely unknown in Mesoamerica. The age of these ruins is unknown, but early investigators of the site conservatively situated their origin in the 1st or 2nd millennium B.C. More reports have since surfaced on the existence of more extensive structures in the mountains near the modern day town of Huaxtla. These structures have been described as clearly megalithic or cyclopean, consisting of large stone blocks measuring as much as 2 meters in length. Several pyramids, plazas and large stone walls have been reported on the site, compatible with the presence of a large city. </div>
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The goal of the expedition will be to document and map these ruins, collect evidence for the existence of additional unexplored sites in the <i>Sierra de Huautla</i> and investigate their architectural analogies with other megalithic/ cyclopean structures in Mexico, Peru and elsewhere. </div>
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Additional information from the Mexican National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH) - <a href="http://hool.inah.gob.mx:1127/jspui/bitstream/123456789/333/1/54.pdf"><b><span style="color: blue;">Link here</span></b></a></div>
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<b><u>2) The Lost Pyramid of Teopantepec and the “<i>City of the Gods</i>” on the <i>Cerro Colorado</i></u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5B2p1jCbLMxk6WUd3jJKaQU5Q8pNbHJorZX9xeRNoDi2hkfbGETEQajKDZfg_o9zWr_yJyK-1C3eVv7Uiz8aAWkrDkrrUJPheQDY2jPssevQUGI_XYk99KGe_FgitVaDhmll2ajrukVs/s1600/Teopantepec+-+Dupaix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5B2p1jCbLMxk6WUd3jJKaQU5Q8pNbHJorZX9xeRNoDi2hkfbGETEQajKDZfg_o9zWr_yJyK-1C3eVv7Uiz8aAWkrDkrrUJPheQDY2jPssevQUGI_XYk99KGe_FgitVaDhmll2ajrukVs/s400/Teopantepec+-+Dupaix.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">An illustration of the pyramid of Teopantepec, as it stood in 1807 <b>[Dupaix, Antiquités Mexicaines, p.4, Plate 3]</b></td></tr>
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In a previous article (<a href="https://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-lost-pyramids-of-mexico.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">Link here</span></b></a>), we identified the <i>Cerro Colorado</i> overlooking the modern day town of Tehuacan, Puebla, as the most likely location of an ancient pyramid known from early 18th and 19th Century documents as <i>Teopantepec</i> (“<i>House of God on the Mountain</i>”). It is possible that the original structure collapsed some time after these early reports were composed, but some remains of its megalithic stone facing may still be found on the <i>Cerro Colorado</i>. Local traditions mention a “<i>City of the Gods</i>” or a “<i>Ciudad Perdida</i> (Lost City)” on the nearly inaccessible summit of the mountain. On the site of this supposed lost city, satellite pictures show a vast rectangular enclosure with what appear to be the remains of an ancient pyramid in the middle. </div>
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The expedition will start from the nearby archaeological site of Tehuacan Viejo, from which a trail leads to the summit of the Cerro Colorado. It can probably be completed as a day-trip from Puebla. </div>
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<b><u>3) <i>Acatzingo de la Piedra</i> – A monolithic pyramid and cyclopean walls </u></b></div>
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A short distance from the town of Malinalco (subject of another article – here), lies the town of Tenancingo and the site of Acatzingo de la Piedra. A monolithic stone pyramid has been recently found on the mountain known locally as the “<i>Cerro de la Malinche</i>”. The pyramid is known as the “<i>Cama de Moctezuma</i>”, and a number of pictures and videos of it exist over the internet. Other pictures show what appear to be portions of megalithic/ cyclopean walls partly covered by forest. </div>
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We will use a drone to map any structures that might exist closer to the summit of the hill, as well as any visible megalithic remains. This expedition can also be completed as a day-trip from Malinalco or Mexico City. </div>
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Additional information from the Mexican National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH) - <a href="https://revistas.inah.gob.mx/index.php/arqueologia/article/download/3497/3381"><b><span style="color: blue;">Link here</span></b></a>. </div>
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<b><u>4) Mexico’s Marcahuasi – The Sacred Valley of Tepoztlán</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXIIJl1bjoerVGTOygnql_uqDq_bt6EaD5vtQLX4WVsApU1tJRbdkn1NCqPIsQ2tlrnnMOPD6KeXsbcF3CspZVPfWd5IekrIxZhSRxdwCSalPAGLAdbpi9mr-xGB3Vib7cyZf08S6rNo/s1600/Tepoztlan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="1105" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXIIJl1bjoerVGTOygnql_uqDq_bt6EaD5vtQLX4WVsApU1tJRbdkn1NCqPIsQ2tlrnnMOPD6KeXsbcF3CspZVPfWd5IekrIxZhSRxdwCSalPAGLAdbpi9mr-xGB3Vib7cyZf08S6rNo/s400/Tepoztlan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A satellite view of the Valley of Tepoztlan, with the Popocatepetl volcano in the background <b>[Courtesy Google Earth]</b></td></tr>
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Unbeknown to many, the famous Peruvian explorer Daniel Ruzo, who first documented and publicized the mysterious rock sculptures on the plateau of Marcahuasi, spent the last years of his life in Mexico in what he called the “<i>Sacred Valley of Tepoztlán</i>”. There, he believed that rock sculptures even larger and older than those of Marcahuasi existed in the mountains surrounding the town of Tepoztlán. He documented hundreds of colossal rock sculptures, forming what he called a “hidden blueprint” or a map pointing to the location of a legendary “Hall of Records”. Since the publication of his book “<i>El Valle Sagrado de Tepoztlán</i>”, the valley has however failed to attract a similar interest to its Peruvian counterpart. </div>
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The town of Tepoztlán, with its stunning landscapes and the enigmatic pyramid of Tepozteco, attracts thousands of tourists every year. Only very few of them, however, are aware of the research of Daniel Ruzo. The goal of our expedition will be to document many of the rock sculptures first described and photographed by Ruzo in his book, identifying signs or marks that could point to their artificial rather than natural origin. Because of the easy accessibility of Tepoztlán from Cuernavaca and Mexico City, this can also be completed through a number of day-trips from Mexico City. We will also use a drone to document the rock sculptures from the air and identify any other features not detectable from the ground. </div>
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<b><u>5) The Mysterious Rock of Apoala</u></b></div>
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The great 19th Century ethnologist and explorer Hubert H. Bancroft collected the following tradition of the “Flying Gods” of the Mixteca. After a great deluge, two gods appeared to repopulate the Earth: “<i>They made a very sumptuous palace – a masterpiece of skill – in which they made their abode upon Earth…on the highest part of this building was an axe of copper, the edge being uppermost, and on this axe the heavens rested […] This rock and the palace of the Gods were on a mountain in the neighborhood of the town of Apoala in the province of Mixteca Alta. The rock was called ‘The Place of Heaven´, there the Gods first abode on Earth.</i>” <b>[Hubert Howe Bancroft, The Native Races, Vol. IV] </b></div>
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Such a rock does indeed exist in the vicinity of the modern day town of Santiago Apoala. Several deep caves associated with the legend exist in the gorges of Apoala, and a number of very curious petroglyphs and Olmec rock-reliefs (one in particular, known as the “<i>Danzante</i>”) are said to exist near the summit of the rock of Apoala. </div>
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We will be looking for remains of ancient structures on or near the summit of the rock of Apoala, which may offer evidence for the existence of a “<i>Palace of the Gods</i>”. We will also investigate traditions of a labyrinth of ancient tunnels in a cave known locally as the “<i>Cueva del Diablo</i> (The Devil’s lair)”. </div>
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Additional information and pictures can be found <a href="http://jorgevazsan.blogspot.com/2008/04/apoala-una-maravilla-natural.html"><span style="color: blue;"><b>here</b></span></a>.</div>
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<b><u>6) An ancient obelisk and carved reliefs in Axutla, Puebla</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8kPXQwDYg_rWkCHcxPZfYETnch992SU7zPN9fhdfWGDP2Cx8cYlaQND1-SrqyYHe3il-lTYzEs5UAv8U2r-4LyTvsTByIaOU_SMbcLZW4xPLEUwoML8fb3qAH9fTM25hRSCT-9ew5Hk/s1600/Axutla+-+Gran+Pena+-+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="1104" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8kPXQwDYg_rWkCHcxPZfYETnch992SU7zPN9fhdfWGDP2Cx8cYlaQND1-SrqyYHe3il-lTYzEs5UAv8U2r-4LyTvsTByIaOU_SMbcLZW4xPLEUwoML8fb3qAH9fTM25hRSCT-9ew5Hk/s400/Axutla+-+Gran+Pena+-+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">A satellite view of the Rock of Huehuepiaxtla (Axutla, PUE), along the Rio Atoyaque </span><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Courtesy Google Earth]</b></div>
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Also in the region of the Mixteca Alta, the village of Huehuepiaxtla (Axutla, PUE) is home to a colossal rocky outcrop known locally as “<i>La Gran Peña</i> (the great rock)”. A number of pictures have been circulating on the internet of ancient carved reliefs and stelae found in the vicinity of the mountain, containing unusual depictions of supernatural beings which were believed to inhabit its summit. It is also said that ancient structures, including a large “stone obelisk” may exist on the summit – although no documentation of these puzzling remains could be found. </div>
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The expedition can probably be conducted as a day-trip from Puebla, with the objective of documenting many of these curious finds and confirm the existence of ancient megalithic structures near the summit of the Rock of Huehuepiaxtla. </div>
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Additional information and pictures can be found <a href="http://admin.municipiospuebla.mx/nota/2013-12-22/acatl%C3%A1n-de-osorio/la-gran-pe%C3%B1a-origen-de-mitos-y-leyendas-en-la-mixteca-poblana-y"><b><span style="color: blue;">here</span></b></a>.</div>
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<b><u>7) A journey into the Underworld of Teotihuacan</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XoMlxNxDj_3h2kkaePk1HyAfhdPlk-PtOUMcnqQ0Fqfxt4IbuHuccG21i65XqRhpPJjgahz03sPbVOHqJgV_ssUTHp1HcTQBpVUXxS346VlwYnEM-J692qg6gg8tO_qCGFKJJfpsp6I/s1600/IMG_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XoMlxNxDj_3h2kkaePk1HyAfhdPlk-PtOUMcnqQ0Fqfxt4IbuHuccG21i65XqRhpPJjgahz03sPbVOHqJgV_ssUTHp1HcTQBpVUXxS346VlwYnEM-J692qg6gg8tO_qCGFKJJfpsp6I/s400/IMG_0631.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large chamber in one of the caves that form the ancient Underworld of Teotihuacan, located a short distance to the East of the Pyramid of the Sun <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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There are reportedly miles of ancient tunnels and interconnected cave systems under the ancient pyramid-city of Teotihuacan. We confirmed the existence of the tunnels and explored a small portion of this labyrinthine network to the East of the pyramid of the Sun in February of 2017 (<a href="https://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-mysterious-underworld-of-teotihuacan.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">Link here</span></b></a>). Additional tunnel entrances are reported to exist near the palatial complex of Oztoyahualco, near Acolman, on the Cerro Gordo and in the Sierra de Patlacique to the south of the ancient city (these latter apparently carved in a very hard andesite). </div>
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Some of the tunnels are rumored to extend for many miles. Early archaeological reports speak of labyrinthine tunnels leading to vast hollowed chambers and pillared halls deep under the earth, which may have an association with the legendary <i>Chicomoztoc</i>, the “<i>Place of the seven caves</i>” considered to be the ancestral homeland from which emerged the ancestors of the Aztec tribes. </div>
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This expedition is likely to require proper speleological equipment for the exploration of the underground passages. </div>
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<b><u>8) The mysterious subterraneans of Xochicalco</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl_ZONbxTvoqqvPaTgGBMVBBbOTjXLZrZYROFhHOa6MfJGQ7MKiheDS42M9B_ZGmaiWnEI31pncV95hX3jYwHg_soC-W1Z_Mq2Y_jGoJpN3Az6iuNtjFCzI0yRULBPZ-Ehkbe42tJehk/s1600/IMG_0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl_ZONbxTvoqqvPaTgGBMVBBbOTjXLZrZYROFhHOa6MfJGQ7MKiheDS42M9B_ZGmaiWnEI31pncV95hX3jYwHg_soC-W1Z_Mq2Y_jGoJpN3Az6iuNtjFCzI0yRULBPZ-Ehkbe42tJehk/s400/IMG_0877.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A portion of an ancient tunnel under the acropolis of Xochicalco <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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A number of ancient tunnels extend under the acropolis of Xochicalco, and there are also rumors of underground chambers and labyrinthine passageways running for many miles all around. Only a small portion of the tunnel system is presently open to the public (near the so-called solar observatory or “<i>Cueva del Sol</i>”). Other entrances can be found on the flanks of the acropolis, which lead to collapsed portions of the tunnel system (some of which we explored in April of 2017) – the tunnels are apparently very regular and are dug through a hard local kind of limestone. During the same trip we also documented large stretches of what appear to be polygonal/ cyclopean walls forming the substructure of the acropolis. The nearby <i>Cerro de la Bodega</i> is also said to contain a number of tunnel entrances. </div>
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This expedition is also likely to require proper speleological equipment for the exploration of the underground passages. </div>
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Link to a previous article on Xochicalco <a href="https://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-pyramid-of-xochicalco-monument-to.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">here</span></b></a></div>
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<b><u>9) The Aztec sanctuary on Mount Tlaloc</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFssUZBwcZYqMhhB0MvRWhyphenhyphenYeoQYnUzMCbg97RR1Og6OLOY3s3QsbK0ERAIHjODjx0g8szx_yRd5V5wQJ_l7Hp7RwSnn8DP0qRVdk5P0O7SUbQiB_hX7RG-ye0tJEWeyTQI8hybfVF40/s1600/monta%25C3%25B1a-fantasma-texcoco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="680" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFssUZBwcZYqMhhB0MvRWhyphenhyphenYeoQYnUzMCbg97RR1Og6OLOY3s3QsbK0ERAIHjODjx0g8szx_yRd5V5wQJ_l7Hp7RwSnn8DP0qRVdk5P0O7SUbQiB_hX7RG-ye0tJEWeyTQI8hybfVF40/s400/monta%25C3%25B1a-fantasma-texcoco.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A 3D reconstruction of the Aztec sanctuary on Mount Tlaloc and the "Ghost Mountain" optical illusion <b>[Courtesy: masdemx.com]</b></td></tr>
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The chief sanctuary of Tlaloc – the Aztec god of rain, was located on the mountain that bears the same name in the vicinity of Mexico City. The sanctuary on the summit, at an altitude of nearly 4,100 meters above sea level, is considered to be among the highest archaeological ruins in the world, and contains a number of significant astronomical alignments, including a long processional ramp and a ruined pyramid-observatory.</div>
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A curious optical phenomenon takes place on the summit of Mount Tlaloc during the month of February. Known as the “ghost mountain” (<i>La Montaña fantasma</i>), the phenomenon consists in an apparent optical mirage of a non-existing mountain in front of the peak of Mount Tlaloc. </div>
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The hike to the summit of Mount Tlaloc does not require any special technical equipment, but one night of camping on the mountain is required. </div>
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Additional information and pictures can be found <a href="http://masdemx.com/2016/07/el-monte-tlaloc-y-el-inesperado-reflejo-de-la-montana-fantasma/"><b><span style="color: blue;">here</span></b></a>. </div>
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<b><u>10) The search for the Cross of Xaagá </u></b></div>
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In a previous article (<a href="https://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-megalithic-ruins-of-ancient-mexico.html"><b><span style="color: blue;">Link here</span></b></a>), we described a mysterious megalithic tomb somewhere in the vicinity of Mitla. The tomb is in the shape of a cross and consists of several immense megalithic stone blocks measuring as much as 6-7 meters long. Several black and white pictures of the alleged tomb exist, dating from the early 1900’s, but its exact location has apparently been lost. If found, the tomb would be one of the largest megalithic structures in the entire American continent. The area is also characterized by the presence of rock art and cave paintings dating back thousands of years. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvChJjW_JQXtb_6d25my3awhc9J9QkXwFviyP3NFv3mVsCBCWbgXltlq1w1EdUpIbBZqUVdBlQNGN3lcBTExZ5EPJrkT4YWHNeSuV-L4y0yWvL4D2XCmNS-zCruOouBR2owxMLalh44oM/s1600/Guiaroo+tomb-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="468" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvChJjW_JQXtb_6d25my3awhc9J9QkXwFviyP3NFv3mVsCBCWbgXltlq1w1EdUpIbBZqUVdBlQNGN3lcBTExZ5EPJrkT4YWHNeSuV-L4y0yWvL4D2XCmNS-zCruOouBR2owxMLalh44oM/s400/Guiaroo+tomb-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">One of the few existing pictures of the large cruciform tomb at Guiaroo, dating to the time of the 1902 excavations. Each one of the immense monolithic stone blocks employed in the construction measured over 6 meters long with an estimated weight of nearly 50 tons. The location of this remarkable megalithic structure has apparently been lost. <b>[Photo Saville, 1902]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsxrR1LGafoMJo8jfF7ErfhEDAYPMn4l2VBmvtBTIy_c6Mwj3idvaO653WZcpWWgFmLG96YF4rDUJ7A6nwNHD4UZSxbH-9AMAto8lA2qAG7XDQ5QeCmSr9eRHM317FNIno8eKCPmcGVI/s1600/Guiaroo+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="468" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsxrR1LGafoMJo8jfF7ErfhEDAYPMn4l2VBmvtBTIy_c6Mwj3idvaO653WZcpWWgFmLG96YF4rDUJ7A6nwNHD4UZSxbH-9AMAto8lA2qAG7XDQ5QeCmSr9eRHM317FNIno8eKCPmcGVI/s400/Guiaroo+tomb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the same structure after partial excavation, taken at an angle. <b>[Photo Saville, 1902]</b></td></tr>
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An expert guide will be required for this trek, which can probably be done on horse or mule as a day trip from Oaxaca. </div>
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Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-81239547320964197042017-10-01T13:39:00.005-05:002017-10-02T15:24:16.903-05:00Mysterious geoglyphs and a new pyramid at Teotihuacan? <div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>New elements in the astronomical design of the site</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TKyHFi_ksXmSsOUuk6MlvOGpi64_dXtFOaE2630vUCZ2e7ztiaTkFn6Gt9F7JfjJxVNxKGnPEGnIWCcCUBkXL7iwgYRNQjiUpOIsG4bT2lHN1KCHwOxfRvcJ9mT-kXkr-Zo1HlJlSYg/s1600/Cerro+Colorado+-+Geoglyphs-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TKyHFi_ksXmSsOUuk6MlvOGpi64_dXtFOaE2630vUCZ2e7ztiaTkFn6Gt9F7JfjJxVNxKGnPEGnIWCcCUBkXL7iwgYRNQjiUpOIsG4bT2lHN1KCHwOxfRvcJ9mT-kXkr-Zo1HlJlSYg/s400/Cerro+Colorado+-+Geoglyphs-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cerro Colorado, as seen from the Pyramid of the Sun. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Courtesy: Google Earth]</b></td></tr>
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The reason for Teotihuacan’s orientation 15.5° East of North has been one of the most enduring mysteries of Mesoamerican archaeology. The only answers so far have come from natural topography. The summit of the Cerro Gordo mountain, to the North-East of Teotihuacan, appears to be aligned to the Pyramid of the Sun if a perpendicular is drawn through its Northern face (<i>Contrary to common belief, the Avenue of the Dead does not point toward the summit of the Cerro Gordo, but rather to a point slightly to the West of it</i>). One nearby summit, the Cerro Colorado Chico, however significantly stands out for its apparent exclusion from the system of topographical alignments that characterize the ancient site. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3_PenfgQ_QQ6gZhXl7kZlRI3Cg10upqo_MZj2LgdhW1-ETAfGrfLpn1ZoQ-ydETV_RkPNhRN0F-frmMJULGj4OVk6eI4q6jNE7NeoS4nE5cyZR51MCDxDZc_D-mhwxyzACGg7eL2JEk/s1600/Cerro+Colorado+-+Geoglyphs-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3_PenfgQ_QQ6gZhXl7kZlRI3Cg10upqo_MZj2LgdhW1-ETAfGrfLpn1ZoQ-ydETV_RkPNhRN0F-frmMJULGj4OVk6eI4q6jNE7NeoS4nE5cyZR51MCDxDZc_D-mhwxyzACGg7eL2JEk/s400/Cerro+Colorado+-+Geoglyphs-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The Valley of Teotihuacan, as seen from the summit of the Cerro Gordo, looking South. The Cerro Colorado lies to the right in the picture, with the Patlacique Range in the background along the axis of the Avenue of the Dead. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Courtesy: Google Earth]</b></td></tr>
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This is even more surprising if one considers that the Cerro Colorado is the most prominent elevation in the immediate vicinities of Teotihuacan besides the Cerro Gordo to the North and the Cerro Patlacique to the South. Because the Cerro Colorado is located due West of Teotihuacan, this would make it an excellent, and indeed the only possible natural sunset solsticial marker for an observer located on top of the Pyramid of the Sun. </div>
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As a first step, we set out to investigate the astronomical angles of this alignment: </div>
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<ul>
<li>Cerro Colorado Azimuth from Sun Pyramid: <b>301.91°</b></li>
<li>Distance from Sun Pyramid (summit-to-summit): <b>4.17Kms</b></li>
<li>Difference in elevation between Sun Pyramid and Cerro Colorado (summit-to-summit): <b>240m</b></li>
<li>Angle between Sun Pyramid and summit of Cerro Colorado: <b>3.294°</b> (calculated)</li>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Because the present Azimuth of the Summer Solstice sunset as observed from Teotihuacan is only </span><b style="text-align: justify;">293.5°</b><span style="text-align: justify;">, the Sun would set some </span><b style="text-align: justify;">8.41°</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> to the South of the summit of Cerro Colorado, at a point near its base. </span><br />
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We then focused on the Moon Pyramid instead, with the following readings:</div>
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<li>Cerro Colorado Azimuth from Moon Pyramid: <b>291.64°</b></li>
<li>Distance from Moon Pyramid (summit-to-summit): <b>3.77Kms</b></li>
<li>Difference in elevation between Moon Pyramid and Cerro Colorado (summit-to-summit): <b>246m</b></li>
<li>Angle between Moon Pyramid and summit of Cerro Colorado: <b>3.733° </b>(calculated)</li>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The observed Azimuth of </span><b style="text-align: justify;">291.64° </b><span style="text-align: justify;">is much closer to the target 293.5° (the difference being less than </span><b style="text-align: justify;">2°</b><span style="text-align: justify;">), which would make the Cerro Colorado a fairly accurate solsticial marker for an observer located on the summit of the Moon Pyramid at sunset. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuOm5EZqOsEz3ACMxFaIc0gK9foNR6X-AiYrBlvNjvZFwwRkweFNF7WQMCkqHHu7suFLVqvCzGhCaTvZVym22cK8gAje-LDXKVZDrq08-mc42bVb_NN69CdrC1Wih2U_I0kRhalXFlLw/s1600/Sunset+-+Moon+Pyramid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="1102" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuOm5EZqOsEz3ACMxFaIc0gK9foNR6X-AiYrBlvNjvZFwwRkweFNF7WQMCkqHHu7suFLVqvCzGhCaTvZVym22cK8gAje-LDXKVZDrq08-mc42bVb_NN69CdrC1Wih2U_I0kRhalXFlLw/s400/Sunset+-+Moon+Pyramid.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Summer Solstice sunset as seen from the top of the Pyramid of the Moon <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Courtesy: Google Earth]</b></td></tr>
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<b>Geoglyphs and a possible pyramid</b></div>
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We explored the summit of the Cerro Colorado using Google Earth in search of possible ancient structures that could have served as astronomical markers to validate the alignment. To our surprise, the images revealed what appears to be a pyramid platform located on top of the mountain, at an altitude of 2,597 meters above sea level. The pyramid measures an apparent 10 meters on each side, consists of two or possibly three superimposed bodies and has what appears to be a stairway facing to the South-East. Interestingly, a line drawn through this stairway points directly towards the summit of the Pyramid of the Sun. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaC0OhNZGS7Mzvpl6VTSYYtQA8WhNpkRADZJ7FoxyXH6b9Ti85zFG6oI4e-fpAAfhHTrX9UY-Ui8ysXeBAPvWV29zsHpaal6uYYBYaFNtXOXozuWZc853d47f9bTmPztVUVHBZF2jQj30/s1600/Pyramid+-+Cerro+Colorado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1526" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaC0OhNZGS7Mzvpl6VTSYYtQA8WhNpkRADZJ7FoxyXH6b9Ti85zFG6oI4e-fpAAfhHTrX9UY-Ui8ysXeBAPvWV29zsHpaal6uYYBYaFNtXOXozuWZc853d47f9bTmPztVUVHBZF2jQj30/s400/Pyramid+-+Cerro+Colorado.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The location of the possible Pyramid on top of the Cerro Colorado. The building is precisely aligned towards the Pyramid of the Sun, some 4 kilometers away. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Courtesy: Google Earth]</b></td></tr>
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Immediately below the “pyramid”, we also identified an immense geoglyph, measuring over 150 meters in length, also facing the valley and the Pyramid of Teotihuacan to the South-East. The geoglyph consists of three squares delimited by what appear to be dry-stone walls, each containing a glyph and a number of abstract symbols. The rightmost quadrant contains a “X” shape with symbols in the upper and lower portion (the one below resembling the letter “S”). The glyphs in the center and leftmost quadrant are of more difficult interpretation. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCU6M0BQtWLgjsxz2k7SoRkYHyAR88-5Xe_d_D0Unn-ouLeiPkxHjtXQCUVa1Mci9k1NqW89xU6fUKXlH6uV81tRrNjNT6q495TgQE-jGvnqJ_Sj712NPcBBnWr6wmFRGfSxjcDfikBU/s1600/Cerro+Colorado+-+Geoglyphs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1600" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCU6M0BQtWLgjsxz2k7SoRkYHyAR88-5Xe_d_D0Unn-ouLeiPkxHjtXQCUVa1Mci9k1NqW89xU6fUKXlH6uV81tRrNjNT6q495TgQE-jGvnqJ_Sj712NPcBBnWr6wmFRGfSxjcDfikBU/s400/Cerro+Colorado+-+Geoglyphs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view of the geoglyphs near the summit of the Cerro Colorado <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Courtesy: Google Earth]</b></td></tr>
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There seems to be no mention of structures (either ancient or modern) near the summit of the Cerro Colorado, nor of geoglyphs on its slopes. Even though it is possible that the geoglyphs are of modern origin (drawn by whom and why?), the location of the “pyramid” on the summit of the Cerro Colorado and its alignment to the Sun Pyramid are certainly interesting in light of its possible astronomical significance. </div>
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Only an expedition on the ground can solve the question of whether these are indeed ancient structures and their relationship to the nearby Teotihuacan pyramids. </div>
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Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com2Teotihuacan, State of Mexico, Mexico19.685267 -98.87211860000002219.655366 -98.912459100000021 19.715168 -98.831778100000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-23258239439618938902017-08-07T16:46:00.000-05:002017-10-02T16:17:07.074-05:00The Megalithic Ruins of Ancient Mexico - Part III<b>The Lost tombs of Mitla</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IDaPXaQQm6HFowmHzOy7D5UnUyDkG7AaKzo_XJreeqJWm0_XaIinviozF-nZD9V4Tz865FpfelYKaOet-1mL75MnChHlDfSp_UaxYueYfoP9HW_hHg5hoDxjFj_FOd8jYz2DkWq5KR8/s1600/mitla-palazzo-colonne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="500" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IDaPXaQQm6HFowmHzOy7D5UnUyDkG7AaKzo_XJreeqJWm0_XaIinviozF-nZD9V4Tz865FpfelYKaOet-1mL75MnChHlDfSp_UaxYueYfoP9HW_hHg5hoDxjFj_FOd8jYz2DkWq5KR8/s400/mitla-palazzo-colonne.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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The main entrance to the "<i>Columns Group</i>" at the ancient site of Mitla. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The archaeological site of Mitla is among the better known to travelers and explorers of ancient Mesoamerica since at least the early 18th Century, when its constructions were first sketched and described. The site is unique for its peculiar megalithic architecture and stone mosaics, which are found in a remarkable state of preservation. This is due to the structures being in uninterrupted use for centuries after the Spanish conquest and almost to the present day. </span></div>
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The origins of Mitla are unknown. Although most of the structures visible today may date to the Post-Classic period (9th-12th Century AD), prehistoric cliff paintings and traces of human habitation in the area date at least to 3,000 BC (<i>Caballito Blanco</i> and Yagul). </div>
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The present ruins of Mitla are clustered around four main palatial groups, sharing a similar plan consisting of three to four structures facing a central courtyard. These are known as the “<i>Church Group</i>”, the “<i>Arroyo Group</i>”, the “<i>Adobe Group</i>” and the “<i>Columns Group</i>”. The most remarkable feature of these structures is the exceptional quality of the stone workmanship and the use of extremely large megalithic stones. The walls of the structures are lined with beautiful and exceedingly intricate stone mosaics, perhaps in the imitation of textiles. Thousands of perfectly cut, polished and fitted stones were employed for the realization of each mosaic panel. In some cases, the walls were painted in what archaeologists have labelled as “<i>Codex style</i>”, for its similarity with the coeval Mixtec codices and manuscripts. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOrbH9mNhPzAjDVSpg0W8APATPaPsJa0B8vwSSqnoVHSWsDjuDhIQU5jlU9eiXvnIJNPPC-_vJmboCfGs_wqA7CCJroIcPZAWofN8hdpKTQhmovbKZ5BnvVTC8HXDEx-sKo_eThCjWNU/s1600/IMGP9640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOrbH9mNhPzAjDVSpg0W8APATPaPsJa0B8vwSSqnoVHSWsDjuDhIQU5jlU9eiXvnIJNPPC-_vJmboCfGs_wqA7CCJroIcPZAWofN8hdpKTQhmovbKZ5BnvVTC8HXDEx-sKo_eThCjWNU/s400/IMGP9640.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A detail of some of the intricate stone mosaics that decorate the outer walls of the “Columns Group”. One also notices the extreme quality of the stone workmanship and the remarkable state of preservation of the Prehispanic structures. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8EsFKLUDyM0PmzAXs1Car_bmYV4HCnSkKmEz-qCsrZ-UkfltB9WfpPsKpvyyqR87IjULuY1NlW2cA04eqqzYVv29tmuyOW_9CPTL3dmiWYLyQW58JmB2V3P_o6n70nnq3p1QdrI7ZmM/s1600/IMGP9642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8EsFKLUDyM0PmzAXs1Car_bmYV4HCnSkKmEz-qCsrZ-UkfltB9WfpPsKpvyyqR87IjULuY1NlW2cA04eqqzYVv29tmuyOW_9CPTL3dmiWYLyQW58JmB2V3P_o6n70nnq3p1QdrI7ZmM/s400/IMGP9642.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view taken from the East side of the "Columns Group", also showing part of the high podium that sustains the structures above. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACxUgx2Id6l2iT1zadYFmwyb-mc_eP8NM3Pir6SioCW_hAeE45tcXc9PGxzniwEt9D6l05T1_pFgNxuk1UlxAi8zoPDkl35mlfouRIziCq_MfO_lZpRzVSIKNHjOHLscGYj5G8QC-X_I/s400/IMGP9654.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view of the main pillared hall inside the “Columns Group”. Each one of the massive basalt columns visible in the picture has an estimated weight of over 15 tons and an height of between 4 and 5 meters. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACxUgx2Id6l2iT1zadYFmwyb-mc_eP8NM3Pir6SioCW_hAeE45tcXc9PGxzniwEt9D6l05T1_pFgNxuk1UlxAi8zoPDkl35mlfouRIziCq_MfO_lZpRzVSIKNHjOHLscGYj5G8QC-X_I/s1600/IMGP9654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2e792ke5F5LL1pbrCAMjvqa3oxmm97giLUt_8V5RdXK_F1YE7EEbcFEOFPcrEU6G6ZmOWPS66bHpyaajOLHzdG2BTFHTRvjGoFxS5vyj9BQpdTwFUUNk-P7ezyiGi_4ZNic9-kajSn8/s1600/IMGP9662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2e792ke5F5LL1pbrCAMjvqa3oxmm97giLUt_8V5RdXK_F1YE7EEbcFEOFPcrEU6G6ZmOWPS66bHpyaajOLHzdG2BTFHTRvjGoFxS5vyj9BQpdTwFUUNk-P7ezyiGi_4ZNic9-kajSn8/s400/IMGP9662.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view into one of the side chambers of the “Columns Group”, showing more of the intricate mosaics and sculpted decoration on the inner walls. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm6u7bB4I2nxcKo4l9ktWGfBerW5arftw3Oen2V-hktBZN0fvbKbDNz7-u_L6z-kclNal8HXIIseWPjgSKahPgUPudY8u8n6qRT5Xw1efDYN56fNmMHqpUNenOgHu7cBIe0d2B1u-I-Q/s1600/IMGP9670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm6u7bB4I2nxcKo4l9ktWGfBerW5arftw3Oen2V-hktBZN0fvbKbDNz7-u_L6z-kclNal8HXIIseWPjgSKahPgUPudY8u8n6qRT5Xw1efDYN56fNmMHqpUNenOgHu7cBIe0d2B1u-I-Q/s400/IMGP9670.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Some of the delicate carvings and stone mosaics framing a doorway inside the “Columns Group”. The mosaic decoration was probably realized in the imitation of textile designs and was originally painted in bright colors of which only faint traces remain. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzs0J8phnPO4NuIYbh-DjU69_hL0JWiUaCfnFxCURubQlvCrdi1awtjx3DjcM3xdWanH9Z8i3pLOXVeXoXF1hQXMGpy8RW2RQ9cPWXLwMuqKZRrxILJ4oZ_3LcgiNbMjcixSL1LoA81og/s1600/IMGP9658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzs0J8phnPO4NuIYbh-DjU69_hL0JWiUaCfnFxCURubQlvCrdi1awtjx3DjcM3xdWanH9Z8i3pLOXVeXoXF1hQXMGpy8RW2RQ9cPWXLwMuqKZRrxILJ4oZ_3LcgiNbMjcixSL1LoA81og/s400/IMGP9658.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another particular of the same doorway, seen from the front. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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Some of the monolithic lintels employed in the palaces, particularly the “<i>Columns Group</i>”, measure as much as 6 meters long with an estimated weight in excess of 30 tons. The stone is a very hard basalt, coming from quarries located at a distance of between 5 and 10 kilometers on the opposite side of the valley. From the same stone were also quarried a number of monolithic columns, which have a fluted appearance and measure from 4 to 5 meters high. </div>
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<b>Mitla’s real “Temple of Doom”</b></div>
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The most remarkable examples of megalithic architecture and the finest stone workmanship visible anywhere at Mitla are found in some of the subterranean chambers that extend under the floor of the palaces themselves. These chambers generally follow a cruciform plan, with four long arms departing from the center. The remarkable precision of the stone cut, the polish and jointing of the stones is the finest in all of Mesoamerica and among the finest found at any megalithic site elsewhere in the world. </div>
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The joints between the stones are so tight that not a sheet of paper would fit between two blocks, while the intricacy of the sculpted decoration and the angles at which the stones interlock are a source of constant wonder. Unlike the stone mosaics in the palaces above, which consist of hundreds of minuscule stone tiles, the panels in the underground chambers are entirely monolithic, each consisting of a single immense stone block delicately carved in the imitation of curious arabesques and geometrical patterns. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5v7MLV96lZ9-Qnp0pqV_OOuFmB0ObSFX83pjB7DFNJ7s3AJKJXaALYZRVGvnfuycZzE1bKouOfrKP3O9cw2ZPt_GKluVoEG0l0Ngdxl7wyiGhWI7fsamb2D8VJ1UXqBXazcWA1RIzbUk/s1600/IMGP9701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5v7MLV96lZ9-Qnp0pqV_OOuFmB0ObSFX83pjB7DFNJ7s3AJKJXaALYZRVGvnfuycZzE1bKouOfrKP3O9cw2ZPt_GKluVoEG0l0Ngdxl7wyiGhWI7fsamb2D8VJ1UXqBXazcWA1RIzbUk/s400/IMGP9701.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view towards the entrance corridor of the same chamber, framed by sculptured panels. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoguhHQYgn6zWsTbEI_fCgUAebauY3KQrbKRQwJCSfEiyA3PrtPrjjpRwNxWctHqwUfXQ3uaeyTTLY_8kmOmw_gLYwX5VPQr33mg0wkPAWCTNkZ_MIhnGixylho5hEpx5QFwj9nYzhaw/s1600/IMGP9703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoguhHQYgn6zWsTbEI_fCgUAebauY3KQrbKRQwJCSfEiyA3PrtPrjjpRwNxWctHqwUfXQ3uaeyTTLY_8kmOmw_gLYwX5VPQr33mg0wkPAWCTNkZ_MIhnGixylho5hEpx5QFwj9nYzhaw/s400/IMGP9703.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">More details of the same passageway. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0Pu1wYFbr9GqL1XGwx1psge2WQoOKUkS9ebrp5JoujVnAojlBN5f6tXOKHZc4dFHoXzNBUJ0Q8fdl_frkLVwD3ZnciwYUqu5Fp695OowVl21L_TVfdvOvuqn9w_-SnzPER7JoZ_nZNs/s1600/IMGP9704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0Pu1wYFbr9GqL1XGwx1psge2WQoOKUkS9ebrp5JoujVnAojlBN5f6tXOKHZc4dFHoXzNBUJ0Q8fdl_frkLVwD3ZnciwYUqu5Fp695OowVl21L_TVfdvOvuqn9w_-SnzPER7JoZ_nZNs/s400/IMGP9704.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More details of the same passageway. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqXML0dnagUwrmZln-6mWMRmKgsfn3wx_6h90WEDthDtE24N9olPYs6bMZa-Pdm2OVrTuaO2WXzavTI37t7Xs0n3Y4MC40id_7dl0eXrLcK_PFkA0-nvQP6i_RGQ7-XEWcXPEfzOxbnE/s1600/IMGP9705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqXML0dnagUwrmZln-6mWMRmKgsfn3wx_6h90WEDthDtE24N9olPYs6bMZa-Pdm2OVrTuaO2WXzavTI37t7Xs0n3Y4MC40id_7dl0eXrLcK_PFkA0-nvQP6i_RGQ7-XEWcXPEfzOxbnE/s400/IMGP9705.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Several details of the cornerstones of one of the subterranean passages, from which it is possible to appreciate the extraordinary quality of the stone workmanship of these chambers and the air-tight joints between the large megalithic stone blocks that form the walls and ceilings of these subterranean chambers. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZYN3qTSsHfjDijQntbtHbFqirRwRETIxkZ3ftCmb2flf8qMOmVfHWPrDbvGrP6eEmPfYPmveG6OvWIZJO6d5I66jYFA7FKvZScTOnQJxAfwDR0Ag-DGC_ZZWHwaWT5Mf1XEt2v7kOnU/s1600/IMGP9711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZYN3qTSsHfjDijQntbtHbFqirRwRETIxkZ3ftCmb2flf8qMOmVfHWPrDbvGrP6eEmPfYPmveG6OvWIZJO6d5I66jYFA7FKvZScTOnQJxAfwDR0Ag-DGC_ZZWHwaWT5Mf1XEt2v7kOnU/s400/IMGP9711.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">One of the subterranean chambers of the “Columns group”. Notice the enormous size and the perfect fitting of the monolithic lintel above the entrance, and also the immense monolithic slab forming the roof of the chamber. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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The 16th Century Spanish priest Father Torquemada, who left an account of the ruins of Mitla, described the peculiar arrangement of the subterranean chambers of one of the palaces. </div>
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“<i>The last (underground) chamber had a second door at the rear, which led to a dark and gruesome room. This was closed with a stone slab, which occupied the whole entrance. Through this door they, threw the bodies of the victims and of the great lords and chieftains who had fallen in battle…and so great was the barbarous infatuation of those Indians that, in the belief of the happy life which awaited them, many who were oppressed by diseases or hardships begged this infamous priest to accept them as living sacrifices and allow them to enter through that portal and roam about in the dark interior of the mountain, to seek the feasting-places of their forefathers. […] And the unhappy man, wandering in that abyss of darkness, died of hunger and thirst, beginning already in life the pain of his damnation, and on account of this horrible abyss they called this village Liyobaa.</i> <b>[1]</b>” </div>
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The same account continues with the following story: </div>
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“<i>When later there fell upon these people the light of the Gospel, its servants took much trouble to instruct them, and to find out whether this error, common to all these nations, still prevailed; and they learned from the stories which had been handed down that all were convinced that this damp cavern extended more than thirty leagues underground, and that its roof was supported by pillars. And there were people, zealous prelates anxious for knowledge, who, in order to convince these ignorant people of their error, went into this cave accompanied by a large number of people bearing lighted torches and firebrands, and descended several large steps. And they soon came upon many great buttresses which formed a kind of street. They had prudently brought a quantity of rope with them to use as guiding-lines, that they might not lose themselves in this confusing labyrinth. And the putrefaction and the bad odour and the dampness of the earth were very great, and there was also a cold wind which blew out their torches. And after they had gone a short distance, fearing to be overpowered by the stench, or to step on poisonous reptiles, of which some had been seen, they resolved to go out again, and to completely wall up this back door of hell. The four buildings above ground were the only ones which still remained open, and they had a court and chambers like those underground; and the ruins of these have lasted even to the present day.</i> <b>[1]</b>”</div>
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While the account of the old Spanish priest appears credible in light of the accurate descriptions of the palaces above ground and the certain existence of vast caverns in the vicinity of Mitla, none of the subterranean chambers that have been explored to this day seems to match the description. </div>
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Marshall H. Saville, author of the first scientific excavations at Mitla in 1902, identified the palace described by Torquemada in his account as part of the “<i>Columns Group</i>”, doubtless the most imposing of the palaces at Mitla. This is the only palace possessing a substructure consisting of two cruciform tombs. However, none of these possess hidden chambers or communicate with any underground labyrinth or cavern; an evidence which led Saville to dismiss the account of Torquemada as either entirely fictional or greatly exaggerated. <b>[2]</b> </div>
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In our opinion, Saville might have been mistaken in identifying the “<i>Columns Group</i>” with the “<i>Palace of the Living and the Dead</i>” described by Torquemada as the access to the great cavern of <i>Liyobaa</i>. For a number of reasons, the “<i>Church Group</i>”, although now severely dilapidated, appears to be a more likely candidate. In its original state, this palace occupied a much larger area than the “<i>Columns Group</i>”, consisting of various interconnecting courtyards. A number of monolithic columns testify to the fact that this palace also possessed similar pillared halls that have not survived. More interesting still is the presence of the Catholic church of San Pablo directly above one of the courtyards of the Prehispanic structure. This is particularly evident from aerial photographs of the site. The position of the church altar is particularly interesting for its location on the Western side of the courtyard, facing what must have been the façade of one the palaces. There, some massive monolithic lintels are still visible in the church walls. One of the subterranean chambers of the "<i>Columns Group</i>" has its entrance in the same position to the West of the courtyard which is presently occupied by the altar of the Catholic Church. Churches and chapels were frequently built over the Prehispanic remains as a way of “exorcising” the demons of the old religion. It would only make sense that the Spanish missionaries would have chosen the most important and prominent of the old Mixtec palaces as the location for their church. Access to the great cavern of <i>Liyobaa</i> may therefore still be possible through some walled-up passage located directly under the altar of the Church of San Pablo. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimYWOqimNnH1xmHEbble1vQSaV3doISeoNesQ-p8sx8OqUdXeLiFvSpOON8hNshW8iq9HATlac89Dpgnd5r9PROOpe9c55zyX4nUWchV5rMhGGDcNtGysSV-d4fLKgllNHlhtxn_hTH4/s1600/DJI_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimYWOqimNnH1xmHEbble1vQSaV3doISeoNesQ-p8sx8OqUdXeLiFvSpOON8hNshW8iq9HATlac89Dpgnd5r9PROOpe9c55zyX4nUWchV5rMhGGDcNtGysSV-d4fLKgllNHlhtxn_hTH4/s400/DJI_0009.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Some aerial pictures of the main palaces of Mitla in the area of the “Church Group”, showing the placement of the Catholic church on top of Prehispanic structures. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf6eOQnQiY9AwAdmvKsZLYo7XuYNTARBpjDK95zuFBbaJaLddOgn1wOjEJq70qDOs9FRGnv5Dv9m8YThN2vHz-2rZ_923IMCRpBDw_cpj_TApQnp1X0QziytjUpzpWBLdcOc3p6Ua3qk/s1600/DJI_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEf6eOQnQiY9AwAdmvKsZLYo7XuYNTARBpjDK95zuFBbaJaLddOgn1wOjEJq70qDOs9FRGnv5Dv9m8YThN2vHz-2rZ_923IMCRpBDw_cpj_TApQnp1X0QziytjUpzpWBLdcOc3p6Ua3qk/s400/DJI_0014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another aerial picture of the same area, from which it is possible to appreciate the location of the main altar of the modern church on the western side of the palace. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbWYwbQjkJpJz5TOVtrwqXBfZRo-X4Di_4fQMHRDwBIUWcbzFAjThcEcMQtmKLtRuL85gqRykOeQIsgG5ejZxDYDsFTxiycuoODuud5GTgl-vp9BF0veYusG1t6Tg1SJk-YgXipQpPHM/s1600/IMGP9715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbWYwbQjkJpJz5TOVtrwqXBfZRo-X4Di_4fQMHRDwBIUWcbzFAjThcEcMQtmKLtRuL85gqRykOeQIsgG5ejZxDYDsFTxiycuoODuud5GTgl-vp9BF0veYusG1t6Tg1SJk-YgXipQpPHM/s400/IMGP9715.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A couple of monolithic columns still standing outside of the “Church Group”, next to a wall decorated with fine stone mosaics. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xSZPCYXPqke3H_857UbQzQuunUhjlUqIdBqvg-WuaZ4g2tCE1KvCF7Q-QFoBIN_pUw_6eSXWjRCGBBtRgld2bLwm3RyfkuP7-gqm__ib34xE_B6XHJfOl07M01zz9dLh2_05QkiRSVI/s1600/IMGP9747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xSZPCYXPqke3H_857UbQzQuunUhjlUqIdBqvg-WuaZ4g2tCE1KvCF7Q-QFoBIN_pUw_6eSXWjRCGBBtRgld2bLwm3RyfkuP7-gqm__ib34xE_B6XHJfOl07M01zz9dLh2_05QkiRSVI/s400/IMGP9747.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A detail of the Prehispanic structures incorporated in the lower walls of the church of San Pablo. The massive monolithic lintels framing the entrances to the palace are still visible in their original placement. <b>[Photo by Author]</b> </td></tr>
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<b>In search of the lost tombs</b></div>
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In his report of the excavations of Mitla, Saville includes a most interesting picture of a cruciform tomb at a site known as <i>Guiaroo</i>. The tomb appears to be constructed of immense monolithic stone blocks, delicately carved. The site is vaguely described as being located 8 Km to the North-East of Mitla, but the place name does not appear on any modern map of the area. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6vn-9mByqen5etNN-_s7Us8XeiqCTfVUIXEZQimSBTkaXFf9XpU1Y23sTz0zVJAcOGAXSs01wlo6IdwHKIuhEg0FuKogvNEAiUvgzbL2yO6ubTNpC42a9yN9tKob2FIt_Ntq_RtIYQo/s1600/Guiaroo+tomb-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="468" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6vn-9mByqen5etNN-_s7Us8XeiqCTfVUIXEZQimSBTkaXFf9XpU1Y23sTz0zVJAcOGAXSs01wlo6IdwHKIuhEg0FuKogvNEAiUvgzbL2yO6ubTNpC42a9yN9tKob2FIt_Ntq_RtIYQo/s400/Guiaroo+tomb-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">One of the few existing pictures of the large cruciform tomb at Guiaroo, dating to the time of the 1902 excavations. Each one of the immense monolithic stone blocks employed in the construction measured over 6 meters long with an estimated weight of nearly 50 tons. The location of this remarkable megalithic structure has apparently been lost. <b>[Photo Saville, 1902]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1anTBTHqPHnKBIdrBeXtymk2dU3R9wxLOI47lN45z3Bk679yZWC0zSXPFn19UwwlmtpxVJC7WMWr4Vh8xsLRZruce81DEmLkwq5OVYBZabK1lWzbPm-LBVf_aTeRwC-xwTMWKJm4hAQ/s1600/Guiaroo+tomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="468" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1anTBTHqPHnKBIdrBeXtymk2dU3R9wxLOI47lN45z3Bk679yZWC0zSXPFn19UwwlmtpxVJC7WMWr4Vh8xsLRZruce81DEmLkwq5OVYBZabK1lWzbPm-LBVf_aTeRwC-xwTMWKJm4hAQ/s400/Guiaroo+tomb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the same structure after partial excavation, taken at an angle. <b>[Photo Saville, 1902]</b></td></tr>
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In the spring of 2016, we set out to identify the mysterious tomb. All hints pointed to the village of Xaaga, located in a side valley a few kilometers outside of Mitla, as the most likely location for the tomb. Very few of the local townsfolk seemed to be familiar with ancient ruins in the area. Finally, we were taken by a local guide to the ruins of an abandoned <i>hacienda</i> just outside the village. There, we found the entrance to at least one tomb having a cruciform structure similar to that of the tombs at Mitla. Although this is not the tomb pictured in Saville’s article, it is an extraordinarily fine example of the same style of megalithic architecture. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBI6UboSq7KuyG2Cca-HXGudPG83ryUff_k575I8Y3IJHJS_5mKm5WqLVu7bVUpArYgDkxbZaEBukASMT-YHvvWmmQPDZBb67aNfnw2zKIHRexE1HM6nDMRvlxn0FrltpQO0FGaTZKc0/s1600/IMGP9749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBI6UboSq7KuyG2Cca-HXGudPG83ryUff_k575I8Y3IJHJS_5mKm5WqLVu7bVUpArYgDkxbZaEBukASMT-YHvvWmmQPDZBb67aNfnw2zKIHRexE1HM6nDMRvlxn0FrltpQO0FGaTZKc0/s400/IMGP9749.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the ruined hacienda of Xaaga. The entrance to the cruciform tomb is in the foreground. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejMl9XPn0nse_z3p13ZE2WObP2L15LwcMZ1_7ryNdUlTr1fmlezTMF-zWtOmCtsT5amFcva4kuFgPqj7pO1xGj-xM73qCFiPa1IshCbuPOSmNOnspQna7y7Z6twULl6beFrd3AOuq98k/s1600/IMGP9750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejMl9XPn0nse_z3p13ZE2WObP2L15LwcMZ1_7ryNdUlTr1fmlezTMF-zWtOmCtsT5amFcva4kuFgPqj7pO1xGj-xM73qCFiPa1IshCbuPOSmNOnspQna7y7Z6twULl6beFrd3AOuq98k/s400/IMGP9750.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The opening of the tomb. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2CmT0RwFsiMCQgl0Qxft5-ptPXUutvM86PRvG4WtAg0QlbLwZs7dh21LtUzxlr1hZQzG9TfJkASDDuVUYX8dved87MAif7HzhPYICT4z7OnEibZJXfHB3xXm2_2ZGYqrDM2fBcuDLPE/s1600/IMGP9752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2CmT0RwFsiMCQgl0Qxft5-ptPXUutvM86PRvG4WtAg0QlbLwZs7dh21LtUzxlr1hZQzG9TfJkASDDuVUYX8dved87MAif7HzhPYICT4z7OnEibZJXfHB3xXm2_2ZGYqrDM2fBcuDLPE/s400/IMGP9752.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Entrance to the cruciform tomb of Xaaga. The workmanship of the stones forming the walls and the lintel is comparable to the that of the subterranean tombs at Mitla. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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Any attempt at locating Saville’s mysterious tomb or the enigmatic <i>Guiaroo</i> site has so far proved entirely fruitless. We are therefore left with only Saville’s description of this remarkable structure: </div>
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“<i>A sepulcher is formed here, of massive blocks, in the form of a cross, about ten feet deep, six wide and thirty long…All the inner faces of these immense blocks are sculptured, like those at Sagá </i>[Xaaga],<i> while other dressed rocks are scattered about</i>”. <b>[2]</b></div>
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The quarries from which the immense stones were transported could also be found about one mile away from the tomb, for Saville writes that:</div>
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“<i>Many immense quarried stones still lie scattered about at the quarries, while others have been partially broken-out from the bedrock. The large blocks used in the construction of the cruciform chamber were transported from this place, and on the way between these two points are several large blocks which were evidently being moved to the chamber when the work ceased.</i> [2]” </div>
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More recent studies of the quarries in the vicinity of Mitla have revealed some enormous stone blocks measuring as much as 6.24 x 3.89 x 0.80 meters. <b>[3]</b>. These stones would have reached a weight of as much as 50 tons and are among the largest stone monoliths ever quarried in Mesoamerica. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsP0aaptqMqDRsPSCyembxgp5ZNhNRkeYV5-DlYMPb43uuPLf9vBLiGHG3WOOYgeWOR78N_73BTFXi8FKvVQuOUV6zgbJ6NNmK09BIw1fKvgHkMR6Be8vBSoS67L-Mu646AnwGKqiYaQ/s1600/IMGP0218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsP0aaptqMqDRsPSCyembxgp5ZNhNRkeYV5-DlYMPb43uuPLf9vBLiGHG3WOOYgeWOR78N_73BTFXi8FKvVQuOUV6zgbJ6NNmK09BIw1fKvgHkMR6Be8vBSoS67L-Mu646AnwGKqiYaQ/s400/IMGP0218.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A massive megalithic portal from a tomb outside the archaeological site of Monte Alban. The architectural style and technique bear a striking resemblance to the similar to the structures at Mitla. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vHJ3NrcysrdVY8CdKLXf74vwuL0TXtSj5RqKWsZ7LVsyuoANidBhWkfQ7HDPFyInqoZyp7dvaDkhYW6IiQ480-Da7lgGvxQet9gXKVJ1dxj9O8Lc_6Jj3hhiSzefYDZnhzHIFNQSb1c/s1600/IMGP0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vHJ3NrcysrdVY8CdKLXf74vwuL0TXtSj5RqKWsZ7LVsyuoANidBhWkfQ7HDPFyInqoZyp7dvaDkhYW6IiQ480-Da7lgGvxQet9gXKVJ1dxj9O8Lc_6Jj3hhiSzefYDZnhzHIFNQSb1c/s400/IMGP0220.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the same megalithic doorway, from Monte Alban. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zw37jlnXu3_7s68itAz2MBG7LvTINKM7K53F1_U_XOhc1Jf6itYIif3ESm1QdvIhgRXKyf3UmQ-HUaRvBAR_nUj3L4QFojogQrDEqsxfotj9ZekDybRZ_ITHDHAg7_10qUOopA5kLX4/s1600/IMGP9779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zw37jlnXu3_7s68itAz2MBG7LvTINKM7K53F1_U_XOhc1Jf6itYIif3ESm1QdvIhgRXKyf3UmQ-HUaRvBAR_nUj3L4QFojogQrDEqsxfotj9ZekDybRZ_ITHDHAg7_10qUOopA5kLX4/s400/IMGP9779.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A much cruder example of underground tomb from the site of Yagul. Both the technique of the carvings and the general workmanship of the stones appear rather crude compared to the finest examples from Mitla and Xaaga. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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A legend reported by Saville is that these structures were not the work of the local population. Rather, they were built by the god Quetzalcoatl and his companions upon leaving their capital city of Tollan <b>[2]</b>. This white, bearded race, which the Aztecs called <i>Toltecs</i> (not to be confused with the historical, post-classic people of the same name), was considered to be the author of so many of the unexplained megalithic ruins still visible across Mexico and Central America, showing a style of architecture and workmanship unlike any other in Mesoamerica. </div>
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The origin of the megalithic architecture of Mitla and the techniques employed for the quarrying and transportation of such immense stone blocks without the aid of metal tools are a mystery that still endures to this day. </div>
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<b>References</b><br />
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<b>[1]</b> C. Lewis-Spence, <i>The Myths of Mexico and Peru</i>, 1913, Chapter IV: The Maya Race and Mythology. On-line resource: <a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/mmp/mmp07.htm">http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/mmp/mmp07.htm</a><br />
<b>[2]</b> Marshall H. Saville, <i>Cruciform structures of Mitla and vicinity</i>, Putnam Anniversary Volume, 1909<br />
<b>[3] </b>Nelly M. Robles García, <i>Las Canteras de Mitla</i>, Vanderbilt University Publications in Anthropology, No.47, 1994, Nashville, TN<br />
<b>[4]</b> Mitla, encyclopedia entry – From Wikipedia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitla">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitla</a><br />
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<b>Related Articles: </b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>The Megalithic Ruins of Ancient Mexico – Part I – Teotihuacan</b>: <a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.mx/2016/03/the-megalithic-ruins-of-ancient-mexico.html">http://unchartedruins.blogspot.mx/2016/03/the-megalithic-ruins-of-ancient-mexico.html</a><br />
<b>The Megalithic Ruins of Ancient Mexico – Part II - Tezcotzingo</b>: <a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.mx/2016/08/the-mysterious-rock-and-tunnels-of.html">http://unchartedruins.blogspot.mx/2016/08/the-mysterious-rock-and-tunnels-of.html</a><br />
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Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-68107659261906637862017-06-20T18:48:00.000-05:002017-06-20T18:58:48.019-05:00The mysterious Underworld of Teotihuacan<b>What lies under the City of the Gods?</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7jveH39bnYI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7jveH39bnYI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I have recently published an article on the Underworld of Teotihuacan on the Ancient Origins website. You can find the complete article here:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/descending-underworld-teotihuacan-labyrinthine-tunnels-and-rivers-mercury-021401"><b>Ancient Origins - Descending into the Underworld of Teotihuacan - Labyrinthine Tunnels and rivers of Mercury</b></a></div>
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There are miles of natural caves and man-made tunnels under the ancient city in central Mexico, many of which remain to this day unexplored. Very much like in Egypt, there are rumors that also the pyramids of Teotihuacan are connected by means of underground passages, which may extend for a considerable distance under the valley of Mexico.</div>
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Early exploration reports describe vast chambers and pillared halls carved in the living rock, of which no indication survives in modern times. It is very well possible that some of the cave entrances to this underground labyrinth can still be found a short distance from the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.</div>
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In february, our expedition team was able to document for the first time on video a small section of these tunnels, proving that not only do these tunnels form part of a vast network running under much of the present-day site of Teotihuacan, but that they are also unquestionably man-made.</div>
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More expeditions will be required to assess the true extent of this underground labyrinth, and whether these relatively superficial tunnels are just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger system of interconnected passageways and chambers.<br />
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<b>Additional references: </b><br />
<b>[1] <a href="http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/rome-america-what-lies-under-teotihuacan-real-city-gods-007557">Ancient Origins - The Rome of America - What lies under Teotihuacan?</a></b><br />
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<b>[2] <a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-megalithic-ruins-of-ancient-mexico.html">Uncharted Ruins - The Megalithic Ruins of Ancient Mexico: Teotihuacan</a></b><br />
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Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com1Teotihuacan, State of Mexico, Mexico19.685267 -98.87211860000002219.655366 -98.912459100000021 19.715168 -98.831778100000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-66826738465727631852017-04-23T17:29:00.003-05:002017-04-23T17:45:19.688-05:00The Lost Pyramids of Mexico<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>San Cristobal Teopantepec</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryVXL2W25WHAwA83Dq6p6VK2KNalcw6k-pRIAA01cqrB4AuNXpDyyWz-6fUpPv8UnShyphenhyphenNit9p9NZU45MseKtIAcZUtwq3dwmfyUPTADRXcTDhJk9CXG5jOiJCr-9WC0XgnPiTNoJSbhI/s1600/Teopantepec+-+Dupaix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryVXL2W25WHAwA83Dq6p6VK2KNalcw6k-pRIAA01cqrB4AuNXpDyyWz-6fUpPv8UnShyphenhyphenNit9p9NZU45MseKtIAcZUtwq3dwmfyUPTADRXcTDhJk9CXG5jOiJCr-9WC0XgnPiTNoJSbhI/s640/Teopantepec+-+Dupaix.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The accounts of the early European exploration of Mexico, during the 18th and 19th century, are replete with descriptions of ancient pyramids, lost cities and mysterious monuments that have since disappeared or become lost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The pyramid of Teopantepec deserves a special spot in this list of apparently vanished monuments. For its unusual style, it would very well deserve a place in the history of architecture, and it is a tragedy that so little is known of the location and ultimate fate of this remarkable monument.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In a famous drawing from Dupaix (A<i>ntiquités Mexicaines</i>, 1807, p.4, Plate 3), the pyramid is shown as still standing to a height of 67 feet in four receding stories. The structure was precisely oriented to the four cardinal points and was apparently of massive construction (“<i>obra muy masiza</i>”), entirely lined with large cut-stone blocks, as shown in the drawing. Dupaix describes this pyramid as being of “<i>Egyptian style</i>”, although the presence of an outside stairway leading diagonally from bottom to top of each level rather suggests a parallel with a Mesopotamian ziqqurat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Little information is given on the location of this remarkable monument:</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The name of the village in the vicinity of which the pyramid was found is given as <i>San Cristobal Teopantepec</i>. No village or town of this name exists today. Dupaix calls it a “s<i>mall Indian village</i>”</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although the village of Teopantepec no longer exists, it is mentioned in old conquest manuscripts. The corresponding glyph is given as a stepped pyramid on top of a mountain</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dupaix mentions it as being located 4 leagues to the South of the town of Tlacotepec. Assuming the Spanish league of 4,180 meters was used, the pyramid would be found 16 Km to the South of Tlacotepec (present Tlacotepec de Benito Juarez, PUE)</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hubert H. Bancroft (<i>The Native Races</i>, Vol. IV, Antiquities, 1883, pp. 466-467) describes the same pyramid as being located somewhere in the vicinity of Tehuacan Viejo, near a little native settlement by the name of <i>San Cristóval Teopantepec</i>, North-Westward of Tehuacan</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">From the description of Dupaix and Castañeda, we learn that the pyramid stood on high ground (“<i>on the summit of an isolated eminence, surrounded by steeper mountains to the West of the village</i>”), and was approached by a trail cut in the living rock of the mountain</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The base of the pyramid stood on a smooth cement pavement, which had been artificially levelled, where other nondescript ruins were visible.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>The modern search</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The descriptions given by Dupaix, Castañeda and Bancroft all correspond in terms of the general area, being in the South-Eastern portion of the state of Puebla. The town of Tlacotepec is indeed located 30 Km to the North-West of Tehuacan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although no village by the name of <i>San Cristobal Teopantepec</i> exists in the area, two villages by the name of <i>San Cristobal Tepeteopan</i> and <i>San Bartolo Teontepec</i> are found approx. 16 Km to the South-West of Tlacotepec, at a place that would match Dupaix and Castañeda´s location. It is very well possible that the French explorer had got the names of these towns confused and somehow merged them to form the non-existing <i>San Cristobal Teopantepec</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This approximate location would be on an ideal line with another ruined pyramid located in the vicinity of Tehuacan Viejo which seems to match the description of the pyramid of Teopantepec. It is similarly located on the top of a mountain, surrounded by precipitous cliffs, and its construction appears to be of stone. No pictures of this pyramid are available, but its location on Cerro Colorado (<b>18°28'58.4"N 97°19'58.9"W</b>) is known to locals as “<i>Ciudad Perdida</i>” – The Lost City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is no doubt that if a pyramid like the one portrayed by Dupaix still existed, much more would be known about it. Even as a ruin, however, the discovery of the site of such an unusual monument could help to write an important page in our knowledge of the mysterious past of Mexico and its ancient civilizations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over the next few weeks, we are planning an expedition to finally locate the lost pyramid of Teopantepec. </span></div>
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Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-31782029291974690902016-11-21T18:55:00.003-06:002016-11-21T20:03:26.682-06:00The location of the Mesoamerican "Hall of Records" at Chalcatzingo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: left;">Legends of the "Hall of Records"</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsqsqbixHPICU09nC5jDoAhcu_e6oDMegD-2xbqnOxggU4HPLf_a8oyu3cGCbLhpawHgreFwBewHHHRSx44txGNFDJhCGMmcTwoRX8cOqEMwCFgtlZGDjhjE56Z3aCZ7m2FBVLK9oyv0/s1600/DJI_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsqsqbixHPICU09nC5jDoAhcu_e6oDMegD-2xbqnOxggU4HPLf_a8oyu3cGCbLhpawHgreFwBewHHHRSx44txGNFDJhCGMmcTwoRX8cOqEMwCFgtlZGDjhjE56Z3aCZ7m2FBVLK9oyv0/s400/DJI_0041.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The ancient site of Chalcatzingo from the air - perched between the two hills of Cerro Chalcatzingo (to the left) and Cerro Delgado (to the right) <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"> Esoteric
traditions dating back at least to the ancient Greeks and Romans talk
about the existence of vast repositories of knowledge dating back to
antediluvian times. In more recent times, American mystic Edgar Cayce (also
called “</span><i style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">the sleeping prophet</i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">” for his readings
dictated while in a state of trance) became famous for his “Atlantean” readings
describing the existence of at least three different “Halls of Records” in
different parts of the world. Of these, one was located in Egypt, in the
vicinity of the Great Pyramid of Giza; another was located on the island of Atlantis
itself and a third in Central America or Yucatan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The search for the Mesoamerican hall
of records has led enthusiasts and independent researchers far into the forests
of Yucatan and Guatemala. The remote site of Piedras Negras, in present day
Guatemala, is often considered to be the most likely location of the elusive
Atlantean records, and has also been the subject of a recent DVD documentary
trying to demonstrate the existence of buried structures and an ancient cave
system at the site. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Arrival of the Gods<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"> Ancient Mesoamerican traditions do
indeed describe the arrival of bearded, white-skinned “Gods” from across the Ocean,
the most famous being perhaps Quetzalcoatl. Just as in the Atlantean tradition,
these “Gods” were responsible for bringing the gifts of civilization to the savage
and yet uncivilized people of Mesoamerica. They were the inventor of writing
and the calendar, of monumental stone architecture and of all the arts and
sciences. Finally, they left, leaving behind a few of their race who would
later become the first divine kings of the Mayas and the Toltecs. Upon leaving,
the gods carried with them their sacred writings and their most prized relics. According
to another legend, they buried great treasures beneath the earth, in caves and
other secret places – so that they would one day recover them upon their
return. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLgso-UOSuSkCbWcBhO0xv6NvLGg6fc2ucs0uH6CTQwuZTg0fmn_dpBjCVOzKFLvGsmYI9Y6zbGYbWRjFOESaM4m8b7DWxIHsvbjwbSkG-4_53sZ0GZnN_BP-qJz1MvBVLJxsUfsPDBQ/s1600/IMGP2021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLgso-UOSuSkCbWcBhO0xv6NvLGg6fc2ucs0uH6CTQwuZTg0fmn_dpBjCVOzKFLvGsmYI9Y6zbGYbWRjFOESaM4m8b7DWxIHsvbjwbSkG-4_53sZ0GZnN_BP-qJz1MvBVLJxsUfsPDBQ/s400/IMGP2021.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The earliest known depiction of the feathered serpent in Mesoamerican Art, dating from 1,200-800 BC - from Monument 19 of La Venta (National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City) <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The earliest depiction of
Quetzalcoatl, the “feathered serpent” is found among the Olmecs. The famous
Monument 19 of La Venta – now in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico
City – depicts a man with a helmet, sitting within the coils of a serpent and
carrying what appears to be a “handbag”, curiously identical to artistic
representations of “handbags” carried by gods in Mesopotamian art. Monument 19
dates to between 1,200 and 800 BC, and is therefore one of the oldest
monumental expressions of Mesoamerican stone sculpture. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The Olmecs were the first major
civilization in what is today Mexico and Guatemala, flourishing during a period
called by archaeologists the Formative Period of Mesoamerica, dating from 1,500
BC to 400 BC. The Olmec heartland was located in the tropical lowlands of the present-day
states of Veracruz and Tabasco, along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The
Olmecs have left few, enigmatic monuments, the most famous being perhaps the
colossal stone heads unearthed during the 19</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> and 20</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">
century, together with some of the finest examples of stone sculpture in the
entire American continent.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Chalcatzingo</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> Chalcatzingo
represents an anomaly in Mesoamerican archaeology. For its location in the
Central highlands of Mexico, several hundred miles from the Olmec heartland, it
contains the most impressive set of Olmec monumental sculpture and rock art
anywhere outside of the Olmec capital at La Venta. It becomes immediately clear
that the exceptional importance of Chalcatzingo must have been predominantly of
a ritual or religious nature. The relatively small dimension of the formative
period settlement, hosting an estimate of between five hundred and a thousand
people, contrasts with the richness of the decorative art at the site and the
large number of sculptured stone monuments.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQE5T6ySkKyRZqWEf8IhtrSU93kyJ-Sne8ifd2LhpXmHZk8EF00xogJA85no1b2m4V0PryedSe2AJwc7dkq4QGaQbzDSjfDx4GJ60mEsPtDLI-8d8RoTWsX0BG4-wpxo5QHvJpqXpRTI/s1600/DJI_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQE5T6ySkKyRZqWEf8IhtrSU93kyJ-Sne8ifd2LhpXmHZk8EF00xogJA85no1b2m4V0PryedSe2AJwc7dkq4QGaQbzDSjfDx4GJ60mEsPtDLI-8d8RoTWsX0BG4-wpxo5QHvJpqXpRTI/s400/DJI_0038.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Another view of Chalcatzingo from the air - The Cerro Delgado in the foreground and the almost perfect pyramid-shape of the Cerro del Chumil in the foreground. The main ceremonial center includes a large plaza surrounded by pyramids and platforms, a ballcourt and a sunken patio. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVorY6miNTC3IR5o7NTy3DsU20HKnc3YuT7p2u98G3rNpCJi73Zfimvi2LBf0xwU0gXcd3px1V5fN2-OZ_sfLrqDyu9-GaiiAyAkHLE2XuJNXugffKX3Rl2oHyL9usW64DkqdFn1NNJts/s1600/DJI_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVorY6miNTC3IR5o7NTy3DsU20HKnc3YuT7p2u98G3rNpCJi73Zfimvi2LBf0xwU0gXcd3px1V5fN2-OZ_sfLrqDyu9-GaiiAyAkHLE2XuJNXugffKX3Rl2oHyL9usW64DkqdFn1NNJts/s400/DJI_0034.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
A closer view of the main ceremonial area from the air, against the backdrop of the Cerro Delgado <b>[Photo by Author]</b></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The ancient settlement is nestled in
a plain at the base of two high hills, the Cerro Chalcatzingo and the Cerro
Delgado. The largest groups of bas-reliefs is found on the cliff face and on
some large fallen stone boulders at the base of the Cerro Chalcatzingo, with
several others occurring on isolated stone slabs and stelae within the
ceremonial center proper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The most famous rock-cut monument at
Chalcatzingo, Monument no.1, is also known, as “</span><i style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">El Rey</i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">”
– ‘The King´. It is found on a high rocky outcrop, less than a quarter of the
distance from the base of the Cerro Chalcatzingo. The bas-relief
depicts a crowned human-like figure, dressed ornately and sitting on a throne.
Most interestingly, the figure is placed </span><i style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">inside a cave</i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">,
from which issue forth strange volutes of what might be wind or mist. The cave is shown in profile, and has the aspect of an open
mouth surmounted by an eye. Large clouds are pictured above the cave, with
exclamation-like (!) objects falling from them, together with what might be
interpreted as symbols for lightning or thunder. The seated figure inside the
cave carries a bundle of what appear to be scrolls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpNQ__CgmoCs-z66ckPXW8NcKMQrV1Vqtp8bEZC5Um9ZKmVufMe11KkUXJLn_5F-efDIUbgo07JOjrYNgNxi7KbasqA9s3ISMZxdmJNzIqbS2iMDx1VsUkin6ZCLH8unghqWHU_fgQG0/s1600/IMGP0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpNQ__CgmoCs-z66ckPXW8NcKMQrV1Vqtp8bEZC5Um9ZKmVufMe11KkUXJLn_5F-efDIUbgo07JOjrYNgNxi7KbasqA9s3ISMZxdmJNzIqbS2iMDx1VsUkin6ZCLH8unghqWHU_fgQG0/s400/IMGP0567.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Monument No.1 of Chalcatzingo, depicting the "God of the Mountain" sitting inside a cave in profile, from which a wind appears to blow. The seated figure is carrying a bundle of what appear to be scrolls. Note also the eye above the mouth of the cave, which makes it resemble the open jaws of the Earth monster. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The same cave is represented on
Monument no.9, this time from a frontal point of view. The cave has a
quatrefoil opening, with a large hole in the middle corresponding to the cave
entrance, above which are two eyes similar to the iconography of Monument no.1.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BDBCquLZdG6T8m98L0ag7QVNhgTnr7Sly779YnZXdjQuigvDOqWsi1z_6HNAv39RWJfJmNrz0ZC7QPou43PXzWWYk3JOvEWIHCC2ChS4D4f-mvTh0o70i90NYfgN0zO88Zi6mWZrX1Q/s1600/IMGP2024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BDBCquLZdG6T8m98L0ag7QVNhgTnr7Sly779YnZXdjQuigvDOqWsi1z_6HNAv39RWJfJmNrz0ZC7QPou43PXzWWYk3JOvEWIHCC2ChS4D4f-mvTh0o70i90NYfgN0zO88Zi6mWZrX1Q/s400/IMGP2024.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The same cave depicted on Monument No.1, now portrayed from a frontal point of view. Note the curious and artificial-looking quatrefoil opening in the middle, corresponding to the open mouth of the Earth monster (Cast in the National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City) <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LHjGn_1MsFDOBJF3j0UlTS7eaa2i_MhkRySCUu9UGy0WnC7xKJaQJ5WgINxItujqt4Cd9VFJLJK0kPv5fHUZxmYNZJdEluDPawmUYqA2rBlCsC7QGnQteuHcRJLkNsVsI6-cNEpD_eM/s1600/IMGP2109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LHjGn_1MsFDOBJF3j0UlTS7eaa2i_MhkRySCUu9UGy0WnC7xKJaQJ5WgINxItujqt4Cd9VFJLJK0kPv5fHUZxmYNZJdEluDPawmUYqA2rBlCsC7QGnQteuHcRJLkNsVsI6-cNEpD_eM/s400/IMGP2109.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The figure of a Gryphon attacking a man on a loose stela found near the base of the Cerro Chalcatzingo. Note the exclamation signs (!) above the figure, probably representing large drops of rain. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author] </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">Another fragmentary monument (Monument
no. 13) at the base of the hill shows, in the remaining portion, the same cave
entrance with a figure, probably a priest, sitting inside it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">Two more monuments among the over 40
present on the site are interesting for the purpose of our research. One,
labelled Monument no. 21 depicts a woman in profile, standing next to a large
rectangular object of unknown significance. The object appears to be a large
pillar or obelisk, wrapped and covered in intricate designs. The object stands
on a kind of platform, to which it seems to be attached. The platform encloses
a square space with a diamond shape in the center and an opening in the middle.
A similar scene is also portrayed on Monument no.32, this time representing a
man mirroring the same gestures of the woman on Monument no. 21.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The monument marked no. 2, show a procession of elaborately clad personages wearing Olmec-style
masks. Three figures are standing, brandishing what could be maces or torches,
while a fourth figure is laying on the ground. This last figure is the most
interesting, for it appears to be bearded and carries an elaborate headdress.
It is unclear whether this is the depiction of a deceased or a bound prisoner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">A number of other carvings show
serpents, jaguars attacking men (curiously depicted with a beak, which gives
them the appearance of Gryphons, a subject otherwise unknown in Mesoamerican
art), and an equally curious representation of a man wearing a helmet, who is
either swimming or flying – attributes for which it has been aptly named “</span><i style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">El Volador</i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">”.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtN7xZUgCHqz_piUivt5sLTMz5qLLcFf62uSM8HTQG7_6hQ6Fc7Y4NzvyH0oZuJlFqh4tgUye_9rhhXrzQIvDYZ3sYoigaiGqNK95mjIubu70VCmsbtWIFaDZh1FohZJI_249-6CZj6M/s1600/IMGP2048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtN7xZUgCHqz_piUivt5sLTMz5qLLcFf62uSM8HTQG7_6hQ6Fc7Y4NzvyH0oZuJlFqh4tgUye_9rhhXrzQIvDYZ3sYoigaiGqNK95mjIubu70VCmsbtWIFaDZh1FohZJI_249-6CZj6M/s400/IMGP2048.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The main pyramid-platform in the ceremonial center of Chalcatzingo, with the Cerro Delgado in the background. At its apex, the site had a population of between 500 and a thousand individuals <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxvDbvnmL22jNk9ey0MN3hug8hxB-Y2DkkrDp8TnrWLKzhGZELpiUAr44i1N9Mwvzlz274GxNNjVC8LCLDPlzx3EnXwUlCCahsDS6lhb-y6hgfFIH2FLB7EmmyLbzROlNfKoV1JyCwdk/s1600/IMGP2095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxvDbvnmL22jNk9ey0MN3hug8hxB-Y2DkkrDp8TnrWLKzhGZELpiUAr44i1N9Mwvzlz274GxNNjVC8LCLDPlzx3EnXwUlCCahsDS6lhb-y6hgfFIH2FLB7EmmyLbzROlNfKoV1JyCwdk/s400/IMGP2095.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The spectacular landscape of Chalcatzingo, characterized by the remarkable alignment of three mountains, the Cerro Chalcatzingo (in the foreground, left), the Cerro Delgado and the almost perfectly pyramid-shaped Cerro del Chumil (in the background). The volcano Popocatepetl is hidden by clouds. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitf7w7c6xOyKQenGzDBIRjbqnzDv_OtVXF2ZYL3vn9h27kAbjZb88Tl3D44nb3Gk_N5MAuxfB31bz7DKgnmeAB3qX8TWQ4eKNfqXDvW-RQtI56NhyphenhyphenfJ4mCD49S-1_LFxMFsmMp62-F-Ak/s400/IMGP2107.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="265" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The siting of some of the bas-reliefs on large boulders apparently fallen from the cliff-face of the Cerro Chalcatzingo in the background <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiL2CPADjCzJvMiyILxBr7V1ByMStMU2740pn9QNOwdv8OINED9ziQ0Ec2iitohPq31SQjilODEiX90VUnJFESVZ8PTruhpMb7zCQxznXAfJnQrNaDxZQURQwcdQffnTnUafQDeXOOrkQ/s1600/IMGP2116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiL2CPADjCzJvMiyILxBr7V1ByMStMU2740pn9QNOwdv8OINED9ziQ0Ec2iitohPq31SQjilODEiX90VUnJFESVZ8PTruhpMb7zCQxznXAfJnQrNaDxZQURQwcdQffnTnUafQDeXOOrkQ/s400/IMGP2116.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">More of the curious rock carvings found on boulders around the base of the Cerro Chalcatzingo, believed to depict cosmogonical scenes related to the Creation of Man. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">A secret cavern?</span></span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> For
the extreme importance attributed to sacred caves in Chalcatzingo art, </span><i style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">not a single significant cave</i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"> is known in the Cerro Chalcatzingo or the
neighboring Cerro Delgado. Both mountains represent singular geologic anomalies in an otherwise predominantly flat landscape. Their composition is a
reddish porphyry, extremely hard and compact. Seen from a distance, together
with the nearby Cerro del Chumil, they have the aspect of massive natural
pyramids rising almost unnaturally from the plains of Morelos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">Because of the type of rock of which
the Cerro Chalcatzingo and the nearby Cerro Delgado are composed, the presence
of natural caves in their interior is extremely unlikely. It is, however, the
peculiar way the cave entrance is depicted on the Chalcatzingo monuments and
rock carvings that suggests we may not here be dealing with a natural cavern,
but rather with an artificial tunnel or vault. The regular, quatrefoil shape of
the cavern mouth, together with the other depictions of what appears to be a square or rectangular enclosure, are suggestive of an artificial space rather
than a natural one. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY_j_eC3PKsKVk1Gr81UY6w2quGqLHlBnM__qU7_tZ_QVvQlf_S6DtjqQMkKgWaGkmldfvu87Si9z2H2vnSfwjtOIaL8unAD6pbVc9dpAHsVH9Cj95Un2_LjlELQx-sTzKCz_AVYOh48/s1600/IMGP2138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY_j_eC3PKsKVk1Gr81UY6w2quGqLHlBnM__qU7_tZ_QVvQlf_S6DtjqQMkKgWaGkmldfvu87Si9z2H2vnSfwjtOIaL8unAD6pbVc9dpAHsVH9Cj95Un2_LjlELQx-sTzKCz_AVYOh48/s400/IMGP2138.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The impressive view from the summit of the Cerro Chalcatzingo, looking towards the Cerro Delgado (below) and the almost perfect pyramid shape of the Cerro del Chumil in the distance. Rising almost unnaturally from the level plain, these isolated peaks, which are moreover found in a perfect alignment to each other, represented places of natural sanctity for the early inhabitants of the Central Mexican highlands and might have inspired some of their earliest creation stories. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The figure of “</span><i style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 11pt;">El Rey</i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">” depicted on Monument
no.1 sitting inside the cavern, further hints to the possibility that documents
of some sort, together with “scrolls” and other sacred relics might have been
buried inside the cavern. Additionally, the cave might have contained the
burial of a very high-ranking individual of the Olmec or pre-Olmec elite. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">Another interesting parallel can be
drawn between the carvings representing men being attacked and killed by jaguars, the references to rain in the form of clouds with rain drops and lightning,
and the Mesoamerican creation myths. According to these early creation
accounts, humanity had suffered at least four previous destructions, in which
people were devoured by jaguars or drowned in a deluge. All of this seems to
find a parallel in the strange rock-carvings of Chalcatzingo, which, according
to several interpretations, might have been intended as an account of creation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It is certainly suggestive to imagine
the cave, surmounted by ominous clouds, as a sort of antediluvian shelter where
documents and other </span><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">artifacts</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> were preserved from the
coming deluge by a previous human race.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The strange, almost ´technological´
aspect of some of the objects displayed on the bas-reliefs, particularly the
two bound pillars or obelisks portrayed on Monument no. 21 and on Monument no.
32, also seem to be related to the content of the cavern, particularly if the
square enclosure depicted at the base of both monuments and is to be interpreted as a stylized cave or Earth monster.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2TVQEvRaizIJZ8ksBVRzmCE4ATnBPYBZVcpXIzYgpITUZiVP2GovWm8TUQxVrDoTT4_WtpEI7UwcfHYRhpadT8kny7cmJwN9qf2QkTcKBq5m38zcpce2fSYhBUoTwcsUA5bc86mOOmo/s1600/chalcatzingo-cave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2TVQEvRaizIJZ8ksBVRzmCE4ATnBPYBZVcpXIzYgpITUZiVP2GovWm8TUQxVrDoTT4_WtpEI7UwcfHYRhpadT8kny7cmJwN9qf2QkTcKBq5m38zcpce2fSYhBUoTwcsUA5bc86mOOmo/s400/chalcatzingo-cave.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Artist rendition of <b>Monument No.1 </b>of Chalcatzingo, known as "El Rey". One can appreciate both the cave (seen in profile) and the clouds pouring rain from above. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEKOe3E1d5AbL527DBzPrLS3stdktqHRPTsQAae0l03Bu4TvFJu1RTyVVdc-2ShHgbxuGm0GmxsKTVVBpp1qYZfLpPqgtSgU14ZMmoixq52UEjDoIIUhjflyGlcwK4vn8ZWY8pfq0hq4/s1600/AA.01.0441.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEKOe3E1d5AbL527DBzPrLS3stdktqHRPTsQAae0l03Bu4TvFJu1RTyVVdc-2ShHgbxuGm0GmxsKTVVBpp1qYZfLpPqgtSgU14ZMmoixq52UEjDoIIUhjflyGlcwK4vn8ZWY8pfq0hq4/s400/AA.01.0441.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The carvings on <b>Monument No. 2</b>, depicting a procession of masked men carrying maces or torches and a bearded individual lying on the ground.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4I908BRB-78Dykjgs5mnhu_1qht3OkzbqXGBdq8qP6KCpWCl0IZNNs4imwUwwa7skLd5LiLe9YZ3YdbLQphUO6IsizpHJbR2rBzv9Pj6byyE-wxBD9I_MD4bcOvgts1G1bQp1-eb73h8/s1600/AA.01.0430.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4I908BRB-78Dykjgs5mnhu_1qht3OkzbqXGBdq8qP6KCpWCl0IZNNs4imwUwwa7skLd5LiLe9YZ3YdbLQphUO6IsizpHJbR2rBzv9Pj6byyE-wxBD9I_MD4bcOvgts1G1bQp1-eb73h8/s400/AA.01.0430.png" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><b>Monument No. 21</b> of Chalcatzingo, depicting a woman touching a rectangular object of unknown significance, which could represent a bound pillar or stela, standing on top of a rectangular enclosure with an opening leading to a diamond-shape in the middle. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5H3HyZDO4wWBqYotQTPGqCefnn9cb8hMS-6iR7H3oPlZ_0xdmR_ix0X3VZulNWBK1k7XywdnKoClyY-eDoWDVkUUKmU2KBHy7qVRNA4uq-hg-iWC7tPpScOJBNioD3Yig8iGSRU9IKQ/s1600/Monument+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Where, then, was this cavern located?</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">There are three possible locations
for the cave entrance, two on the Cerro Chalcatzingo itself, and one on the
nearby Cerro Delgado. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The most obvious location would be on
one side of the bas-relief known as “<i>El Rey</i>” or Monument no.1. There seem to be
several large boulders on this spot covering what might be the entrance to a
cavern, including parts of the bas-relief itself. The ground there is very
humid, which might suggest the presence of a natural water source. There is
moreover evidence of fairly recent excavations on the opposite side of the
trench in which the bas-reliefs are located. If a cave existed at this spot, it
has either collapsed or was covered by debris fallen from the cliff face in
ancient times. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4DDyjDRiqW6RHsnCaPJMCRksOOXuZ8HN6pdXXQOyYhswZLG0U4FxCBDgl6P0f9YZ1FfxBX3WdOicb1r40vWmJ5NrHeQllRA6ON4CFi0Ir7uyt-lbyzDx9O0dTBaYjW9-9ww9O4bi1aU/s1600/IMGP2089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4DDyjDRiqW6RHsnCaPJMCRksOOXuZ8HN6pdXXQOyYhswZLG0U4FxCBDgl6P0f9YZ1FfxBX3WdOicb1r40vWmJ5NrHeQllRA6ON4CFi0Ir7uyt-lbyzDx9O0dTBaYjW9-9ww9O4bi1aU/s400/IMGP2089.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The position of Monument No.1, known as "El Rey" (to the left of the picture), next to what could be the entrance of a collapsed cavern filled with large boulders. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">A second location could be high up on
the Cerro Chalcatzingo, where a rock ledge exists in the cliff face about one
quarter of the distance to the summit. The position of this ledge on the almost
vertical cliff-face and at an height of over 200 meters over the valley floor
makes any exploration attempt almost impossible. The best piece of evidence for
the existence of a cave or a yet undiscovered group of bas-reliefs on this spot
is the fact that almost all of the rock carvings at the base of the Cerro
Chalcatzingo are found on enormous rock boulders that must have detached from the mountain itself. Because of their position, it is very well
possible that some of the bas-reliefs originally formed part of a continuous frieze located near the summit of the mountain, whose collapse left only
the rock ledge which is still visible exposed. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpsTDfCuxmDrHY1YGQF81lqA_APa5ff_JY_0hPlTNqbZf76WJ6UUrAkJTKIpwQ30-3wQETMtEd3sS-aZRlFONfuXZebudu_s6LI4yS97ryDeTM4RIwHIke-Q7Kd7Uu4z-X95vyDNAh6A/s1600/IMGP2185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpsTDfCuxmDrHY1YGQF81lqA_APa5ff_JY_0hPlTNqbZf76WJ6UUrAkJTKIpwQ30-3wQETMtEd3sS-aZRlFONfuXZebudu_s6LI4yS97ryDeTM4RIwHIke-Q7Kd7Uu4z-X95vyDNAh6A/s400/IMGP2185.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A view of the Cerro Delgado from the sunken patio in the main ceremonial area of Chalcatzingo. The profile of a monstruous face with two open eyes, nose and mouth can be made out on the rocks near the summit. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author] </b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">A final possibility is that the cave
entrance could be located not on the Cerro Chalcatzingo, but on the nearby Cerro
Delgado. Pictures of the cliff face taken with the aid of a drone, do indeed
reveal what might be cave openings very near the summit, in a location of
almost impossible access. What is most intriguing about these possible cave openings
is that they are strongly reminiscent, under certain light conditions, of the
eyes and mouth of a giant monstrous face. This might explain the eyes placed
around the mouth of the cave on the Chalcatzingo bas-reliefs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">Could this be the
reason why the site was also chosen by the Olmecs for realizing one of their
most impressive settlements and artistic displays, so far from their cultural heartland
on the Gulf Coast of Mexico? More research will be needed to confirm the
existence of a cave entrance on the precise spot corresponding to the “mouth”
of the Earth monster carved on the face of the
Cerro Delgado.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherfUpH9832KGMq93Gn6yv95Tkb6DONq4P_9hQ0hTd-bRFHVH2NEh4vBAAUdW3yPAB5IWXUBmzDnFU-_PWL1VfuIcS5k7fFG11EGLbNWGl0882r5BBFb-TbLjoqHdn7VkD6IA749vQJag/s1600/DJI_0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherfUpH9832KGMq93Gn6yv95Tkb6DONq4P_9hQ0hTd-bRFHVH2NEh4vBAAUdW3yPAB5IWXUBmzDnFU-_PWL1VfuIcS5k7fFG11EGLbNWGl0882r5BBFb-TbLjoqHdn7VkD6IA749vQJag/s400/DJI_0028.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A closer view of the Cerro Delgado from the air, near sunset. The oblique sunlight makes visible the entrance of some shallow caves near the summit of the mountain that curiously resemble the eyes depicted above the cave entrance on the two most famous Chalcatzingo monuments. If this interpretation is correct, the cave entrance may be found on the rock ledger where the "mouth" of the Earth monster is supposed to be. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">[Photo by Author] </b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;">The discovery of this cavern might
perhaps reveal more of the mysterious origins of the Olmec people and of
Mesoamerican civilization as a legacy of the “Gods”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><b>A drone fly-over of the ancient site of Chalcatzingo and the nearby Cerro Delgado [Video by Author]: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/71unq0pLPoY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/71unq0pLPoY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">References:</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 11pt;"><b>[1]</b> Chalcatzingo Archaeological Site –
From Wikipedia: </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcatzingo" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalcatzingo</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>[2] </b>David C. Grove, <i>Ancient
Chalcatzingo</i>, University of Texas Press, Austin, 1987 – Online resource:
<a href="http://www.famsi.org/research/grove/chalcatzingo/index.html">http://www.famsi.org/research/grove/chalcatzingo/index.html</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>[3] </b>Museum entry on Chalcatzingo, Morelos
– National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City: <a href="http://www.mna.inah.gob.mx/coleccion/huellas-mna/anteriores/chalcatzingo-morelos.html">http://www.mna.inah.gob.mx/coleccion/huellas-mna/anteriores/chalcatzingo-morelos.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com0Chalcatzingo, Mor., Mexico18.6891666 -98.775277718.6590841 -98.8156182 18.7192491 -98.7349372tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-30385137747156718272016-08-24T08:12:00.000-05:002016-08-24T08:18:48.322-05:00The Megalithic Ruins of Ancient Mexico - Part II<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The mysterious rock and tunnels of Tezcotzingo<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyp4USuUO-07y0ViDosDxchl16i-oXmNCHhcjqarl9L9FdQcE3JSNwbJPfst13ymzrIC3H6J_DVApsBSYl_wsbDHgszeYT_icYsFz5Qv-kE3DFTnVH2qScdiKySS3cFGKpobGdS4PWMtE/s1600/Foto-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyp4USuUO-07y0ViDosDxchl16i-oXmNCHhcjqarl9L9FdQcE3JSNwbJPfst13ymzrIC3H6J_DVApsBSYl_wsbDHgszeYT_icYsFz5Qv-kE3DFTnVH2qScdiKySS3cFGKpobGdS4PWMtE/s400/Foto-2.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The so called "Bath of the King" near the summit of the artificially terraced hill of Tezcotzingo. The perfectly circular basin, cut in the hard porphyry rock, is a testament to the great skill and technical advancement of its builders, who supposedly did not possess even the crudest metal tools. <b>[Photo by Author] </b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span></b><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">In search of a lost City</span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Walking
around the streets of the little town of Texcoco, very little suggests this was
once one of the greatest cities of ancient America, capital of a dynasty of
kings at least as old as the Aztecs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Texcoco, the “Athens of America”,
fell into inevitable decline soon after the Spanish conquest, and its fate was
sealed with the drying up of the lake of Texcoco, which once bordered the city
and extended over much of what is nowadays the valley of Mexico. The great
Tenochtitlan itself, capital of the mighty Aztec empire, was but an island in
the middle of this now largely vanished lake. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Still in the first half of the XIX
century, travelers could admire the ruins of Texcoco on the now dry lake shore.
Bullock (1824) saw there, among other things, the ruins of a large aqueduct, which
was still in use at the time of his visit, as well as “s<i>everal stone
buildings of great strength</i>” and the foundations of countless more
ancient buildings “<i>many of considerable size</i>”
<b>[1]</b>. Several unbaked brick pyramids could be seen all over the plain, including
the fabled <i>Templo Mayor</i> of Texcoco, once as large
as the <i>Templo Mayor </i>of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. Among
all ruins that were shown to him, Bullock was deeply moved by the palace of
the kings of Texcoco, a building “<i>far surpassing any ideas I
had formed of the architectural abilities of the aboriginal Americans</i>.
<b>[1]</b>”. This palace occupied one entire side of the great square, over a length
of 300 feet, and was placed on sloping terraces raised one upon the other. It
was composed “<i>of huge blocks of basaltic stone, about four
or five feet long, and two and a half or three feet thick, cut and polished
with the utmost exactness</i>. <b>[1]</b>” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sadly, after a little less than 200
years of pillaging and quarrying, nothing remains of the great structures that
Bullock could still see, all vanished under the modern town of Texcoco and
sacrificed to the expansion of nearby Mexico City. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bullock was also shown a very curious
set of ruins, located on a mountain a short distance from the ancient city of
Texcoco, and was probably the first person to provide a full descriptions
of the ruins of Tezcotzingo (or Texcotzingo – meaning the “little Texcoco”).
The very unusual character of these ruins led Bullock to the conclusion that
they must have been “<i>erected by a people whose
history was lost even before the building of the city of Mexico</i>. <b>[1]</b>”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is now believed that Tetzcotzingo
served as a royal residence of the Aztec emperors, originally built and
embellished by the rulers of the city of Texcoco, and particularly by its most
famous king, the poet and philosopher Nezahualcoyotl (1402-1472 AD). This
residence, which was much admired by the Spanish conquistadors and historians
before its destruction, was a veritable garden of delights. The entire
mountain, an oddly pyramid-shaped natural outcrop, was artificially shaped and
terraced to host a number of constructions, palaces and temples meant to serve
as a symbolic representation of the cosmic mountain. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0oR5TqJdgw-egB-izenju46fARza-TXQ4fR91-1hM1pMTg13Ct2y3GeTnuo48Cp4_ZvipvsShTgO-5z6Px8X-huTaAOhRR4Ak1a-ZRjWCoIp4XCpAq9Mn_F0SmzJ-D925cHHPfKz2d0/s1600/Foto-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0oR5TqJdgw-egB-izenju46fARza-TXQ4fR91-1hM1pMTg13Ct2y3GeTnuo48Cp4_ZvipvsShTgO-5z6Px8X-huTaAOhRR4Ak1a-ZRjWCoIp4XCpAq9Mn_F0SmzJ-D925cHHPfKz2d0/s640/Foto-7.JPG" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The near-perfect pyramid shape of the hill of Tezcotzingo, in the distance, would have made it an ideal "cosmic mountain". The stone-cut channel in the foreground is part of the ancient aqueduct that once fed the gardens on the hill. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">The monolithic temples<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The
Aztec and Acolhua period constructions on the hill of Tetzcotzingo are now
mostly ruinous and appear rather unremarkable. Yet, on the same artificially
shaped hill one also finds the remains of puzzling trenches, stairways and
chambers cut in the hard porphyry rock in a style quite unique in the
Mesoamerican world – the only parallel being found in the monolithic temples of
Malinalco, also in central Mexico. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A long aqueduct, over 8 Km long and
partially dug into the bedrock, brought water to the site, feeding a number of
pools and basins along the terraced slopes of the hill. The most remarkable of these
pools is presently known by its popular name of “Bath of Nezahualcoyotl”. It is
a perfectly circular pool, measuring 1.5 meters in diameter, with a depth of about
1.2 meters, cut out of the living porphyry rock. The pool is accessed by means
of three steps that descend into the basin, and is surrounded by an ornate stepped
parapet with a throne or chair carved in it. All around the basin, the rock had
been cut into deep trenches, as large as to allow the passage of a man. Several
similarly rock-cut stairways also departed from this spot in different
directions towards the base of the hill, all carved with the utmost precision
and exactness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Other two almost identical basins,
regrettably much more ruined, are found a few hundred meters from this one, and
are popularly known as the “Bath of the Queen” and the “Bath of the Concubines”.
The “Bath of the Queen” retains visible part of the original aqueduct that fed
it, along with three sculptures of frogs facing the pool from different
directions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As it is often the case with such
enigmatic ruins, the site lies today in a state of abandonment and has fallen
prey to vandalism and graffiti of all sorts. Many of the rock-cut stairways and
trenches are overgrown with vegetation, and it is possible that more structures
lie buried towards the summit and around the base of the hill. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">On one side of the hill the remains
of a rock-cut temple with fragments of sculptures are found, while a vast
square chamber was cut on the flank facing the aqueduct. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What is striking about these ruins is
the very deep erosion to which they seem to have been subject, which appears only
compatible with a very great antiquity – certainly more than the mere 500 years
attributed by archaeologists. This is even more surprising if one considers the
much better degree of preservation of the other Aztec period ruins on the hill,
which, although built with much poorer materials, retain at places the original
stucco facing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">All this seems to suggest that these
ruins might belong to a much earlier period than that of the Aztecs and
Acolhua, and were only incorporated in what was meant to be a symbolic
representation of the cosmic mountain in the shape of a giant pyramid-shaped
hill. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1L_clgtzajRF1DLgdaOR0qfUtBYyMaZYxrc7kjUYvHz2537pB3QQSK5MS-nLnfnlXJECNCKnAiDc0QHo9jv-H4eqFPTWhbF3w2Pn34nXiXvDqhdZg4Sj355B_by4cbjVjDNakLIMpN_s/s1600/Foto-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1L_clgtzajRF1DLgdaOR0qfUtBYyMaZYxrc7kjUYvHz2537pB3QQSK5MS-nLnfnlXJECNCKnAiDc0QHo9jv-H4eqFPTWhbF3w2Pn34nXiXvDqhdZg4Sj355B_by4cbjVjDNakLIMpN_s/s640/Foto-1.JPG" width="424" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A view of the monolithic shrine known as "Bath of Nezahalcoyotl" or "Bath of the King". It consists of a perfectly circular basin approached by steps and a set of rock-cut trenches and stairways of uncertain function. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_2GQyE0IAHvq0bkoB4a5FMxtzoCY5t8ezpaI-mZ5TyaeRFPkhaAsHe3RQW4FdSTVECpcQy9H4VTP2GYqXnMQipaQDvwmqOopNII3u5dy0bPA8e-ioXfjHzMowug_lKG4qLvo9jbek7I/s1600/Foto-9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_2GQyE0IAHvq0bkoB4a5FMxtzoCY5t8ezpaI-mZ5TyaeRFPkhaAsHe3RQW4FdSTVECpcQy9H4VTP2GYqXnMQipaQDvwmqOopNII3u5dy0bPA8e-ioXfjHzMowug_lKG4qLvo9jbek7I/s400/Foto-9.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of the great rock-cut chambers in the sides of the hill. This one was located at one extremity of the great aqueduct and contains a now much defaced throne. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNM21R791bKFEJH-2lMn8-42rnJmMxKII_7tPO_WCEuPOWsb1tP_5nmyaKnnM73lMMBDpaTAjwZMzS1lJwBh0sTwaHfTawX3JztelcTt6xQ41COCpqX4K-JPGk5x2M0tYHnVhLMG35Rg/s1600/Foto-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNM21R791bKFEJH-2lMn8-42rnJmMxKII_7tPO_WCEuPOWsb1tP_5nmyaKnnM73lMMBDpaTAjwZMzS1lJwBh0sTwaHfTawX3JztelcTt6xQ41COCpqX4K-JPGk5x2M0tYHnVhLMG35Rg/s400/Foto-3.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">A view of the extremely accurate stonework of one of the monolithic stairways approaching the "Bath of the King" Everything has been carved in the hard porphyry stone of the hill, allegedly without the aid of anything but the most primitive stone tools. <b>[Photo by Author] </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquA-4xvYvS0Dlx2ejx6NboQR8-K3KG5zJfu_IXw4hCFtHO0M5ba2RMb5Cx2wL5hyphenhyphen_t-dSEBXQ2pg8SfXbdy4E2VX0Eaj2nbtim8c4UADKb7HEqohExiHMR74zHMX_eTjcOtI1VL6WtHY/s1600/IMGP0774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgquA-4xvYvS0Dlx2ejx6NboQR8-K3KG5zJfu_IXw4hCFtHO0M5ba2RMb5Cx2wL5hyphenhyphen_t-dSEBXQ2pg8SfXbdy4E2VX0Eaj2nbtim8c4UADKb7HEqohExiHMR74zHMX_eTjcOtI1VL6WtHY/s400/IMGP0774.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">From this other photograph, it is possible to appreciate the wonderful workmanship of the "Bath of the King". The basin is perfectly circular and bears signs on its outer surface of having been dug or polished with some kind of rotating tool that left clear grooves on the rock face. The stepped symbol present in the balustrade also finds analogies with the "Andean Cross" stepped motif found at many Peruvian megalithic sites. <b>[Photo by Author] </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mysterious tunnels<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> Another
mysterious feature of the place is the presence of extensive ancient tunnels,
whose accesses (now mostly blocked) are found at different places on the hill. The
entrances to these tunnels had been already noticed by Bullock, who mentioned
in his writings that the entire mountain was “<i>perforated
by artificial excavations</i>”, mentioning one particular tunnel near
the top, approached by a flight of rock-cut steps, which his own guide had
entered “<i>but which no one as yet had had the courage to
explore, although it was believed</i> <i>that immense
riches were buried in it</i>.”[1]<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQC03u2j03HbNt0los2GbRqSp0OKabTvy65Yw5K0eU8OUWjDXr5oGq1239NvQxPHEyH9Zx4X4GA3T-gytr30_ephZ79s3XuysPTo97CRCyjzJ1BEVxcqZ1kc20A34_pW8UFeR53sk_jE/s1600/Foto-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQC03u2j03HbNt0los2GbRqSp0OKabTvy65Yw5K0eU8OUWjDXr5oGq1239NvQxPHEyH9Zx4X4GA3T-gytr30_ephZ79s3XuysPTo97CRCyjzJ1BEVxcqZ1kc20A34_pW8UFeR53sk_jE/s400/Foto-8.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The entrance to one of the tunnels found near the summit of the hill. This one continues for just a few meters before encountering a blockage and can hardly be the one described by Bullock in 1824. One can also see other rock-cut benches and carvings on both sides of the walls. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAW8UTF4fys9EiQvWoPVpDz9dDjSPRXbfckusNgRFZIu4-HFnZrSN0IIf_AsQP9BIz0m4r6bNwYCtK3WY80sncRjuI9f5qWBi8gymOniqLzIqW3UoI465RAMjgozpBS4FChiivB_AGvCg/s1600/Foto-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAW8UTF4fys9EiQvWoPVpDz9dDjSPRXbfckusNgRFZIu4-HFnZrSN0IIf_AsQP9BIz0m4r6bNwYCtK3WY80sncRjuI9f5qWBi8gymOniqLzIqW3UoI465RAMjgozpBS4FChiivB_AGvCg/s320/Foto-6.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">One of many rock-cut model of stairways and aqueducts that were probably used by the ancient builders for designing the complex system of gardens and communicating pools. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nowadays, the entrance to at least three such
tunnels can still be discerned at various points on the hill, although none
matching the description provided by Bullock. The only tunnel entrance visible
near the summit is in fact a small artificial cave, which does not extend more
than a few meters and could hardly have been the responsible for the legends of
labyrinthine tunnels reported by Bullock and other authors. Another tunnel
entrance is found under a rocky outcrop below the monolithic rock-cut basin
known as the “Bath of Nezahualcoyotl” or “Bath of the King”, but is presently
locked with a metal gate. The longest tunnel that can still be explored for a
certain length is found a short way from the base of the hill. It is entirely
carved in the rock and slopes downwards for about 20 or 30 meters before
meeting a blockage. While it is possible to see the tunnel continuing for some
length after the blockage, it is impossible to proceed without proper
equipment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">All these enigmatic features greatly
contribute to the aura of mystery still surrounding the hill of Tezcotzingo and
bear a striking resemblance to other similar sites throughout the ancient
world, from the mysterious <a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.it/2012/07/turkeys-marcahuasi-mysterious-city-of.html">“City of Midas”</a> in ancient Turkey to the enigmatic
<a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.it/2014/12/a-journey-into-x-zone.html">rock-cut shrines and subterraneans of the Peruvian Andes</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRX__Onqk9vPZTFYDNyWW7L6kqESFGThRQKK9OAzJAZJWK4h5RR0vdwoSVhGf7MwHGdw-YsHZECaFmkYNWAckMxLg835ROePI4cwOK_fUWIcYkLhJYN4FXSQCsJctCMhtalMCfUL34dM/s1600/Foto-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRX__Onqk9vPZTFYDNyWW7L6kqESFGThRQKK9OAzJAZJWK4h5RR0vdwoSVhGf7MwHGdw-YsHZECaFmkYNWAckMxLg835ROePI4cwOK_fUWIcYkLhJYN4FXSQCsJctCMhtalMCfUL34dM/s400/Foto-4.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Seen from above, the system of rock-cut trenches, stairways and pools carved in the flanks of the hill of Tezcotzingo bears a striking resemblance to other enigmatic megalithic sites, like the famous Fuerte of Samaipata, in Bolivia. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWBb9ey61mGm-C_CCP3VHFf6WAZHMvsJBFLqZ51oXx-ReonHN0NwrCdjmdz-2TEXaf6_PrYMIzveA_caTC4WGgrvWA2-e0Y87LU_SPwnFDZbxjldo2v1ddq_f1ZkpfXVbTdL76FdYq-M/s1600/Foto-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyWBb9ey61mGm-C_CCP3VHFf6WAZHMvsJBFLqZ51oXx-ReonHN0NwrCdjmdz-2TEXaf6_PrYMIzveA_caTC4WGgrvWA2-e0Y87LU_SPwnFDZbxjldo2v1ddq_f1ZkpfXVbTdL76FdYq-M/s400/Foto-5.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Another aerial view of the area known as the "Bath of the King". The entrance to another tunnel is visible in the cliff face in the center of the picture. This one in particular appears to be closed with a metal gate.<b> [Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">References: <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>[1]</b> W. Bullock, <i>Six Months
Residence and Travels in Mexico</i>, London, 1824, pp. 283-394<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="ES-MX" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>[2]</b>
Francisco Arturo Schroeder Cordero, <i>La arquitectura monolítca en
Tetzcotzingo y en Malinalco, Estado de México </i>Cuadernos de
Arquitectura Mesoamericana, n. 4, UNAM, July 1985, pp. 66-91<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="ES-MX" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>[3]</b>
M. Dominguez Nuñez, <i>Arqueología y astronomía
del antiguo Tetzcotzingo</i>, UNAM, 2007, accessed online: <a href="https://www.academia.edu/7975869/ARQUEOLOG%C3%8DA_Y_ASTRONOM%C3%8DA_DEL_ANTIGUO_TETZCOTZINCO_ESTADO_DE_M%C3%89XICO">https://www.academia.edu/7975869/ARQUEOLOGÍA_Y_ASTRONOMÍA_DEL_ANTIGUO_TETZCOTZINCO_ESTADO_DE_MÉXICO</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="line-height: 107%;">[4]</b><span style="line-height: 107%;"> Wikipedia entry on Texcotzingo: </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texcotzingo" style="line-height: 107%;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texcotzingo</a></span></div>
Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-47761648743819764112016-03-16T19:45:00.000-06:002016-03-16T19:45:06.883-06:00The Megalithic Ruins of Ancient Mexico - Part I<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Megalithic Teotihuacan<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXaDL3YZ2Ekt-FHHSmfKBfQjyiJzhtnsPLuboHBpq4TzcZXEv3-IL1SsZVYQjyXx485YXBLS2yLeG9vzi0TTsd9Hw7VybqLmCa7kNWJlxH8tl-8jBnPu9JGdI93hpZBvHiRhDjenlgmE/s1600/IMGP8503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXaDL3YZ2Ekt-FHHSmfKBfQjyiJzhtnsPLuboHBpq4TzcZXEv3-IL1SsZVYQjyXx485YXBLS2yLeG9vzi0TTsd9Hw7VybqLmCa7kNWJlxH8tl-8jBnPu9JGdI93hpZBvHiRhDjenlgmE/s400/IMGP8503.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Profile of the main stairway of the pyramid of the feathered serpents in Teotihuacan, decorated with colossal serpent heads<b> [Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 15.6933px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 15.6933px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; text-align: justify;">Mexico does not possess the
impressive megalithic ruins of Peru and the Andes of South America, nor does it
boast evidence of monumental architecture dating as far back as Caral and the
other ceremonial sites in the Supe Valley of coastal Peru (dating as far back
as 2,600 BC). Nevertheless, it certainly bears the footprints of equally
enigmatic civilizations that prospered and vanished on its soil over several
thousands of years, starting from the mysterious Olmecs, down to the Mayas, the
Toltecs and finally the Aztecs.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 15.6933px; text-align: justify;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 15.6933px; text-align: justify;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; text-align: justify;">I have moved to Mexico last year from
my natal country of Italy, and this has given me the chance to explore deeper
the mysterious past of this ancient land.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Compared to the megalithic
architecture of Peru, with its hair-tight joints and almost supernatural
precision, ancient Mexican construction appears rather crude even in its most
monumental expressions. For even the most impressive Maya pyramids, such as <i>El
Castillo </i>of <i>Chichen Itzá</i> reveal a core of rubble and
an outer casing of small quarried stones with loose joints, bound together with
cement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For this reason, it is even more so
surprising to find among the rubble of dilapidated pyramids and temples some highly
polished and perfectly finished megalithic stones. Almost invariably, these
surprising megalithic findings do not seem to fit well with the rest of their
surroundings, as if they belonged to an entirely different age and
civilization. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because of their apparent oddity,
these megalithic remains have been largely ignored by the public and by specialists
at large. Hardly a tourist stops in front of these strange megalithic relics, whenever
they are not utterly inaccessible or restricted to visitors. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is even the case in one of the
most visited archaeological sites in the world, receiving as many as 100,000
visitors per day –<i> Teotihuacan</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">City of the Gods<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> The
ruins of what has been often called the <i>Rome of America</i>,
Teotihuacan, lie a mere 50 Km North-East of modern day Mexico City. At its peak, around 200 AD, Teotihuacan
counted with a population of well over 125,000, hundreds of temples and palaces
and three massive pyramids named after the Sun, the Moon and the Feathered
Serpent (itself a symbol of the planet Venus). It is not my intention here to
describe the ruins of this ancient city into any more detail than what is
required by the subject of this brief dissertation – that is <i>megalithic architecture in ancient Mexico</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The idea of starting a series of
posts on megalithic architecture from a site which (rather obviously, even for the distracted tourist) does not
boast any such examples would appear quite odd. Yet Teotihuacan <i>does</i> possess megalithic architecture, and on a colossal scale
too; one just needs to walk slightly off the beaten path in order to find
traces of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For how impressive the Teotihuacan
pyramids look from a distance, this impression of monumentality quickly
dissipates as soon as one gets closer to the base or approaches the obligatory
climb to the top. Not only are the pyramids <i>not</i> built of
cut stone (<i>and in this respect, they differ significantly from
the Egyptian pyramids, to which they are so frequently equated</i>), but they
appear to consist of no more than cemented rubble and <i>adobe</i>
(<i>a kind of mud brick</i>). That is, even if
one ignores for a moment the rather imaginative early 20<sup>th</sup> century
reconstructions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px;">But was it always the case?</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WIWrTGEcGXKFLtZx10KfoOygIqOwooPqOjrVDDqcITkYBAImZ4feXn1wdci7srGwtuDtL5rAE1Z-q7APa7Uhdnkaw69dyffXMkqr93KIollH8YS2UoGwNyuusv5ttBTX9zrRyII-MU0/s1600/DJI_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WIWrTGEcGXKFLtZx10KfoOygIqOwooPqOjrVDDqcITkYBAImZ4feXn1wdci7srGwtuDtL5rAE1Z-q7APa7Uhdnkaw69dyffXMkqr93KIollH8YS2UoGwNyuusv5ttBTX9zrRyII-MU0/s400/DJI_0022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The pyramid of the Sun as seen from the air, with the pyramid of the Moon in the background. The sheer impression of monumentality quickly vanishes as soon as one approaches the pyramid from close up. Unlike the Great Pyramid of Egypt, the Teotihuacan pyramids are not built of cut stone, but rather of a mix of cemented rubble and <i>adobe</i>. However, many hints suggest that they once similarly possessed a cut stone outer casing, which would have been later stuccoed and plastered to give it a smooth appearance. The pyramid of the Sun shares almost the exact same base measures as the Great pyramid of Giza, but has only half the height, resulting in a ratio of 4-´pi between the perimeter and the height. <b>[Photo by Author]</b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobCrRFznPQ2DeF-tYXC0qc4sYBH4JBUSh3YvQF8LNzYeONczOE4ATRUhs2EafpqH0TOiZhhlFk1v9wlu1htnh30OaRwSr1cR-UljfnuV0xRX78GN5RfAc-6ZKq7LZ9FQXly4ka0fGjR8/s1600/DJI_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobCrRFznPQ2DeF-tYXC0qc4sYBH4JBUSh3YvQF8LNzYeONczOE4ATRUhs2EafpqH0TOiZhhlFk1v9wlu1htnh30OaRwSr1cR-UljfnuV0xRX78GN5RfAc-6ZKq7LZ9FQXly4ka0fGjR8/s400/DJI_0006.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">Aerial photo of Teotihuacan, as seen from the <i>Ciudadela</i>. The pyramid of the feathered serpents is in the front, with the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon in the background.<b> [Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Interestingly, Dupaix, one of the
early pioneers of Mexican archaeology in the late 18</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 107%;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"> Century, and
among the first to publish a sketch of the Teotihuacan pyramids in the West,
still shows the pyramid of the Sun covered with a very regular cut stone casing
(“</span><i style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">revestido de piedras esquadradas</i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">” he would write in his report published a few years later). </span><b style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">[1]</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By the time Bullock visited the site in
1824, most of the casing stones were already gone, as he says that the outer
faces of the pyramid were littered with pieces of “<i>lime and
cement…mixed with fallen stones</i>”. He did however notice some “<i>enormous stones</i>” near the base of the great pyramid,
including one “<i>covered with sculptures</i>” and
another “<i>with a hole in the middle</i>”, which he
suspected could have served as a sacrificial altar. <b>[2]</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Still to this day one finds several
interesting stone blocks scattered in no apparent order around the main approach
to the pyramid. Several of these carved stone blocks show very fine, polished
surfaces, with sharp corners. Undoubtedly, they were
once part of the outer casing of the pyramid of the Sun, and the ornamentations
still visible on the stones portray the typical motifs of Teotihuacan art:
figures of jaguars, circles, stars and sea shells. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Several other finely carved stone
blocks are scattered in a small sculpture park ("<i>Parque escultorico</i>") between the pyramid of the Sun
and the <i>Ciudadela</i> - the vast walled compound that hosts in its center the
pyramid of the feathered serpents. It is unclear where the stones originally
belonged, but the variety of limestone, basalt, marble and even granite is
quite impressive, as well as the very accurate finish of some of the stone
blocks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One needs however to reach the
pyramid of the feathered serpents to find the first real and most compelling examples of megalithic
architecture at Teotihuacan. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2d-4-XvD-NP3WEa3O93yMHUjKPSqRr_Wccl8LL4Kd3FfvJsaa32ZiEnqTQ-LC3Ni99mGma08v5hKXufG_ZVc6yDios8L7seeoJbNzBIn11L49vGEztpvWUo1okUGF99UcuBJ7IX9BPQ/s1600/IMGP8484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2d-4-XvD-NP3WEa3O93yMHUjKPSqRr_Wccl8LL4Kd3FfvJsaa32ZiEnqTQ-LC3Ni99mGma08v5hKXufG_ZVc6yDios8L7seeoJbNzBIn11L49vGEztpvWUo1okUGF99UcuBJ7IX9BPQ/s400/IMGP8484.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Detail of the ornamentation of the pyramid of the feathered serpents, with its characteristic serpent heads. From the picture above, it is possible to appreciate how far each stone extends inside the pyramid masonry. Each serpent head, including the body, is nearly 2 meters long and has an estimated weight of over 4 tons. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOYr65irsWY6iOd6kTh-hMTbcUtqdOSQGlGnX7Fh6Z2lPX1Kpz0JfyCO-ngUsuz3eibhyphenhyphendhQE-TEgpkvnWpI6pTBHzuqzhQGlGkFi4PBMcvvU8kC9AlEQYmn9hsqIZEi0bJnNqMFZC7o/s1600/IMGP8493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOYr65irsWY6iOd6kTh-hMTbcUtqdOSQGlGnX7Fh6Z2lPX1Kpz0JfyCO-ngUsuz3eibhyphenhyphendhQE-TEgpkvnWpI6pTBHzuqzhQGlGkFi4PBMcvvU8kC9AlEQYmn9hsqIZEi0bJnNqMFZC7o/s400/IMGP8493.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another detail of the elaborate ornamentation of the pyramid, following the classic <i>Talud-Tablero</i> style of Teotihuacan architecture. The facade alternates serpent heads to giant masks interpreted to be the effigy of the rain-God Tlaloc, showing serpent-like as well as feline features. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">The pyramid is today mostly hidden
behind the so-called “</span><i style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">adosada</i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">”
platform, which was added to it towards the end of the 4</span><sup style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 107%;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
Century AD and covered much of the earlier structure. It was thanks to this
later addition that the beautiful stone façade of the pyramid could be preserved
along its western side, allowing a glimpse into how the Teotihuacan pyramids would have looked like had their stone casing been spared centuries of looting
and quarrying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The façade itself consists of
beautifully carved stones, jointed and fitted together without mortar in the
usual Teotihuacan <i>Talud</i>-<i>Tablero</i>
style. The fantastic figures on its sides allude to the cosmic serpent, and
alternate feathered serpent heads with masks of the god Tlaloc, amidst
seashells and other marine symbols clearly related with water and the ocean (<i>perhaps suggestive of the emergence of the sacred mound from the primordial waters of creation</i>) In the few places where
individual loose stones are visible, the very high quality of their workmanship
can be fully appreciated, exhibiting sharp edges and perfectly planar surfaces
unlike anything to be found elsewhere at Teotihuacan. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In early February, I received from a
friend some very intriguing pictures of large megalithic stones lying scattered
in a vast area located immediately at the back of the <i>Ciudadela</i>
and apparently coming from excavations conducted around the main pyramid itself. This
area has now seemingly been fenced off, but was accessible at the time of this friend's visit in February. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To access it, one would need to walk
along the entire perimeter of the <i>Ciudadela</i> until reaching its opposite (Eastern) side from the Avenue of the Dead. There, a ramp leads across the
massive outer perimeter wall into the esplanade where the megalithic stone
blocks are to be found. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Not only are these possibly the
largest stones ever to be found at Teotihuacan, but they are also the most finely
cut and polished – to a level comparable to the ones forming the façade of the
pyramid of the feathered serpents itself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As it can be seen from the pictures
below, most of the stones are limestone and would have once formed part of a continuous
façade not unlike the portion that is still preserved underneath the “<i>adosada</i>” platform.
Many of the larger stone fragments seem to belong to the familiar snake
heads and masks that must have decorated the pyramid on each one of its four
sides, but others also bear decorations of a different kind - not found on the other sides of the pyramid wherever its sculptured decoration has survived the ravages of time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What is perhaps most striking is that
these examples of megalithic architecture are almost invariably found in the
oldest layers of construction of the ancient metropolis, and we would not rule out the possibility that they might have once formed part of even older, now vanished megalithic structures – perhaps
later reemployed by the builders of Teotihuacan of the historical period for
their constructions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVox2-kWX5q2zmZKRawxgIzub0rQm7f2hk7GL2skJzkpcGwq3ckLtZEMAncryFM7RipjNmaM7H6HszhU3XFdZIwexN3Lrn6eKVo7UcIbSpV7elD7qYhIlipGbKLRlRcSOaUa50Fd2LTiY/s1600/IMGP8508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVox2-kWX5q2zmZKRawxgIzub0rQm7f2hk7GL2skJzkpcGwq3ckLtZEMAncryFM7RipjNmaM7H6HszhU3XFdZIwexN3Lrn6eKVo7UcIbSpV7elD7qYhIlipGbKLRlRcSOaUa50Fd2LTiY/s400/IMGP8508.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">An overview of the area behind the pyramid of the feathered serpents, with many of the large megalithic stone blocks lying scattered around its base, each one weighting multiple tons. <b>[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b>]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzMQvx6ZRinm2VyL39Ua8sAQuO1osz9MUVOkvnFSyqR4XojvxF6pGIMGRedT1H0btu7noHOXRx8ckNTwNS_dDmtzZby_3ZArFbWud5WQJXuexsvJShBor4pouJCXKuZbEoXJIBzBk8K0/s1600/IMGP8547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzMQvx6ZRinm2VyL39Ua8sAQuO1osz9MUVOkvnFSyqR4XojvxF6pGIMGRedT1H0btu7noHOXRx8ckNTwNS_dDmtzZby_3ZArFbWud5WQJXuexsvJShBor4pouJCXKuZbEoXJIBzBk8K0/s400/IMGP8547.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A detailof the state in which many of the stones are to be found, partially embedded in the now demolished filling of the "<i>adosada</i>" platform. Not the curious U-shape of some of the larger blocks. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzk4k6LUIfwD8RrS76rEGV8brIR2k_BGqWzqfV4g7OB7P9HFHUDUXcwS2kS6ft5ntcBnbfWIbcGFDGLrXjTjkYZ1nTGuf357cfTvpA27tnObhdrOA9mtmeDQfpH9lQ4xpXLsGiCD0rug/s1600/IMGP8581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzk4k6LUIfwD8RrS76rEGV8brIR2k_BGqWzqfV4g7OB7P9HFHUDUXcwS2kS6ft5ntcBnbfWIbcGFDGLrXjTjkYZ1nTGuf357cfTvpA27tnObhdrOA9mtmeDQfpH9lQ4xpXLsGiCD0rug/s400/IMGP8581.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">More megalithic stone blocks scattered around the base of the pyramid, some of which bearing the same ornamentation as the blocks found on the main facade of the pyramid, to the sides of the monumental stairway. See for instance the large serpent head in the foreground. </span><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WrVj5PnTOFW1faTTGGFBvikXuSEfGhbLywWkKbsCD48JDEryc-52hEVnll-Gz31T823bRGJ_RmamqlGvq11Zyy9FwGN-jyePH-OAw7Jav65AnDHXmaM3HYXNWpytReEKYkx1jw9pkbA/s1600/IMGP8591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0WrVj5PnTOFW1faTTGGFBvikXuSEfGhbLywWkKbsCD48JDEryc-52hEVnll-Gz31T823bRGJ_RmamqlGvq11Zyy9FwGN-jyePH-OAw7Jav65AnDHXmaM3HYXNWpytReEKYkx1jw9pkbA/s400/IMGP8591.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Some of the stones appear to be badly eroded or deliberately damaged, while others exhibit perfectly smooth surfaces and straight angles. One is left to wonder as the reason why these stones ended up being scattered and reused in the filling of the "<i>adosada</i>" platform. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">Echoes of the fifth sun</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the legends and myths of the
Aztecs, Teotihuacan was the place where the gods convened to give birth to the Fifth
Sun of our era, after a previous world age had ended in darkness. It is in that
remote age that we need to look for the unknown megalithic builders of
Teotihuacan. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">According to a story that was told
and copied by Bernardino de Sahagún soon after the conquest: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i>They say they came to this
land to rule over it…they came from the sea on ships, a multitude of them, and
landed on the shore of the sea, to the North…from there they went on, seeking
the white mountains, the smoky mountains…led by their priests and by the voice
of their gods. Finally they came to the place that they called Tamoanchan…and
there they settled for some time…but it was not for long, for their wise masters
left, took again to their boats…bringing back with them all their holy books
and their sacred images</i>” <b>[3]</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If we are to believe the informers of
Sahagún, the builders of Teotihuacán-Tamoanchan had come from the sea, and had
brought with them the principles of all arts and sciences. Did they also bring
knowledge of megalithic architecture with them?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The beginnings of Teotihuacan are
obscure. Monumental architecture on the site sprung almost immediately, in a
single spree of construction that resulted in the general layout of the site as
we appreciate it today, with its three main pyramids distributed along the
3-miles stretch of the <i>Avenue of the Dead</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">New constructions were added on top
of the older, but always following the same grand plan drawn by the original
unknown founders of the city, perhaps centuries or even thousands of years
earlier. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Perhaps these scattered megalithic
remains are all that is left of the original <i>City of the
Gods</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>References: </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>[1]</b> From a Drawing in BNAH, inv. 58,
21x30.7 cm<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>[2] </b>William Bullock, <i>Six months Residence and Travel in Mexico</i>, p. 416 (London,
J. Murray, 1824)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="IT" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: IT;"><b>[3]</b>
Bernardino de Sahagún, <i>Codice Matritense de la
Real Academia</i>, folio 191,192 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hlu2DePcWPyLS-2mQTlzq7vIuKXxZR29GL7Muqs56JOQ450to9NO3ZjDucd7xD0aOshkcO81xVga1L0LG1p3CKWzhe_o8S-X8tbd2INrTXeKQM3Rgde9oIPfl3Ac8zCr308F3xUwuQI/s1600/IMGP8453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hlu2DePcWPyLS-2mQTlzq7vIuKXxZR29GL7Muqs56JOQ450to9NO3ZjDucd7xD0aOshkcO81xVga1L0LG1p3CKWzhe_o8S-X8tbd2INrTXeKQM3Rgde9oIPfl3Ac8zCr308F3xUwuQI/s400/IMGP8453.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A detail of a large monolithic serpent head from a complex of buildings along the <i>Avenue of the Dead</i>. All over Teotihuacan and ancient Mesoamerica, the most sophisticated architecture is always found in the lower occupational layers. In this case, the floor level was raised when a new platform was built on top of the already existing one, thus covering and preserving its beautiful stone ornamentation. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEVumj1erCssshGBi-XCJ5rTxj3NaIagEpmJUPEaKrkJyKoleW4FYCGHRyiIKtvs0TalWWSm7PPwlOLMcPQ25T4Sdtyr0lyqIHMrs0cbFVP44bcg5XTphznnbMKybEyl1wud8irxrX1o/s1600/IMGP8454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEVumj1erCssshGBi-XCJ5rTxj3NaIagEpmJUPEaKrkJyKoleW4FYCGHRyiIKtvs0TalWWSm7PPwlOLMcPQ25T4Sdtyr0lyqIHMrs0cbFVP44bcg5XTphznnbMKybEyl1wud8irxrX1o/s400/IMGP8454.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">From this other perspective of the same building, it is easy to appreciate how the older construction (below the later floor level) exhibits a much superior workmanship and architectural technique, with the use of larger, sometimes even megalithic stones. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XYS2VtZm00Tl0v28o2DGrRGN5M_kxAfsk6I0izA5eqHG6fAOg6nCcawazhJ2kYfQqsZk0QcaNAWvGg7ud-wsz7cG6hHBhgccFB56dXp8SP2yInPo3McoPhAAgjwFgfHuW26XWuxCDLQ/s1600/IMGP8466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XYS2VtZm00Tl0v28o2DGrRGN5M_kxAfsk6I0izA5eqHG6fAOg6nCcawazhJ2kYfQqsZk0QcaNAWvGg7ud-wsz7cG6hHBhgccFB56dXp8SP2yInPo3McoPhAAgjwFgfHuW26XWuxCDLQ/s400/IMGP8466.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">One of many architectural fragments preserved in the "<i>Jardin Escultorico</i>" of the site. This one in particular bears a very elaborate ornamentation and might have been part of a larger sculptured monolith, of which it is the only surviving fragment. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YL45JFNPe3TQBjSTS5ZiYGRW2ZSOChlTUV1gv9Jxp-cJMjGdHMefCChhCKk0IViI1JLdtCMyDbBDZFXrAkjcDumktJJftU13pUvFhvo7e6f4wZp95-70LF2TgNgVYz7JMfgPxELTR5o/s1600/IMGP8467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YL45JFNPe3TQBjSTS5ZiYGRW2ZSOChlTUV1gv9Jxp-cJMjGdHMefCChhCKk0IViI1JLdtCMyDbBDZFXrAkjcDumktJJftU13pUvFhvo7e6f4wZp95-70LF2TgNgVYz7JMfgPxELTR5o/s400/IMGP8467.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">More interesting sculptural fragments from the "<i>Jardin Escultorico</i>". This one is carved in a way similar to the crown of feathers placed around some of the giant serpent heads that decorate the facade of the pyramid of the feathered serpents, a few hundred meters to the South. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtBQsLn_O9rnkv5TvslnRpCgD8mckonYikJwn9Ibi7jmE7HALYk3bbat6xZy5U8HsAom62WNU2CD23JztW66UtJXGAhcRklMKRIBYhoT8A6IyNbL_ddBGh2FxDHsJhhb5zdOiQPbdxS8/s1600/IMGP8471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtBQsLn_O9rnkv5TvslnRpCgD8mckonYikJwn9Ibi7jmE7HALYk3bbat6xZy5U8HsAom62WNU2CD23JztW66UtJXGAhcRklMKRIBYhoT8A6IyNbL_ddBGh2FxDHsJhhb5zdOiQPbdxS8/s400/IMGP8471.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Slightly off the beaten path, one finds literally hundreds of fragments of sculptures, with varying degrees of finish and polish. Unfortunately there is no information provided on the provenance of these fragments. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzqtL_GuJQc8s9w2GCgMy_8gw5bjlFsmV8m84qi_gkwYM194nbQv1wx5l9ixBuH8zey42gfSTRwEPYi4VJ6jf811qxrf4A7F8lzWiyvRaDXs_kYH2mBkuKSeVHs9JgCFbHeq2Z42U7pw/s1600/IMGP8478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzqtL_GuJQc8s9w2GCgMy_8gw5bjlFsmV8m84qi_gkwYM194nbQv1wx5l9ixBuH8zey42gfSTRwEPYi4VJ6jf811qxrf4A7F8lzWiyvRaDXs_kYH2mBkuKSeVHs9JgCFbHeq2Z42U7pw/s400/IMGP8478.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Some of the architectural fragments aligned on one side of the inner courtyard of the <i>Ciudadela</i>, near the pyramid of the feathered serpents. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2Uul-bMYiG01KG5kDtWDNi1Xyj8xbzFfRxCez56SlFVfr__zG04_eyKQMGUtx8we0N2InFkSz87oaiEImJLqKhEy74k8uJ7X6BKWzINETDl67Zeyjwd8bjcS3BnaAHXKu4Fv6iJ9d-Y/s1600/IMGP8480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2Uul-bMYiG01KG5kDtWDNi1Xyj8xbzFfRxCez56SlFVfr__zG04_eyKQMGUtx8we0N2InFkSz87oaiEImJLqKhEy74k8uJ7X6BKWzINETDl67Zeyjwd8bjcS3BnaAHXKu4Fv6iJ9d-Y/s400/IMGP8480.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">More of the elaborately carved stone blocks lying in the courtyard of the <i>Ciudadela</i>. Not the very fine polish and finish of some of the larger stones in the foreground. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPX5YS_tYGiWjMwiqZKW8oYk39V653zWZMT1VhcWWzTgvLgoWmAgUw_sFdIIMGGe7pEj5oL9izV8tgtpdFgj6UECFI1nKdXkvgQLNmQi4g7A8G_TtAlOsSBaKcq9G7DGE0mH6Ig8WD70/s1600/IMGP8497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPX5YS_tYGiWjMwiqZKW8oYk39V653zWZMT1VhcWWzTgvLgoWmAgUw_sFdIIMGGe7pEj5oL9izV8tgtpdFgj6UECFI1nKdXkvgQLNmQi4g7A8G_TtAlOsSBaKcq9G7DGE0mH6Ig8WD70/s400/IMGP8497.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">This picture, taken from one side of the pyramid of the feathered serpents, clearly shows the exposed nucleus of the pyramid , with its elaborate architectural ornamentation, with the remains of the "<i>adosada</i>" platform clearly visible to its left. The empty space between the two is a result of 20th Century restorations.<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;"> </span><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-XndLnoGi4EOi-O8xMW_5rZPbx5ySavDlAywAYwdf0zb5iwNcBNZRBzCtCfU6J8pMs5Cqj5BflyBUHSda5E-rhV0s5doVcE9GTWQKuznpbvWbykn_Ol7irGEr1HZJ-HSmamVrUD_yS8/s1600/IMGP8501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-XndLnoGi4EOi-O8xMW_5rZPbx5ySavDlAywAYwdf0zb5iwNcBNZRBzCtCfU6J8pMs5Cqj5BflyBUHSda5E-rhV0s5doVcE9GTWQKuznpbvWbykn_Ol7irGEr1HZJ-HSmamVrUD_yS8/s400/IMGP8501.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A particular of the sculptured decoration of one of the outer faces of the pyramid of the feathered serpents, where large and carefully fitted stone blocks are clearly visible embedded in the more incoherent masonry that constitutes the core of the pyramid. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtm5a8HDEpL303KdZTNOvqP4cK8UINk7OO1Z6kogtYmyCxyvIb4TpXeowj4V6YHrUCMP2kSVw8u0phrwTJb0cBJNNE5t7iOdWq4CBS7pb267Y27TkulQuQh_JJYvp2tHListgjbI2h-Q/s1600/IMGP8518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtm5a8HDEpL303KdZTNOvqP4cK8UINk7OO1Z6kogtYmyCxyvIb4TpXeowj4V6YHrUCMP2kSVw8u0phrwTJb0cBJNNE5t7iOdWq4CBS7pb267Y27TkulQuQh_JJYvp2tHListgjbI2h-Q/s400/IMGP8518.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Some of the large megalithic stone blocks lying in the esplanade behind the pyramid of the feathered serpents. Not the large serpent head and body in the foreground, as well as the many other beautifully carved and sculptured stone blocks. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">]</b><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvAX9iEfdJq_TuYMwFYYRhVkb35zWI79noxtM6hDX6EIdQrlXF7YlpnGI_AyWtNGODgtnB1pUV7gPm8CW4dpB2mDKyrCxlqY2rofApOszBMrzDwoVL2ebfUdxbbeSMse-ZaUL0Ag26cY/s1600/IMGP8524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvAX9iEfdJq_TuYMwFYYRhVkb35zWI79noxtM6hDX6EIdQrlXF7YlpnGI_AyWtNGODgtnB1pUV7gPm8CW4dpB2mDKyrCxlqY2rofApOszBMrzDwoVL2ebfUdxbbeSMse-ZaUL0Ag26cY/s400/IMGP8524.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the chaos of megalithic stones lyng around the base of the pyramid of the feathered serpents. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpPZxnyXEe-STW01pNinztCks6hMHiYfmco-_VPkiJuj6x2VYsVljmN5LkDy1B7xqwR4K3OuqhSKAYZpe8QdQXAozdYNu09CEu-tAAnGqJqqd5EMUN2LJwmahRMxdogub9lNBeapDs9k/s1600/IMGP8530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpPZxnyXEe-STW01pNinztCks6hMHiYfmco-_VPkiJuj6x2VYsVljmN5LkDy1B7xqwR4K3OuqhSKAYZpe8QdQXAozdYNu09CEu-tAAnGqJqqd5EMUN2LJwmahRMxdogub9lNBeapDs9k/s400/IMGP8530.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Of the several sculptured fragments lying around the base of the pyramid, many are found still partially embedded in the masonry fill of the pyramid, as if they had been simply dumped there after the demolition of the original construction. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-pozipu7HP-sImf0H-wNCA4GEGhIFJeD1PJXJp9CD1ilpGDAMOoZ50D2cmnskGbt9DSagVmc8vmRXO6qlTyP3opUSQ5fQn8-YyGnYnNOHn5tADfa2IiN1QisKGGVhiBv41ujcuCKTqg/s1600/IMGP8533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-pozipu7HP-sImf0H-wNCA4GEGhIFJeD1PJXJp9CD1ilpGDAMOoZ50D2cmnskGbt9DSagVmc8vmRXO6qlTyP3opUSQ5fQn8-YyGnYnNOHn5tADfa2IiN1QisKGGVhiBv41ujcuCKTqg/s400/IMGP8533.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">This enormous stone, one of the largest on the site, was probably part of a continuous frieze. No similar ornamentation exists on any one of the other preserved stone blocks that decorate the main facade of the pyramid. This stone might belong to an entirely different construction. Perhaps it formed part of the temple that would have originally stood on top of the pyramid and of which no other trace survives to this day. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1EaVhouNOjRXVyBgUrMMYBMlRR1YIx4gYgPY9DZkbrEJmKTmQaD1aDkjOiSDlmgy1gFmtBte08WDaVJEJ9DdxkMfovWqtn8UATdUbKxGqAogzke2TA3xRftnghO4igtwjaSF-WBcXeI/s1600/IMGP8543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1EaVhouNOjRXVyBgUrMMYBMlRR1YIx4gYgPY9DZkbrEJmKTmQaD1aDkjOiSDlmgy1gFmtBte08WDaVJEJ9DdxkMfovWqtn8UATdUbKxGqAogzke2TA3xRftnghO4igtwjaSF-WBcXeI/s400/IMGP8543.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Even this comparatively small fragments shows the very fine quality and workmanship of some of the stones, all apparently carved in complex tridimensional patterns as part of a gigantic architectural composition. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5p0srzgaJAyRBQrvMvgH4S70plMn7UzDFSPkUJIsgWibj-gyAYVIsHWNOCTSuxsrPKtBEX9Mbvfk9wgX6hPe9IvK97haHZqdTpthOG6L-OdsPh7gI6k8g7cLNZgo5cBkJRSqR52Ujku4/s1600/IMGP8544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5p0srzgaJAyRBQrvMvgH4S70plMn7UzDFSPkUJIsgWibj-gyAYVIsHWNOCTSuxsrPKtBEX9Mbvfk9wgX6hPe9IvK97haHZqdTpthOG6L-OdsPh7gI6k8g7cLNZgo5cBkJRSqR52Ujku4/s400/IMGP8544.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A curious mask carved on a large megalithic stone block. An almost identical carving is found in the site Museum of Teotihuacan.<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;"> </span><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMVmlNIbWJEIJTS0w1CgWfT5X050mQWCBIb3A9KCZBX2V07m5vcROwK_A4QR4ftOpPf5xzNegNQ9R34jUqbSlKzuOhqNrzbAT3ud5iZ9wdprCvqgotCyZayqrIr1BRnYH2KTNu_k25u0/s1600/IMGP8548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMVmlNIbWJEIJTS0w1CgWfT5X050mQWCBIb3A9KCZBX2V07m5vcROwK_A4QR4ftOpPf5xzNegNQ9R34jUqbSlKzuOhqNrzbAT3ud5iZ9wdprCvqgotCyZayqrIr1BRnYH2KTNu_k25u0/s400/IMGP8548.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">More of the very large megalithic stone blocks still lying in their original position where they were dumped into the masonry fill of the "<i>adosada</i>" platform (now demolished). Are we looking at the remains of deliberate destruction, a kind of <i>damnatio memoriae</i>, or was perhaps a cataclysm responsible for the collapse and ultimate abandonment of these structures? <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUMct7Q8Fiwdo4F_oCxjB_7MJBbwxoltl75X7ULfXn7pSqVYgDsesBpvGPwvyaxxV3K9ywl5xxatBHMziJT5OG72MSr6rOeN9rglJZ1f-CKwgwOE-wnJywnZwe8BaQ1moDMICyWS50Gc/s1600/IMGP8550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUMct7Q8Fiwdo4F_oCxjB_7MJBbwxoltl75X7ULfXn7pSqVYgDsesBpvGPwvyaxxV3K9ywl5xxatBHMziJT5OG72MSr6rOeN9rglJZ1f-CKwgwOE-wnJywnZwe8BaQ1moDMICyWS50Gc/s400/IMGP8550.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the same area with more of the large megalithic stone blocks still partially embedded in the later masonry fill of the pyramid. <b style="font-size: 12.8px;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oPg__2kEp0oEF5k0rshKrrxYjCnc4RzG29UtBq4gulQjGAxtHQ7Oi3j5DzbPnAFo7Aw-vX4z3hAAWHLzy2WRjWhg373_8ExAaMXNTvEiRNoDWBcyKUdmB3HeYM0ffc-CRbcS_vODRhk/s1600/IMGP8551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oPg__2kEp0oEF5k0rshKrrxYjCnc4RzG29UtBq4gulQjGAxtHQ7Oi3j5DzbPnAFo7Aw-vX4z3hAAWHLzy2WRjWhg373_8ExAaMXNTvEiRNoDWBcyKUdmB3HeYM0ffc-CRbcS_vODRhk/s400/IMGP8551.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Particular of a stone block with a motif resembling a crown of feathers or petals like the ones that encase the serpent heads placed on the main facade of the pyramid. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYinNVSVk8ytcWXbUR7ZtoKZU5tvRjvF66HNVXMAifVs_GpeaCqJxHASJDTmHNhvVgYzvAVclHCS6mHtCwQKyq6f4DLIHj4Fhyphenhyphenbm7LbjyCBxHOt_r5g_a1HhVLRSgCvqsrlYmuqZu-U_M/s1600/IMGP8554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYinNVSVk8ytcWXbUR7ZtoKZU5tvRjvF66HNVXMAifVs_GpeaCqJxHASJDTmHNhvVgYzvAVclHCS6mHtCwQKyq6f4DLIHj4Fhyphenhyphenbm7LbjyCBxHOt_r5g_a1HhVLRSgCvqsrlYmuqZu-U_M/s400/IMGP8554.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another of the large U-shaped stone blocks lying above a broken serpent head still embedded in the later masonry fill. The serpent head block would have originally been inserted amidst two U-shaped stone blocks forming a crown around it. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXALmlSqXoShg7ZQkLqOw1Z-7pP03HcTFQnj9USobzoYK1yHuVqquuXH5vPoizUyExyYQdqnDJdD36bV03fD2Z6kjEwytCZbQpwhsvnAr3DEMRgbiG-BguvXjgyYQ40qy4AjFl8w6JTI/s1600/IMGP8555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXALmlSqXoShg7ZQkLqOw1Z-7pP03HcTFQnj9USobzoYK1yHuVqquuXH5vPoizUyExyYQdqnDJdD36bV03fD2Z6kjEwytCZbQpwhsvnAr3DEMRgbiG-BguvXjgyYQ40qy4AjFl8w6JTI/s400/IMGP8555.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Particular of a stone block with a motif resembling a crown of feathers or petals like the ones that encase the serpent heads placed on the main facade of the pyramid. Note the very fine workmanship of the tridimensional pattern on the stone. <b>[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b>]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxOkPi2-7zCgCZ5fu0e0t1ZaVEGzG-CUd2AaAhC-qyYBGrxOJS1JqtrPDWT86WsbcPUd6EfFBnPOwreEYQxH6AnAiXLy4q4nicXpXtfjZJPImLEcqvvVZq04zLGWItBekQG-TwQQTI_I/s1600/IMGP8573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxOkPi2-7zCgCZ5fu0e0t1ZaVEGzG-CUd2AaAhC-qyYBGrxOJS1JqtrPDWT86WsbcPUd6EfFBnPOwreEYQxH6AnAiXLy4q4nicXpXtfjZJPImLEcqvvVZq04zLGWItBekQG-TwQQTI_I/s400/IMGP8573.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the chaos of megalithic stones lyng around the base of the pyramid of the feathered serpents. <b>[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b>]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fbf-iTAq0Rv3H0xYVIwlTI-Ok1g9097Nj5w8z_KIrFytjkHE4wFIW9OfqM75hlpn9oGkcmTNP94DJ63kscatxZO_j-Flb4ZkGsbaZgSG-O7MjR_dFrb7GeqQbUggRWcdpwW4SM_JOdI/s1600/IMGP8581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Fbf-iTAq0Rv3H0xYVIwlTI-Ok1g9097Nj5w8z_KIrFytjkHE4wFIW9OfqM75hlpn9oGkcmTNP94DJ63kscatxZO_j-Flb4ZkGsbaZgSG-O7MjR_dFrb7GeqQbUggRWcdpwW4SM_JOdI/s400/IMGP8581.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the chaos of megalithic stones lyng around the base of the pyramid of the feathered serpents.<b> [</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b>]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQP4d0Jss5IiXhcLaHTIpHHwRuZECXHs7Kgckksag7ZJZDY5jBxAXIAbgPdCWd3SDIktawQe5EQaA9j_8C5DflctUndRAQIXiJ4KWgCG68jOYzjEnP80CyWpRC1EWtI7wnFw_WCW4Y_Q/s1600/IMGP8625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQP4d0Jss5IiXhcLaHTIpHHwRuZECXHs7Kgckksag7ZJZDY5jBxAXIAbgPdCWd3SDIktawQe5EQaA9j_8C5DflctUndRAQIXiJ4KWgCG68jOYzjEnP80CyWpRC1EWtI7wnFw_WCW4Y_Q/s400/IMGP8625.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Particular of one of the few other areas of cut stone architecture at Teotihuacan, this time a stairway leading to a palatial building on one side of the Avenue of the Dead, near the Plaza of the Moon. The quality of the stone architecture visible here is a very sharp contrast to the poor construction of the building behind. An older layer of construction is also visible in the background under the later masonry filling. <b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">[</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">Copyrighted picture - No reproduction allowed</b><b style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: justify;">]</b><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com7Teotihuacán de Arista, Méx., Mexico19.685267 -98.87211860000002219.655366 -98.912459100000021 19.715168 -98.831778100000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-52847916268514960772015-08-01T20:10:00.000-05:002015-08-01T20:10:08.645-05:00The Pyramid Network - Part I, The Valley of Mexico<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b>Part I - The Valley of Mexico</b></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6PxgWUSI_qptRETVqttmX3-DglaDQR7RybHIAsnM5Qi5jb7TMx47ve5YYCnrPCf3Wn33LTEa0HlqRwVXZsnl8pWsQXdTN9BCBytY2W_OM9cAGUe_7IUHDeQ_Rlj3AqYqR98JsIrJlys/s1600/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_6.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6PxgWUSI_qptRETVqttmX3-DglaDQR7RybHIAsnM5Qi5jb7TMx47ve5YYCnrPCf3Wn33LTEa0HlqRwVXZsnl8pWsQXdTN9BCBytY2W_OM9cAGUe_7IUHDeQ_Rlj3AqYqR98JsIrJlys/s400/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_6.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">An overview of the system of alignments of ancient sites that we have discovered across the Valley of Mexico. The great Aztec capital of México-Tenochtitlan occupies the most privileged spot in this scheme, at the intersection of two major alignments. Texcoco, Chapultepec, Tenayuca and Cerro de la Estrella represent equally important focal points in the same scheme. </span><b style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">[Reconstruction by Author, courtesy Google Maps]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> “</span></span><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">A great, scientific instrument lies sprawled over the entire surface of
the globe. At some period, thousands of years ago, almost every corner of the
world was visited by people with a particular task to accomplish. With the help
of some remarkable power, by which they could cut and raise enormous blocks of
stone, these men created vast astronomical instruments, circles of erect
pillars, pyramids, underground tunnels, cyclopean stone platforms, all linked
together by a network of tracks and alignments, whose course from horizon to
horizon was marked by stones, mounds and earthworks”</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">[<b>John Michell</b>, <i>The New View over Atlantis</i>,
Thames & Hudson, Reprinted 2001]<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> This is the first part of a
series of articles on what will be considered by many as a very controversial
subject. The topic is that of the alignment and placement of ancient sites. There
are many theories and speculations on why a particular location was chosen for
the placement of ancient pyramids, ancient temples and sanctuaries,
ranging from Giza’s Orion correlation theory to <i>New Age</i>
beliefs in the existence of such things as <i>ley lines</i> and
Earth energies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A
number of studies and the advances in the still relatively new discipline of
archaeoastronomy have revealed important elements of the connection between the
ancients and the Sky. Nevertheless, when this approach is applied outside of a single site or
landscape feature to encompass multiple ancient sites (as in the case of the
Egyptian pyramids or the ancient city of Angkor, in Cambodia), the results are,
at best, controversial. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Even
more controversial is the idea that the placement of ancient sites, even over
very long distances, would be ruled by geodetic or mathematical proportions having little or no connection at all with the local geography or other strategic reasons usually advocated for explaining the location chosen for the founding of a city or a temple. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Geodesy,
that is the <i>science of measuring of the Earth</i>, is not something commonly ascribed to ancient civilizations. The accurate
determination of latitude and longitude has only been possible in relatively
modern times, with the invention of precision chronographs. While latitude can
be calculated with sufficient accuracy with the help of a quadrant or
astrolabe, by observing the altitude of the sun or of certain “<i>fixed</i>” stars above the horizon, the problem of longitude
remained without a solution until the invention of the marine
chronometer in 1773. <b>[1]</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Without
such knowledge, establishing a “<i>grid</i>” or
network of ancient sites over a large enough area would have been highly
unpractical, if not impossible. This is why such a theory of long-distance
alignments of ancient sites – <i>which would moreover need
to take into account the curvature of the Earth or some advanced surveying and
projection techniques believed to be the exclusive domain of modern science</i>
- is nowadays utterly dismissed as a
wishful fantasy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">This often turns into a circular argument</span></span><span lang="EN-US">. <i>Because</i> no
ancient civilization clearly possessed the scientific or technological
instruments required to achieve such precision alignments, <i>then</i> any alignment must be the product of chance or
coincidence. This is, not to speak of the reason <i>why</i>
ancient civilizations should have deliberately placed their sacred sites along
a grid or system of geodetic and landscape alignments of some sort. <i>More on this
later</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Three Pyramids and a “Star” Mountain<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh4QRtJ03wK3twYw28ixdHeE7ufohU8ryWpgH1YChj5Pfbhaap0idMCWAeV_DGc958QzcP2wzJKoA7GJoJT8RqQiKI-filwxOCgkT2rIRmyJqE4YWn_dphZH98__D5UYE9tcFxRpsw2g/s1600/Tenochtitlan+-+Covarrubias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTh4QRtJ03wK3twYw28ixdHeE7ufohU8ryWpgH1YChj5Pfbhaap0idMCWAeV_DGc958QzcP2wzJKoA7GJoJT8RqQiKI-filwxOCgkT2rIRmyJqE4YWn_dphZH98__D5UYE9tcFxRpsw2g/s400/Tenochtitlan+-+Covarrubias.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">This was the likely aspect of the great Aztec capital of México-Tenochtitlan at the time of the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores in 1519. A city of 250,000, larger than any Western European city at the time, built on an island in the middle of the lake of Texcoco. Its ruins lay buried underneath present day Mexico City, while even the lake has succumbed to the growth of the modern-day Mexican capital. <b>[<i>La Gran Tenochtitlan</i>, original painting by Miguel Covarrubias, Museo Nacional de Antopologia, Mexico City</b>]</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> Ancient Mexico is an excellent
ground for the study of ancient alignments. Not only do we find a continuity of
civilization and beliefs going back thousands of years, from the Aztecs,
Toltecs, Maya and Teotihuacan, down to the mysterious Olmecs; but we also find
more pyramids than in any other Country in the world to verify such a theory (</span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">there are no accurate estimates, but the number might easily be in the
thousands</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
Valley of Mexico, with its vast flat plain once occupied by the ancient lake of
Texcoco and surrounded by high mountains, will be the perfect setting to verify
our theory of alignments. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When
drawing on a map the major ancient sites around the Valley of Mexico, almost immediately an
interesting pattern starts to emerge. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There are three major Aztec pyramids
within the boundaries of present day Mexico City: these are the <i>Templo Mayor</i> of México-Tenochtitlán, the <i>Templo Mayor</i> of Tlatelolco and that of Tenayuca. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">All
these constructions share very similar characteristics: they were built around
the same time period, between the XIV and the early XVI Century AD, and were
all subject at some point to Aztec rule, erected by people sharing a similar
system of myths and beliefs. They all consist of a large pyramid platform,
surmounted by a double sanctuary and enclosed within a sacred precinct. Let me
state this again: These are the three largest pyramids within present day
Mexico City, and are virtually identical in construction and design [<b>2</b>]; yet, <i>no one</i> has
apparently noticed (up to this day), that they are also <i>very precisely
aligned among each other</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Let’s
take a closer look: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Tenochtitlán</span></span></i></b> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TGUI4MYngy78T7bRhcmh94TipaX-bKrWDr7lOgGvifO8GmrkbIbUUxr-g2w9d2VFbOMS3TYlIFKtrWTOdp5IrIlR7AtvuR-MOGqHuzUAnLzO7WBuTonifQ-hRY4lI0veAGUAaQTbcZ4/s1600/Templo+Mayor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TGUI4MYngy78T7bRhcmh94TipaX-bKrWDr7lOgGvifO8GmrkbIbUUxr-g2w9d2VFbOMS3TYlIFKtrWTOdp5IrIlR7AtvuR-MOGqHuzUAnLzO7WBuTonifQ-hRY4lI0veAGUAaQTbcZ4/s400/Templo+Mayor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A model reconstruction of the Templo Mayor of México-Tenochtitlan, from the <i>Museo del Templo Mayor</i>. One of the major archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century, this ancient pyramid had laid buried for almost 500 years underneath one of Mexico City's busiest squares. Excavations began in 1978, and are still ongoing. <b>[<i>Museo del Templo Mayor</i>, Mexico City]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> The great Aztec capital of </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Tenochtitlán</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> was built on an island in the center of the
lake of Texcoco, subsequently enlarged with the construction of artificial
dykes and canals. At the very center of the City, within the sacred precinct,
was the great </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Teocalli</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">, the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Templo Mayor</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">, with its twin sanctuaries dedicated to the
gods Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli. Built as a massive pyramid, the temple had at
least seven stages of construction, dating from 1337 to 1521 AD. At its peak,
the temple measured 100 by 80 meters at its base, and reached between 45 and 60
meters in height. Its impressive ruins, discovered in 1978 after centuries of
abandonment and deliberate destruction, are still one of the major tourist
attractions in downtown Mexico City. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Tlatelolco<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJukH990NIoG-03gbplM7qQdAzK87BlbFIHplTtMHSLsG91zVBn9eZnBj4WsQ4_TLAKc4PyZDtaJ2Qjh8JTYON8-aZDWRoLSgBu-6hFyNgjp_LMLuDgDT-OH2FHxJjfgPhj_SK8rOFP8/s1600/IMGP4416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJukH990NIoG-03gbplM7qQdAzK87BlbFIHplTtMHSLsG91zVBn9eZnBj4WsQ4_TLAKc4PyZDtaJ2Qjh8JTYON8-aZDWRoLSgBu-6hFyNgjp_LMLuDgDT-OH2FHxJjfgPhj_SK8rOFP8/s400/IMGP4416.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The ruins of Tlatelolco, in present day <i>Plaza de las Tres Culturas</i>. Archaeological excavation have revealed the main ceremonial center of the city that was the sister twin of México-Tenochtitlan and rivaled with it in power and splendor. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm-MfmQFqdAmE4ZJEOd0kdhwPPl873KhvRSrqCvDDZqo0gG6fKF0aORvrRbXj0sTxwnJm8A3SHCMys7hMRxnuoTet0uBa88CJFSgep8m4i5JBKbyKVtnlQPmh6LCVStwkCJxYiWAKJG8/s1600/IMGP4423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpm-MfmQFqdAmE4ZJEOd0kdhwPPl873KhvRSrqCvDDZqo0gG6fKF0aORvrRbXj0sTxwnJm8A3SHCMys7hMRxnuoTet0uBa88CJFSgep8m4i5JBKbyKVtnlQPmh6LCVStwkCJxYiWAKJG8/s400/IMGP4423.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">After the conquest, the Spanish built a large church and a convent, named after the <i>Colegio de Santa Cruz</i>, on the site of the former Templo Mayor of Tlatelolco. The ruins of the massive pyramid still bear evidence of several layers of construction, being almost identical to the Templo Mayor of México-Tenochtitlan. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> Tlatelolco was a sort of sister
city to México-Tenochtitlán, also built on an island in the lake of Texcoco. The
city itself was founded by a dissident Aztec faction only 13 years after the
founding of México-Tenochtitlán, in 1338 AD. Like the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Templo Mayor
</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">of its sister city, also the great pyramid of Tlatelolco underwent
several construction stages – at least seven, whose imposing ruins still
survive in what is today Plaza de las Tres Culturas. The last construction
stage had similar dimensions to the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Templo Mayor</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> of
México-Tenochtitlán, measuring some 80 by 70 meters at the base, and also included a double
sanctuary at the top dedicated to the gods Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Tenayuca</span></span></i></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOsoFpNq9bnb4Agv5BHobmUKlHdVBj3ICAdPUddWMnB4p7L6yIKLLLMNMFh8UTfTb02O4JhpptKwIlDeD0G0olbDgd7f7ylNnI9zE6ee9cVz6mrGRRWxQXyd_3vOShpjdSXMn5QmIVvs/s1600/IMGP4324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOsoFpNq9bnb4Agv5BHobmUKlHdVBj3ICAdPUddWMnB4p7L6yIKLLLMNMFh8UTfTb02O4JhpptKwIlDeD0G0olbDgd7f7ylNnI9zE6ee9cVz6mrGRRWxQXyd_3vOShpjdSXMn5QmIVvs/s400/IMGP4324.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The great pyramid of Tenayuca is one of the best preserved constructions of the post-classic period in the valley of Mexico. The massive pyramid also contains the remains of at least 7 other earlier stages of construction. The great pyramid of Tenayuca, with its twin sanctuaries and double stairway is considered the prototype for both the Templo Mayor of México-Tenochtitlan and of Tlatelolco. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhOKCqNEk3Uwkbkny_WVZ96WbwgKTKI-DZbA-Zy4Ozdik80wUjB23HV6ESZ9anN6MiFO3X8FneGgMK96i0ak4S-4M61n4hskL-YOXThqusrNCqkjaELmcUWWcMn5MSA_EuFHZi1VRWkg/s1600/IMGP4309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhOKCqNEk3Uwkbkny_WVZ96WbwgKTKI-DZbA-Zy4Ozdik80wUjB23HV6ESZ9anN6MiFO3X8FneGgMK96i0ak4S-4M61n4hskL-YOXThqusrNCqkjaELmcUWWcMn5MSA_EuFHZi1VRWkg/s400/IMGP4309.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The base of the pyramid of Tenayuca is surrounded by a massive <i>Coatepantli</i>, that is, a "<i>wall of snakes</i>", which incorporates as much as 140 sculptured serpent heads. These sculptures were originally painted in bright colors, to indicate the different cardinal directions.<b> [Photo by Author] </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Tenayuca was an old settlement of the Chichimecas, whose foundation might be traced back to as early as 1064
AD. The last stage of construction of this pyramid, which was likely the
prototype of all later Aztec pyramids, measured 68 by 76 meters at its base,
and also underwent several stages of construction and reconstruction (at least
eight). Also at Tenayuca, a twin stairway led to the double sanctuary on top of
the massive pyramid. Interestingly, the
pyramid of Tenayuca does not share the same equinoctial orientation as the
Templo Mayor of México-Tenochtitlán and Tlatelolco, but is rather oriented
towards the setting of the star Aldebaran, in the constellation of Taurus, 17
degrees north of the ideal East-West orientation on the day of the passing of
the Sun at its zenith. <b>[3]<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The Alignment Tenayuca – Tlatelolco – Tenochtitlán – Cerro de la
Estrella<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZx9xmQf-ll1mbJySo1PwA7zX3MOar6OcSzmdZz3txosup4aPDV-iU2dMw6D5qf-HEKyPsdLsAD4dVpgh7EwEuE7TVhsT4rk0YL3HHmoF48avvzJCK4cURGl-Q4MoM-47SSGXUn_-CCQ/s1600/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZx9xmQf-ll1mbJySo1PwA7zX3MOar6OcSzmdZz3txosup4aPDV-iU2dMw6D5qf-HEKyPsdLsAD4dVpgh7EwEuE7TVhsT4rk0YL3HHmoF48avvzJCK4cURGl-Q4MoM-47SSGXUn_-CCQ/s400/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_1.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The main system of ancient alignments around the <i>Templo Mayor</i> of México-Tenochtitlan. <b style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">[Reconstruction by Author, courtesy Google Maps]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> It is easy to realize that a
line drawn through the summit of the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Templo Mayor</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> of
México-Tenochtitlán and the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Templo Mayor</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> of
Tlatelolco would terminate exactly on the main sanctuary of the pyramid of
Tenayuca.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To
further confirm and reinforce the existence of this alignment, it should be noted that one of the major
road arteries in present day Mexico City, the <i>Calzada</i>
Vallejo, follows exactly this same alignment between Tlatelolco and Tenayuca.
This is not surprising, given that the modern road follows the track of
one of the ancient causeways that crossed the – <i>now dry</i>
- lake of Texcoco in Aztec times. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTz-oHHMQs0QQ-kz1J45vfzuX23WXSlpZ718-6gPqCRfUf6oadC1NWijQFn1S-8LS1-U36uqIBxfYpMJUd2Zmo1XS1Uq5bz4G1KBKofeLIVIxRQeWcd-u-t8RXd_oMjuCu4SZ5D6_1gQ/s1600/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_3.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTz-oHHMQs0QQ-kz1J45vfzuX23WXSlpZ718-6gPqCRfUf6oadC1NWijQFn1S-8LS1-U36uqIBxfYpMJUd2Zmo1XS1Uq5bz4G1KBKofeLIVIxRQeWcd-u-t8RXd_oMjuCu4SZ5D6_1gQ/s320/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_3.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A detail of the alignment along the <i>Calzada Vallejo</i>, which follows a straight line that would have originally connected the <i>Templo Mayor</i> of México-Tenochtitlan to the great temple-pyramids of Tlatelolco and Tenayuca. Note also the right triangle formed between Chapultepec, Tenayuca and Texcoco. <b style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">[Reconstruction by Author, courtesy Google Maps]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">A
prolongation of this alignment towards the South-East also leads to another
very important landmark in Mexico City. This time, it is not a pyramid, but
rather a steep, forested hill called </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Cerro de la Estrella</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">. Again, this can be no chance: The </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Cerro de la Estrella</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">
played a very important role in the sacred geography of the Valley of Mexico,
as it is the spot where the Aztecs celebrated the New Fire ceremony every 52 years, at
the end of each calendar cycle and the beginning of a new one. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The etymology of
the name is unclear; </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Cerro de la Estrella</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">
meaning “Mountain of the Star”, supposedly after a colonial </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">hacienda</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> by the same name built on its slopes soon after the
Spanish conquest of Mexico. The ancient name of the hill, which rises 224 meters above
the surrounding plain, was </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Huizachtecatl</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">,
meaning a forested hill in ancient Nahuatl. Yet the highly evocative name of
“Mountain of the Star” could have a much more profound astronomical
significance that we do not yet fully understand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">A
pyramid was built by the Aztecs on top of the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Cerro de la
Estrella</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">, but the occupation of the site dates back at least 3,000
years. A large settlement occupied the slopes of the hill between 100 and 650
AD, contemporary with the rise of the power of Teotihuacan in the valley of Mexico, on the North-Western shore of the lake of Texcoco.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Interestingly,
the alignment would not appear to point towards the summit of the hill, but rather
deviates a couple of degrees to the West towards a little eminence on its Western slope.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In
2006, a massive pyramid was discovered on the Northern slopes of <i>Cerro de la Estrella</i>, measuring as much as 150 meters at its
base, one wonders what might still lie buried at this fascinating site. <b>[4]</b> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The picture expands<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_3uDJNtrRjC8CKS3um0k_SGiXrr9vbSYZJtRcxLBptedtrzpAMmpS1eQpmHKHqMDnWzW7gB6QX3UXC7fnUCRIHaf4Cjjbj0VUx9yQrynRYrB8LLX7Jbu2GBXbdjAUD7RzA01Dlk9Ps4/s1600/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS_3uDJNtrRjC8CKS3um0k_SGiXrr9vbSYZJtRcxLBptedtrzpAMmpS1eQpmHKHqMDnWzW7gB6QX3UXC7fnUCRIHaf4Cjjbj0VUx9yQrynRYrB8LLX7Jbu2GBXbdjAUD7RzA01Dlk9Ps4/s400/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_2.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The two major systems of alignments that cross modern-day Mexico City - the line <i>Tenayuca-Tlatelolco-Tenochtitlan-Cerro de la Estrella</i> and the line <i>Chapultepec-Tenochtitlan-Texcoco</i> cross at a right angle on the site of the great pyramid-temple of México-Tenochtitlán, as can be easily verified from the picture above. <b style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">[Reconstruction by Author, courtesy Google Maps]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> For how interesting the
alignments we have discovered so far, these would have been certainly within the
technical capabilities of the Aztecs: The longest distance in the alignment,
that is the one between Tenayuca and </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Cerro de la Estrella</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">,
is only 22.5 Km, meaning that the hill would have been within a clear line of
sight connecting Tenayuca to the great temples of Tlatelolco and Tenochtitlán. This
was even truer in ancient times, without the pollution and haze of modern day
Mexico City.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Interestingly,
the <i>Templo Mayor</i> of Tenochtitlan is located
exactly at the same distance of 11.3 Km from Tenayuca and <i>Cerro de la
Estrella</i>, being at the exact center of the imaginary line connecting
these two points (<b>1:1</b>). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And what
about the position of Tlatelolco? The great pyramid of Tlatelolco is
located only 1.9 Km from the <i>Templo Mayor</i> of
Tenochtitlán. That means, Tlatelolco divides the line connecting the pyramid of
Tenayuca to that of Tenochtitlán in two segments of 1.9 and 9.4 Km; the total
segment length being 11.3 Km. This means that the distance Tenochtitlán-Tlatelolco
is exactly <b>1:5</b> of the distance
Tlatelolco-Tenayuca. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And
there is more. This first alignment Tenayuca-Tlatelolco-Tenochtitlán-<i>Cerro de la Estrella</i> appears to be at a right angle with
another equally impressive alignment, also crossing through the <i>Templo Mayor</i> of México-Tenochtitlán. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The alignment Texcoco-Tenochtitlan-Chapultepec<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This
second alignment connects the ancient city of Texcoco to the sacred hill of
Chapultepec, and in doing so crosses the axis Tenayuca-<i>Cerro de la Estrella</i>
at a right angle exactly in its center, that is on the spot occupied by the <i>Templo Mayor</i> of México Tenochtitlán. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
<i>Cerro de Chapultepec</i>, whose summit is
now occupied by the castle built for Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico in the XIX
century, was considered sacred by the Aztecs. There the Aztec emperors had
their baths and gardens, and a temple likely existed on the summit. Several
astronomical and geodetic markers are still to be found on the high cliffs
below the castle, including some fine bas-reliefs of Moctezuma II and a giant rock
sculpture of a snake.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">On
the opposite end of the alignment, Texcoco was one of the cities of the Aztec
triple alliance, together with México Tenochtitlan and Tlacopán (Tacuba). A
city of the Acolhuas, Texcoco became one of the most important cities in
ancient Mexico during the reign of Netzahualcoyotl, extending itself over 450
hectares on the shores of Lake Texcoco. The city became a major center of
learning, and has been often described as the “Athens” of ancient America;
home of poets, philosophers and astronomers, as well as to one of the largest
libraries of the pre-Columbian world. The great temple of Texcoco was
apparently second only to the one of México-Tenochtitlan, and the legendary
palace of Netzahualcoyotl, consisting of some 300 rooms and all built of
dressed stone, was still a wonder to behold at the time of Bullock’s visit in
1824. </span><b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[5]</b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFI4P0gxVlv0khuqc2jIWDEQ52dKzDGEE76Z55at_r4xYlIOQ7alFKTZKBecHMg15JlT3E4Paq1DPIaz0_rYnotTGafH9RMBVMsdHaJR-K6lvW7UPzyrFOlNWEmCElFW9n0J1xvWAXQb8/s1600/Templo+Mayor+-+Texcoco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFI4P0gxVlv0khuqc2jIWDEQ52dKzDGEE76Z55at_r4xYlIOQ7alFKTZKBecHMg15JlT3E4Paq1DPIaz0_rYnotTGafH9RMBVMsdHaJR-K6lvW7UPzyrFOlNWEmCElFW9n0J1xvWAXQb8/s320/Templo+Mayor+-+Texcoco.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">An ancient depiction of the Templo Mayor of Texcoco, with its twin sanctuaries at the top, from the Codex Ixtlilxochitl , early 16th Century <b>[Codex Ixtlilxochitl, fol. 112V]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Very
little remains nowadays of the former glory of Texcoco. The last remnants of
the great temple of Texcoco were demolished sometime around 1880 to make
material for construction, but its location is accurately marked in XIX century
maps at a place known as “</span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Cerro de La Simona</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">”,
along the present day </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Calle</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> Guerrero, and between the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Calles</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> Allende and Aldama. This position
allows drawing a precise alignment between the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Templo Mayor</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">
of Texcoco and the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Templo Mayor</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> of
México-Tenochtitlan, pointing to the sacred hill of Chapultepec (itself a major
natural landmark on the immediate shores of what was then the lake of Texcoco).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The alignment Texcoco-Cerro de la Estrella-Cerro del Ajusco<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Something
very interesting also happens when observing the alignment between Texcoco and the <i>Cerro
de la Estrella</i>. A prolongation of this line points straight to the summit of
the Ajusco; the highest peak, with its 3,930 meters, within modern Mexico City
boundaries and one of the most easily recognizable landmarks in the entire
valley of Mexico (its highest point, called <i>Pico del Aguila</i>
or Eagle’s peak was considered sacred since ancient times, and does indeed
resemble a giant spread eagle from the distance).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The triangle Texcoco-Teotihuacan-Mount Tlaloc<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Texcoco
is also at the vertex of an isosceles triangle, that if forms with the ancient
sacred sites of Teotihuacan and Mount Tlaloc. The distance between Texcoco and
Teotihuacan and between Texcoco and the summit of Mount Tlaloc is the same and
equals 12.5 Km. This is suggestive of a system of survey points or triangulation
markers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Teotihuacan
was one of the major ceremonial centers of the classic period in the valley of
Mexico, a city whose influence extended as far as Guatemala and the Maya
region. On the other hand, Mount Tlaloc, with its 4,151 meters, is one of the
highest points in the valley of Mexico, and a sacred mountain connected with
the cult of the rain-god Tlaloc. The pre-Hispanic sanctuary on its summit is
believed to be the highest archaeological site in the world, and consists of an
imposing platform approached by a stone causeway, from whose summit the view
easily embraces the entire valley of Mexico and beyond. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Connecting the dots <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89YOGFW-SU_2QBGGFMqJYx2Ifc2on3YyZvSKy58a8yEImyRQQM0AcrFqZduGmooGq8dPqkRuOBIh51id2AYMASSD-P9tuXwPghqVJ4rqncQ8HNVcjJO2fPhDtSNOU2y-ddQN8hDbMAbE/s1600/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_4.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89YOGFW-SU_2QBGGFMqJYx2Ifc2on3YyZvSKy58a8yEImyRQQM0AcrFqZduGmooGq8dPqkRuOBIh51id2AYMASSD-P9tuXwPghqVJ4rqncQ8HNVcjJO2fPhDtSNOU2y-ddQN8hDbMAbE/s400/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_4.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The two interconnected systems of alignments centered on the Templo Mayor of México-Tenochtitlan and on the great pyramid-temple of Texcoco. The lines in black are hypothetical lines of sight drawn from the holy city of Teotihuacan and the pre-Columbian sanctuary on the summit of Mount Tlaloc. These two points are equidistant from Texcoco. The apparently arbitrary placement of the <i>Templo Mayor </i>of Tlatelolco along the axis <i>Cerro de la Estrella-Tenochtitlán-Tenayuca</i> now becomes clear once a new line of sight is drawn from Teotihuacan to the Cerro de Chapultepec. <b style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">[Reconstruction by Author, courtesy Google Maps]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">After
connecting all the dots, the resulting figure resembles an enormous kite,
having at its four vertices the sacred sites of Texcoco, Tenayuca, Cerro de la
Estrella and Chapultepec. The observation points of Cerro del Ajusco, Monte
Tlaloc and Teotihuacan remain outside of this figure, but are placed
symmetrically with respect to each other and to the overall figure on the
ground. The Templo Mayor of </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">México-Tenochtitlan</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">
occupies the center of this scheme, at the intersection of the two major
alignments.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It
is interesting to note that while the location of the great temples of Texcoco,
Tenayuca, Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco, as well as of the sacred city of
Teotihuacan, reflects a deliberate artificial construction, the natural
landmarks of Chapultepec, Cerro de la Estrella, Mount Tlaloc and Cerro del Ajusco
are prominent landscape features over which human design could have had no role. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It
was probably from the observation that the remarkable hill of Cerro de la
Estrella lies virtually at the center of the triangle formed by three other major
natural landmarks: the Cerro de Chapultepec, Cerro del Ajusco and Monte Tlaloc, that the position of all the other sites could be determined. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
prominent role of Teotihuacan in this system of alignments suggests that at
least part of this design might date back to the time in which the great city
exerted its dominion over all of Central Mexico (that is, at least in the 2<sup>nd</sup>
Century BC), a time therefore much earlier than that of the Aztecs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
location of the great temple and the city of Texcoco was likely defined relative
to that of Teotihuacan (which already existed at the time), of Mount Tlaloc, Cerro de la
Estrella, Cerro del Ajusco and Chapultepec. This location is almost “miraculous” in that
it is exactly equidistant between Teotihuacan and Mount Tlaloc, and is also
found on the prolongation of the natural alignment between the Cerro del Ajusco
and Cerro de la Estrella. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
position of the <i>Templo Mayor</i> of
México-Tenochtitlan was subsequently defined along the line of sight between
Texcoco and Chapultepec, in such a way that it would perpendicularly intersect a line drawn through the Cerro de la Estrella and to Tenayuca. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
location of Tlatelolco is even more interesting, in that it is situated along
the axis Cerro de la Estrella – Tenochtitlan – Tenayuca, and also marks the
point in which a line of sight drawn from Teotihuacan to the Cerro de Chapultepec
intersects this latter axis. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOhMubtcK10WmNFI18jJS91x_1Hd76I2mzS-VghGRPcL42c5Ko6_Ewo_7MU9VPuugAEDnuyNiSN2qlzr-As1Nph4O5fDKeJXhAA_sO1dR6H2138zgJVmbmqYeoMosKQoNdJMI6Fn_IsM/s1600/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_6.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVOhMubtcK10WmNFI18jJS91x_1Hd76I2mzS-VghGRPcL42c5Ko6_Ewo_7MU9VPuugAEDnuyNiSN2qlzr-As1Nph4O5fDKeJXhAA_sO1dR6H2138zgJVmbmqYeoMosKQoNdJMI6Fn_IsM/s400/Mexico+pyramid+alignment_6.bmp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The final picture of all the major alignments and lines of sight discussed in the present article. The major triangles and geometric figures are highlighted in different colors. The base of the triangle having Texcoco as its center (highlighted in red), marked by the axis Chapultepec-Mount Tlaloc, corresponds to the parallel of latitude at 19° 25´ North. Tenayuca and Cerro de la Estrella are also at the center of two other large triangles (in green), with the Templo Mayor of México-Tenochtitlan located at the (perpendicular) intersection of the lines connecting the centers of these 3 geometric figures. <b style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">[Reconstruction by Author, courtesy Google Maps]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">This
systems suggests a very advanced (</span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">for the time</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">) knowledge
of cartography and trigonometry for the purpose of triangulation, and also
highlights the existence of a network of alignments of sacred sites based on ancient
lines of sight, which has surprisingly gone virtually unnoticed for the past 500 years. It also suggests that the location chosen for some of the major
temples and ancient cities in the valley of Mexico, including the very Aztec capital of
</span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">México-Tenochtitlan</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">, is not arbitrary,
but rather the product of an elaborate geodetic scheme that incorporates pre-existing
natural as well as artificial landmarks. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">References<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span></b><span lang="EN-US"> <i>The Board of Longitude</i>, established in 1714, rewarded John
Harrison for the invention of the marine chronometer in 1773. Before that,
longitude could only be crudely determined with the so called “<i>Lunar distance method</i>”, first devised by Galileo Galilei in
1612, who noticed that the relative positions of the Moon and Jupiter could be
used as a sort of universal clock; a method which however required accurate
knowledge of their orbits and cycles. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[2] </span></span></b><span lang="EN-US">The
chief archaeologist and director of excavations at Tlatelolco, Salvador
Guilliem, even goes to the point of suggesting that these three pyramids, those
of Tlatelolco, Tenayuca and Tenochtitlán, bear such close similarities to each
other that can only be explained if they were erected by the same builders. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Descubren en Tlatelolco Pirámide más antigua que Tenochtitlán</span></span></i><span lang="ES-MX">, in La Jornada, 27/12/2007,
accessed on-line: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2007/12/27/index.php?section=cultura&article=a04n1cul<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></span></b><span lang="ES-MX"> Enrique Juan Palacios, <i>La Orientación de la Pirámide de Tenayuca y el principio del año y
siglo indígenas</i>, Contribución al XXV Congreso de Americanistas de la
Plata, Buenos Aires, 1932. </span><span lang="EN-US">Accessed on-line:
http://www.revistadelauniversidad.unam.mx/ojs_rum/files/journals/1/articles/4006/public/4006-9404-1-PB.pdf<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></span></b><span lang="EN-US"> Massive Ancient Pyramid Discovered
in Mexico, The Guardian, 4<sup>th</sup> May, 2005. Accessed on-line: <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12173346/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/massive-ancient-pyramid-discovered-mexico/#.VaWZ2qRViko">http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12173346/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/massive-ancient-pyramid-discovered-mexico/#.VaWZ2qRViko</a></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[5] </b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">William Bullock, </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Six Months Residence and Travels in Mexico</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">, London, 1824, p.
383-395</span></div>
Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-35934894616473019612015-07-31T14:37:00.000-05:002015-07-31T14:42:08.177-05:00The pyramid of Xochicalco: A monument to the end of times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Does the pyramid of
Xochicalco tell the history of Atlantis?</span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bGlmVptViQ8deZqQ68r_jufl-ifXIMecydWqAeAjRjpTr2KJhcUPhOYsT6vfzRNK1K7XchfqCZZV4yr24gMM1EinVd7xlwVkFLr5GhSivWv2adEd6uZAi0rk1B83-GjTyDjsy2xYq90/s1600/IMGP5670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bGlmVptViQ8deZqQ68r_jufl-ifXIMecydWqAeAjRjpTr2KJhcUPhOYsT6vfzRNK1K7XchfqCZZV4yr24gMM1EinVd7xlwVkFLr5GhSivWv2adEd6uZAi0rk1B83-GjTyDjsy2xYq90/s400/IMGP5670.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">The pyramid of the feathered serpents at Xochicalco, as seen from the front, with the main stairway facing West.</span><b style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;"> [Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <i>Does the pyramid of Xochicalco tell the history of Atlantis</i>? This apparently outlandish claim
first appeared in the works of British-American antiquarian and amateur archaeologist
Augustus Le Plongeon (1825 – 1908) around the year 1880. A fervent believer in the
history of Atlantis himself, Le Plongeon believed the Maya area to be the true
cradle of civilization, which then spread from there to ancient Egypt and the
Mediterranean world, through the fabled lost continent. Nowadays, Le Plongeon is
mostly remembered (<i>other than for his
priceless collection of early photographs and daguerreotypes of ancient Maya
sites</i>) for his fanciful translations of the Troano (<i>Tro-Cortesianus</i>) codex, which he
also believed told the history of the destruction and sinking of Atlantis. <b>[1]<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Le
Plongeon also took a keen interest in the so called “<i>Pyramid of
the feathered serpents</i>” at Xochicalco, which resulted in the
publication of a posthumous book in 1914, with the title “<i>The Pyramid of
Xochicalco</i>”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Although
the translation provided for the glyphs, at a time when Maya and ancient
Mesoamerican studies where still in their infancy, is no less fanciful than the
one he made of the Troano codex, many authors have ever since quoted his claims to support the most various theories. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As
Le Plongeon’s interpretation of Maya writing has been now thoroughly
discredited and dismissed as a romantic flight of fantasy (<i>at best</i>),
still the question remains. What is the message of the pyramid of Xochicalco?
And more important, is it somehow connected to Atlantis? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The pyramid of Xochicalco<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The ancient site of Xochicalco,
in the highlands of Morelos and a short drive from the state’s capital of
Cuernavaca, is visited by hundreds of tourists every day. Its present name was given to it by the Aztecs, meaning “<i>Hill of Flowers</i>”.
Between 650 and 900 AD, Xochicalco was one of the major city-states in central
Mexico that tried to fill the power void left after the fall of Teotihuacan. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
major ceremonial center was built around that time as a large <i>acropolis</i> occupying the summit of a natural eminence. Among the many remains of monumental
architecture at Xochicalco are several pyramids, three ball court games, as
well as palaces and residential areas occupied by the priests and the nobility.
Massive stone walls surround the site, forming the terraces of the <i>acropolis</i>, a clear hint to Xochicalco being also an
important military stronghold. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdn3TtyaPTCebZTgK0hm9x2YdcAbJErft_1v-DvdV6wRGktTd20SUQQ4V7GvytmN9Bd9bIR8NYCwY8Vi6tjcbfoEBOLSRy9qun2ZZLZX7aoVQ6Kod13jiJElFxfRX79bcVRnXUlXt59c/s1600/IMGP5605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdn3TtyaPTCebZTgK0hm9x2YdcAbJErft_1v-DvdV6wRGktTd20SUQQ4V7GvytmN9Bd9bIR8NYCwY8Vi6tjcbfoEBOLSRy9qun2ZZLZX7aoVQ6Kod13jiJElFxfRX79bcVRnXUlXt59c/s400/IMGP5605.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The "plaza of the two glyphs" at Xochicalco. The name comes from a stela bearing the glyphs "<i>10 reed</i>" and "<i>9 eye of reptile</i>". The plaza was built on a set of artificial terraces and faces the largest pyramid at the site, a massive stepped pyramid, built in the typical Talud-Tablero Teotihuacan style. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcb7ns7DassFYX4N-Ycs_TQuW3vFPUA9q9YTbxMDetJ3YB61XM_NUDnYqJlIz1Awiq2vvzuoXTZFMu94n9XFxXKdaICZKsu6Al6jB5hFJD6DAa6a8V0jHp1HtlfyUjqMyLyxdIdTRBS30/s1600/IMGP5620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcb7ns7DassFYX4N-Ycs_TQuW3vFPUA9q9YTbxMDetJ3YB61XM_NUDnYqJlIz1Awiq2vvzuoXTZFMu94n9XFxXKdaICZKsu6Al6jB5hFJD6DAa6a8V0jHp1HtlfyUjqMyLyxdIdTRBS30/s400/IMGP5620.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the main pyramid, as seen from the plaza of the two glyphs. The very broad stairway in the front was one of the few monumental accesses to the <i>acropolis</i>. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwTrHiPRdFDORudu0KbhMsgKNuFgzGPveGWDIJUWg-SdCTuzSyaEZ7fnSE5qPu8sbJ-SsrULFDaQVaCoWMPnA17IIQDqnCqDlRI78xSpkLddjTdhLxfDm2W6MJlrIXD95uwGH7-sHSbA/s1600/IMGP5622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwTrHiPRdFDORudu0KbhMsgKNuFgzGPveGWDIJUWg-SdCTuzSyaEZ7fnSE5qPu8sbJ-SsrULFDaQVaCoWMPnA17IIQDqnCqDlRI78xSpkLddjTdhLxfDm2W6MJlrIXD95uwGH7-sHSbA/s400/IMGP5622.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Some of the artificial terraces and retaining walls of the main <i>acropolis</i>. A fortified site, Xochicalco occupied a very strategic position along the major trade routes connecting the two Oceans - the Pacific and the Atlantic - across the Mexican highlands. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQA0UOcpyWLtx4i6dsy8szjEOO2-KMCOl8P5vdSrKp6kzTlFF3YE1fOvCwZ9TT5LN-xhD_vKAf8zmtBM8KOPjRezdlOsUcW-bsaMEkhslJEPtwkhlh7Awz7nSNbYBDkmhZXla-R7agZY/s1600/IMGP5625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQA0UOcpyWLtx4i6dsy8szjEOO2-KMCOl8P5vdSrKp6kzTlFF3YE1fOvCwZ9TT5LN-xhD_vKAf8zmtBM8KOPjRezdlOsUcW-bsaMEkhslJEPtwkhlh7Awz7nSNbYBDkmhZXla-R7agZY/s400/IMGP5625.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">All the main entrances to the acropolis were closely guarded. Guard posts were placed at all the main entrances. Some very intense fighting seems to have taken place at this particular spot, where about 20 human skeletons were found under the collapsed roof of the main gate house; probably the consequence of a fire started by the attackers. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WDXpvuB36EVgu29SPiVxg-3eBRXltWCVmjEyX8xOuWDtUD5_lqdLH95jNU6E9liJN3KMsuwv1QxstttkMmAd_jUK8hVYf25lQ1lwt30LIEUEaeJoJtyRfwSctaH6KiWvOTBc71wAGBk/s1600/IMGP5630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WDXpvuB36EVgu29SPiVxg-3eBRXltWCVmjEyX8xOuWDtUD5_lqdLH95jNU6E9liJN3KMsuwv1QxstttkMmAd_jUK8hVYf25lQ1lwt30LIEUEaeJoJtyRfwSctaH6KiWvOTBc71wAGBk/s400/IMGP5630.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Another view of the impressive system of artificial terraces and fortifications leading up to the<i> acropolis</i> of Xochicalco. The summit of the hill was artificially leveled in order to create a large platform that served as the foundation for several smaller pyramids and temples, and also housed large palace structures. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">The
reasons of the fall and abandonment of Xochicalco might never be known or fully
understood. Certainly, the city had a violent ending around 1100 AD, with
extensive traces of burning and looting. Whether that was the work of foreign
invaders or the product of an internal revolt of the lower classes against the
ruling elite, is still the matter of considerable debate. In support of this
later interpretation, all signs of violent devastation seem to be limited to
the elite areas of the city and the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">acropolis</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">,
whereas the lower class residential areas would seem to have been largely spared.
After its sudden abandonment, the city was never reoccupied and survived as a
ruin until its modern rediscovery.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
building at Xochicalco that has most attracted the interest of antiquarians and
archaeologists, ever since colonial times, is the so called “<i>Pyramid of the Feathered Serpents</i>”, occupying a privileged
spot on the <i>acropolis</i>. Already in 1810, Baron
Alexander von Humboldt was very moved by the ruins of Xochicalco. Even earlier still, in 1791, José Antonio de Alzate y Ramirez (1737-1799), a clergyman, had published a
first sketch of the site, accompanied by drawings of the bas-reliefs
decorating the main pyramid, which he took for a military building. Dupaix also
published many very fine drawings of the pyramid and the site (after Castañeda)
in his monumental <i>Antiquités Mexicaines</i> (1805),
which made the ruins of Xochicalco known for the first time to the general
public outside of Mexico. Notwithstanding the extensive restoration works carried out in 1910 by
Leopoldo Batres, the pyramid doesn’t seem to have suffered any major damages
from those early times, with most of the original stones of the first two platforms still remaining <i>in situ</i>.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMTyoNWwC8SOCgYTMDpWKzNIcfA6FANbw_b0CS1XLyFWrZoRD0VgAPAUjfu1RTENMqpVzsHB3rgPJ-VcQeNoayuICS1rlYaQJYE_X_fOGfEM1Iejyw95KlcFhG8pQeUILuovPindNvEQ/s1600/IMGP5671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMTyoNWwC8SOCgYTMDpWKzNIcfA6FANbw_b0CS1XLyFWrZoRD0VgAPAUjfu1RTENMqpVzsHB3rgPJ-VcQeNoayuICS1rlYaQJYE_X_fOGfEM1Iejyw95KlcFhG8pQeUILuovPindNvEQ/s400/IMGP5671.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Another view of the pyramid of the feathered serpents, on the main acropolis of Xochicalco. The pyramids is roughly square at the base, with each side having a length of about 20 meters. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcO6UudymltA6G3UJoQqmQxR83E-9LwNrGfYha3pp45w034TxSLIrluTq5QNyZLxRhu5T9YtvjcehsVv444n2MvstPL1LpM6JLO4qQKPIl6W6OycQaEZ2cjlCaW1LpxglzxHRfOepciY/s1600/IMGP5702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcO6UudymltA6G3UJoQqmQxR83E-9LwNrGfYha3pp45w034TxSLIrluTq5QNyZLxRhu5T9YtvjcehsVv444n2MvstPL1LpM6JLO4qQKPIl6W6OycQaEZ2cjlCaW1LpxglzxHRfOepciY/s400/IMGP5702.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A view of the Acropolis of Xochicalco, from the top. The pyramid of the feathered serpents is to the left. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
Pyramid of the feathered serpents, or <i>Pirámide de las serpientes
emplumadas</i>, as it is known in Spanish, is unique in all of
Mesoamerica for being built of large, megalithic basaltic stones, all covered
in exquisite bas-relief carvings. An earlier stage of construction is also visible
within the now exposed core of the pyramid, although lacking the fine
bas-reliefs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Feathered snakes, lost cities and the Lords of Time<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The pyramid has an East-West
orientation, with the main stairway facing the setting sun, and consists in its present state of two
superimposed bodies arranged in the typical <i>Talud-Tablero</i>
Teotihuacan architectural style. It measures 19.6 by 21 meters at the base, and
while the lower level survives almost intact, the upper frieze band is highly
fragmentary.
Only few decorated stone blocks remain of the actual temple, occupying the
second level. Several more decorated stones have not yet found a collocation
within the partially restored pyramid, and now lie quite chaotically in a small
storage area to its side. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOf-Siwm6QnjLdTXZcrV_mQbdkbwQaalzlZ2qaCc-L8hQNLvhZr4W1dJJZWINIE7vEGxzVpu98J7_VR55OoBe8aXAg_GSwCKIbdIRTzNBQPXDFvTUM3wv_W_7wBydhBovWzRqF4Rinap4/s1600/Restoration_of_Pyramid_of_Xocmicalco_-_Pg-186_enhanced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOf-Siwm6QnjLdTXZcrV_mQbdkbwQaalzlZ2qaCc-L8hQNLvhZr4W1dJJZWINIE7vEGxzVpu98J7_VR55OoBe8aXAg_GSwCKIbdIRTzNBQPXDFvTUM3wv_W_7wBydhBovWzRqF4Rinap4/s400/Restoration_of_Pyramid_of_Xocmicalco_-_Pg-186_enhanced.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">An artist's impression of how the pyramid of the feathered serpents might have originally looked like (After Brantz Mayer, 1847, <i>Mexico as it was and as it is</i>). Brantz Mayer quotes José Antonio Alzate as stating (in 1777) that "<i>no more than twenty years before, the five terraces of which it consisted were still perfect</i>", but that the work of destruction started by some local farmers had left barely the first terrace and part of the second intact. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">The
most striking feature of the bas-reliefs that decorate the lower portion of the
pyramid is the undulating serpent motif occupying three of its four sides, a
total of 60 meters in length.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
serpent is clearly a symbol of Quetzalcoatl, the legendary culture hero and
civilizing god, and this is reinforced by at least two attributes: the cut snail
glyph, believed to represent the Wind (in the image of Quetzalcoatl as <i>Ehecatl</i>, the god of Wind), and the glyph 9 “<i>eye of reptile</i>”, itself one of the calendric names of
Quetzalcoatl. The coils of the snake are also suggestive of the
waves of the Sea, an imagery which is reinforced through the analogy with the
pyramid of the feathered serpents at Teotihuacan, itself considered to be the prototype
of the one at Xochicalco. At Teotihuacan, the marine imagery is further stressed by
the presence of different types of seashells among the volutes of the snakes;
which are also recalled at Xochicalco in the form of the cut sea snail glyph
(itself the most recurring glyph on the pyramid walls). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcb3U-wgxnUe3BAZQtshQjvLYlxDa9APO-Xg7qiHHwZqYG0WhXtuc7ASwyHmJZXPRBlV31SqmEkxber19FnQHhwH2oX2XrD6Z7c4zkwH3uAka-vqFw2ov01M-gHU3YK0C1ld7wY4vM4Y/s1600/IMGP5641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcb3U-wgxnUe3BAZQtshQjvLYlxDa9APO-Xg7qiHHwZqYG0WhXtuc7ASwyHmJZXPRBlV31SqmEkxber19FnQHhwH2oX2XrD6Z7c4zkwH3uAka-vqFw2ov01M-gHU3YK0C1ld7wY4vM4Y/s400/IMGP5641.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The feathered serpent motif on the outer walls of the pyramid of Xochicalco. The serpent appears multiple times on all the four sides of the pyramid, and might be interpreted as a symbol for comets and recurring catastrophes. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTk3Y8bN3k3uAy8YkRBA2Pmd3zetgZkuZs5C2lidnm8Z0nAPmqqPvUZ5ueqUtNamikkwmdOr0GWYtKLO_x5wDFGpgaiD3tXv0yGZnzp182Lh6CX-sVg3Mp4YRo2F4BD93Qdzu6HtmdY0/s1600/IMGP5646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTk3Y8bN3k3uAy8YkRBA2Pmd3zetgZkuZs5C2lidnm8Z0nAPmqqPvUZ5ueqUtNamikkwmdOr0GWYtKLO_x5wDFGpgaiD3tXv0yGZnzp182Lh6CX-sVg3Mp4YRo2F4BD93Qdzu6HtmdY0/s400/IMGP5646.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">The same figuration appears on the Southern face of the pyramid. A seated figure, possibly Quetzalcoatl himself in human form, is being carried above the waters on what might be interpreted as a boat of snakes, accompanied by the glyph of the wind. Behind his shoulders, what appears to be a flaming temple on an island is hit by a giant wave and submerged by the waters, again symbolized by the cosmic serpent. The depiction of the sacred island is accompanied by the glyph "<i>9 eye of reptile</i>", associated with the Wind and with Quetzalcoatl as the god of Wind. <b>[Photo by Author] </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">According
to some interpretations, the giant snake is highly suggestive of a global cataclysm.
Astronomers William Napier and Victor Clube argued in their books </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">The Cosmic Serpent </i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">and </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">The Cosmic Winter</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">
that the mythical imagery of sky serpents and dragons, which is found
throughout the world, was in fact a metaphor the ancient astronomers used for
comets. </span><b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">[2]</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There
is also abundant evidence of the association of Quetzalcoatl with comets. In
its starry aspect, Quetzalcoatl was associated with the planet Venus, being the
brightest “star” in the night sky. Venus was often referred to as the “<i>smoking
star</i>” [<b>3</b>], a name that the ancient Mexicans
also associated to comets [<b>4</b>]. This makes
Quetzalcoatl also an astral deity, somehow associated with wind, fire, the
planet Venus and comets (as well as, interestingly, with water). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
other most recurring imagery on the lower band is a curious set of glyphs,
appearing a total of 6 times within the coils of the snake. This set of
glyphs contains the calendric date “<i>9 eye of reptile</i>”, also associated with
Quetzalcoatl, surmounted by what appears to be a temple from which emanate large
tongues of fire. Interestingly, a glyph in the shape of a volute, emanating
from the serpent’s tail, appears to be hitting the temple as a giant wave. Similar
volutes are also to be seen underneath the temple, as if the intent of the
artist was to represent the construction sinking underneath the waves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0MDHwinPydZgqm15pf13U29PPOAMO1-kNck7Q-ig9kNP9pmeiOgKKqm0biLvF26nMp4BbeiLY7v7OiCSwpcbmJjGmqgHKoH-p-ybevdxO-gBqAR1D91gWISioIXYMQdoJeElwaglIyM/s1600/Detail_Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0MDHwinPydZgqm15pf13U29PPOAMO1-kNck7Q-ig9kNP9pmeiOgKKqm0biLvF26nMp4BbeiLY7v7OiCSwpcbmJjGmqgHKoH-p-ybevdxO-gBqAR1D91gWISioIXYMQdoJeElwaglIyM/s400/Detail_Island.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">An enlarged detail of the glyph combination that we suggest might represent the original homeland of the gods, the "Island of the Winds", in its final moments before its sinking. Great flames rise from the temple on top, while the wave-like symbols underneath it might suggest the idea of it sinking or being submerged by the waters. The tail of the cosmic snake takes the form of a giant wave, hitting the temple from the East. The glyph "<i>9 eye of reptile</i>", inserted within a cartouche, might hint to the original name of the island as the "Island of the Winds". <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">The
overall picture is a highly suggestive of a fiery catastrophe terminating in a
giant flood that consumed the original homeland of the gods.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A
seated figure, possibly Quetzalcoatl himself in human form, is depicted 10
times among the volutes of the snake. The posture, with the legs crossed, and the
hand gestures are highly reminiscent of Maya royal iconography, and there are
words coming out of the mouth of the seated figure in the form of speech. It is
as if the figure was being carried by the waves - that is, the serpent coils –
on top of what might be interpreted as smaller serpent or snake-like forms in
the shape of the letter S. There might be a connection here with the legend of
Quetzalcoatl sailing across the ocean towards the setting sun on a boat of
snakes. There is also a curious resemblance with the Olmec Monument 19 of La
Venta, dating between 1200 and 800 BC and considered the earliest known
representation of the feathered serpent in Mesoamerica. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguergxvg_fcPMj0M7LMIuQ__WBX5YKW3dJm-GhYrR0Q8OxpP_4Y9VYmcR13IxONRX2Dys-rV7lx2AzIXWkcHKw5cG1GinH7V2va4nduFTq_3T2dj_Dvvq4L2_vo537UDWE8YoucdLl1kU/s1600/Detail_Quetzalcoatl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguergxvg_fcPMj0M7LMIuQ__WBX5YKW3dJm-GhYrR0Q8OxpP_4Y9VYmcR13IxONRX2Dys-rV7lx2AzIXWkcHKw5cG1GinH7V2va4nduFTq_3T2dj_Dvvq4L2_vo537UDWE8YoucdLl1kU/s400/Detail_Quetzalcoatl.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Another enlarged detail of the seated figure, whom we might interpret as Quetzalcoatl in his human form. The curious shapes underneath the figure resemble the "<i>boat of snakes</i>" that the legend associates with the departure of Quetzalcoatl from Tollan. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">The
upper frieze, occupying the </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">tablero</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">
portion, shows a number of similarly seated features accompanied by the same
enigmatic set of glyphs. These figures have been called the “Lords of Time”, as
they bear attributes usually associated with the year. There were probably 22
of those, but the sequence is fragmentary, with many of the original stones
missing. They all seem to carry a sort of bag, again highly reminiscent of the
iconography found on the Monument 19 of La Venta. To their right, is a glyph showing of
a circle divided into four quarters, with an open jaw to its side. There is no agreement about the
meaning of those glyphs, but they seem suggestive of place names.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWucJ0wjtwSbaIWTQXCjo3995Bn6g5P_Etid05E_g5NicLT4MVDMZopeuQpMQjKdbu-ik3Gg0qFv3qOqur_l5-dOHf6RnFqEEzlYhYz-F6zYil7PzdECYbpjaIgHh2Zr_rCt1uLckX5c/s1600/Detail_Lord_of_Time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWucJ0wjtwSbaIWTQXCjo3995Bn6g5P_Etid05E_g5NicLT4MVDMZopeuQpMQjKdbu-ik3Gg0qFv3qOqur_l5-dOHf6RnFqEEzlYhYz-F6zYil7PzdECYbpjaIgHh2Zr_rCt1uLckX5c/s400/Detail_Lord_of_Time.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A detail of one of the "<i>Lords of Time</i>" depicted on the lower Tablero. The seated pose is similar to that of Quetzalcoatl in the lower <i>Talud</i>, but the human figure here now carries a headdress with the trapeze and ray sign for the year, and a curious "bag" in his left hand (compare with the Olmec bas-relief below from La Venta). The open jaws with the circle divided in four are conventional signs believed to accompany important place names. According to our interpretation, this section should be read as a list of the cities founded by the gods after the deluge that destroyed their insular homeland. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg003QPxO0Uq4hDkl6khuttkPT7YSOGCpWNncAisacCu5q7iVFslbdwY4R-f2cZWBw0NHHL1sW28yf0nyXmsAWrkYHHC25e8W5GZXbySQuHzW9Lz-kHR8XRPXpNKW65CwoGMZLC7ttBCPo/s1600/IMGP1389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg003QPxO0Uq4hDkl6khuttkPT7YSOGCpWNncAisacCu5q7iVFslbdwY4R-f2cZWBw0NHHL1sW28yf0nyXmsAWrkYHHC25e8W5GZXbySQuHzW9Lz-kHR8XRPXpNKW65CwoGMZLC7ttBCPo/s400/IMGP1389.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">One of the earliest depictions of the feathered serpent from Mesoamerica. Dating between 1200 and 800 BC, the so called "Monument 19" of La Venta shows a figure wearing an elaborate headdress, seating within the coils of a giant snake and carrying a highly enigmatic "handbag", which finds its parallel in the bas-reliefs of Xochicalco. <b>[Photo by Author, Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">The
bas-reliefs of the uppermost surviving registry, comprising the second layer of
the pyramid – or what was possibly the inner temple chamber – are too
incomplete to hazard any kind of reconstruction. Again there appear the usual
seated figures with their legs crossed, wearing some sort of large hats or
turbans and a carrying a staff. The interpretation of these figures as
military lords is reinforced by the set of three arrows and a shield that they
carry in front of them. Unless, of course, these items have a different
ritualistic meaning that we do not yet understand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUSy7UxbRMpbyUfXyAVUDMxow5MOXeBXHKxPt1aIfmYFQgSqq7okKPSvZRZ3jp8CnOvXqPFZE9jdLkVdWQsgOlL6eIZfiNxdB6Phvrm2UscDMDPV_HSA67d55kSgaIpXiFX_aS6lLy04/s1600/IMGP5716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUSy7UxbRMpbyUfXyAVUDMxow5MOXeBXHKxPt1aIfmYFQgSqq7okKPSvZRZ3jp8CnOvXqPFZE9jdLkVdWQsgOlL6eIZfiNxdB6Phvrm2UscDMDPV_HSA67d55kSgaIpXiFX_aS6lLy04/s400/IMGP5716.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Some of the glyphs and bas-reliefs that decorate the upper portion of the pyramid, possibly the depiction of military Lords or deified ancestors. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuSJeqTLmZw5lnfjnRiS1nLbPnEVRYTVUgptxBqypgr0dUobKgdq2LWw-g8EzVtsmjGOjRqz3DrSYnpJQffY6_2_6GNx7y-fDEz33of7Uccl9q07Y4-V8G-4lEZJ_MpnVdhTrsuzby18/s1600/IMGP5718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuSJeqTLmZw5lnfjnRiS1nLbPnEVRYTVUgptxBqypgr0dUobKgdq2LWw-g8EzVtsmjGOjRqz3DrSYnpJQffY6_2_6GNx7y-fDEz33of7Uccl9q07Y4-V8G-4lEZJ_MpnVdhTrsuzby18/s400/IMGP5718.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Each one of the great Lords depicted on the uppermost surviving level of the pyramid is shown as carrying a staff of command, with a set of arrows and a rectangular shield covering the chest. The headdress, similar to a large turban, is also very peculiar. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Another
glyph in particular – one of the few surviving from the upper portion – deserves attention.
It shows what would look like a man with only the head emerging from the water –
again more imagery associated with the idea of a deluge.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7C_L0tk873rseL0OwUueicl3NtrDBebjPg9lObKoOFz4UeTzDj7opQ13xWpKHc1WnVQ_JsM_lOWDba0AD0yW8E3zh5u9UlvlX3B_E1ib-UU_9Z6arnBAnkdav_JKDiyoeUXjqMtSOeZo/s1600/IMGP5657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7C_L0tk873rseL0OwUueicl3NtrDBebjPg9lObKoOFz4UeTzDj7opQ13xWpKHc1WnVQ_JsM_lOWDba0AD0yW8E3zh5u9UlvlX3B_E1ib-UU_9Z6arnBAnkdav_JKDiyoeUXjqMtSOeZo/s320/IMGP5657.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">This glyph, from the South-East corner of the pyramid, shows a man of which only the head is visible above the water. Yet another depiction of a deluge? <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The conventional interpretation of the glyphs</span></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Although there is no agreement
among scholars on the meaning of the bas-reliefs and glyphs of the pyramid of
Xochicalco, two main interpretations have emerged; that of a genealogy of
rulers and of a correction to the calendar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
genealogy of rulers interpretation is quite straightforward in that it sees in
each one of the seated figures the representation of a lineage of kings, connected by the symbol of
the feathered serpent and each one accompanied by a date glyph. This is a
rather simplistic explanation of the very complex symbolism of the pyramid
bas-reliefs, and does not moreover account for the hundreds of other glyphs and
carvings that do not seem to be associated with the images of the assumed
rulers or kings. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
second hypothesis of interpretation is based on a specific <i>tablero</i>
located to the left (North-East) of the main access stairway of the pyramid. In it, a glyph is found which can be
interpreted as the date “<i>5 Calli</i>” or “5 <i>House</i>”, which is tied by means of a rope to another date
glyph “<i>11 Ozomatli</i>” or “<i>11 Monkey</i>”.
This is somehow interpreted as the “pulling” of a date, that is to say, a
recalibration or adjustment to the sacred calendar. The pyramid would therefore
represent (and was built in order to commemorate) an astronomical conference, or
a meeting of the “Lords of Time” from all over Mesoamerica in Xochicalco to decide
on the calendar correction – that is, as the calendar had apparently gone out
of sync with astronomical observations. This event is believed to have occurred sometime around the year 743 AD, when
the pyramid was dedicated. This interpretation was first suggested by Enrique
Juan Palacios in 1920, and later supported by renowned archaeologist Roman Piña
Chan in his doctoral thesis in 1970. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LI6H4ggbvkggzx-aVdk13OD7B1vh-S1lPsgi05thCfYxEH4GRCSGkkl31ubquyTU4XUl5TFC6Q42F4_gkO-utiQqXFWNWrm1D40m6Xg5_PGUlO9pIuqrEFBEDk9xTKREoeyLHDM85qI/s1600/Detail_left_tablero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LI6H4ggbvkggzx-aVdk13OD7B1vh-S1lPsgi05thCfYxEH4GRCSGkkl31ubquyTU4XUl5TFC6Q42F4_gkO-utiQqXFWNWrm1D40m6Xg5_PGUlO9pIuqrEFBEDk9xTKREoeyLHDM85qI/s400/Detail_left_tablero.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A particular of the combination of glyphs from the left Tablero, in which the calendric glyph "5-Calli" appears to be pulled by the glyph "11-Ozomatli" by means of a rope. This is commonly interpreted as the depiction of a calendric correction or adjustment, but this interpretation is by no means certain. <b>[Photo by Author] </b> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Starting
from the 1970s, however, skepticism started to emerge in the academic community
towards this reading of the glyphs. Hanns J. Prem (1974), firmly denies this
interpretation, and the whole subject of the glyphs of
Xochicalco seems to have become the matter an archaeological <i>taboo</i> ever since. In a 1994 article, Mexican archaeologist
Ruben Morante Lopez goes as far as saying that since then “<i>The majority
of studies on the Mesoamerican calendar and the history of Xochicalco barely
mention the tablero, and do not dare to take a stance on the very tricky matter
of the interpretation of those glyphs</i>”. <b>[5]</b><i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An alternative interpretation<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_r6wJUaWXmb3DgmjZJj0jCgXCjCoDf2sw0LYgg9HYeyRAcSN9KNjK5jbqYX3PjcXvk-oj-kSVFc9837AS3Z32TkADa79FErHHRSKHX6d6onf4Ehz5IsuicDl6MaJC6rfFmdF87NgvVLQ/s1600/IMGP5727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_r6wJUaWXmb3DgmjZJj0jCgXCjCoDf2sw0LYgg9HYeyRAcSN9KNjK5jbqYX3PjcXvk-oj-kSVFc9837AS3Z32TkADa79FErHHRSKHX6d6onf4Ehz5IsuicDl6MaJC6rfFmdF87NgvVLQ/s400/IMGP5727.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Another view of the pyramid of the feathered serpents, on the main acropolis of Xochicalco. The relative position of the different superimposed levels can be easily appreciated, as well as the sequence of the main bas-reliefs. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Here I will propose an
alternative interpretation of the glyphs and bas-reliefs based on the idea that
the pyramid of Xochicalco contains a mythical account of historical events,
which does not by itself exclude other interpretations of portions of the
glyphs as related to the sphere of astronomy or to the calendar. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lower Talud<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> As noted earlier, the cosmic serpent, itself
the most prominent feature on the pyramid, can be interpreted as the metaphor
for a comet <i>and</i> a deluge (<i>the undulating
movement</i>) – the two being possibly interconnected – and might
therefore be taken as the symbol of a global catastrophe. The obsessive
repetition of the same motif on the four faces of the pyramid could, in turn, hint at the cyclical nature of such global catastrophes, brought by comets or
other celestial bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
flaming temple, overthrown by the waves and sinking in the waters appears to be
an allusion to a lost “Land of the Gods”, identified by the glyph “<i>9 eye of reptile</i>”, and associated with wind and Quetzalcoatl
(as the god of wind). The name of this mythical island might have been therefore
“<i>Island of the Winds</i>” if we take the
glyphs for their literal value. This is
again obsessively repeated for a total of 6 times on 3 of the 4 sides of the
pyramid. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A deluge seems therefore to have been responsible for the final
destruction and sinking of the island of the gods, after it was first hit by a
fiery catastrophe (the high flames rising from the temple) possibly caused by
the impact of a large celestial body, such as a comet. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
seated figures (10 in total), could represent the survivors from this
catastrophe leaving towards the different cardinal directions and spreading
into the world, carried by the waves (on what appears to be a boat of
snakes, again reminiscent of the legend of Quetzalcoatl). This company of gods
or demi-gods, whose leader can be identified as Quetzalcoatl – the feathered
serpent – (himself depicted in a sort of “boat” on the sides of the main
entrance stairway), was probably at the origins of the city of Xochicalco, or
seen perhaps as a mythical ancestor to the city’s royal lineage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxTu8zwsFvWP10W1IyU3QduIttYHM3m6fnTWV5R5-JWe2z5cIwtmCMl7DZU4RotB7mjTRstEyKtUvhsyRwyR_WLq4oEE2QWTny880EWrmb0Bxg1v5CKQiGL8CLD-ntyZiJd0sbrokm-Q/s1600/IMGP5639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxTu8zwsFvWP10W1IyU3QduIttYHM3m6fnTWV5R5-JWe2z5cIwtmCMl7DZU4RotB7mjTRstEyKtUvhsyRwyR_WLq4oEE2QWTny880EWrmb0Bxg1v5CKQiGL8CLD-ntyZiJd0sbrokm-Q/s400/IMGP5639.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A detail of the right Tablero, towards the South-West corner. A rather curious glyph amid the coils of the snake is believed to represent the figure of a "Sky bearer", carrying upon his shoulders a starry sky glyph. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHGTItejTWEgY8cXbbHjIoRN1ik2XANEKBjdfS1mWQI3MtPrwWHG-dpNKG5CqgIIK54CMEHy7JZbS_6HXrtwZx2T1OMeR2tTvzek-4dPeZwpXBvDTZSjI9fcCny-yEGkFbsqj2JftCxE/s1600/IMGP5663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoHGTItejTWEgY8cXbbHjIoRN1ik2XANEKBjdfS1mWQI3MtPrwWHG-dpNKG5CqgIIK54CMEHy7JZbS_6HXrtwZx2T1OMeR2tTvzek-4dPeZwpXBvDTZSjI9fcCny-yEGkFbsqj2JftCxE/s400/IMGP5663.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A general view of the Southern side of the pyramid of the feathered serpents, as taken from the South-West corner. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lower Tablero<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The frieze occupying the entire
length of the <i>Tablero</i> of the lower platform would have originally contained 22 depictions of the “Lords of Time”,
each one associated with a specific glyph indicating a place name. This could
be interpreted as an account of the mythical foundations of the gods, a list of
cities founded by the same company of gods depicted in the lower <i>Talud</i> upon
their arrival in Mexico. Each one of these “Lords of Time” carries a peculiar
bag, which might be interpreted as a bag containing the metaphorical seeds of
civilization, or a symbol related to the introduction of agriculture – itself one
of the gifts of civilization brought by Quetzalcoatl to ancient Mexico. The peculiar hat that they seem to be
wearing contains the symbol of the year, in the tradition of
Teotihuacan, a symbol usually associated with great Lords, and perhaps with
astronomy. There also seems to be a snake head coming out from the front.
Interestingly, each one of these figures seems to be wearing some sort of “goggles”
or “eye-glasses”, itself a symbol commonly found in ancient depictions of
Tlaloc, the god of rain. Perhaps more curious, the strange figures appear to be
<i>bearded</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Upper Talud<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US">This whole section is very
fragmentary, but contains depictions of what are usually interpreted as
military Lords, each carrying a staff, a shield and a set of three arrows.
These might be the lords of Xochicalco and other places, who inherited rulership
over the land directly from the gods. The very complex symbolism and glyphs
associated with this figures suggests however there might be something else. One
interpretation is that the figures on this level of the pyramid have to do with
the “gifts” of the gods, which might explain the vegetal motifs of what appear
to be crops, the calendric glyphs as well as the other animal figures. So
far, there are not enough elements to attempt a satisfactory interpretation of
this section of the pyramid. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A monument to the end of times?</span></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghfAXPiX0izjESdhyphenhyphenOvdWctuCtG8AT28ih3Rml6UdxOPBz3tLJKoR-9AAERkVLEdtE5tZQqaqU5prRHby-1LMoaPF9pJvURVdOo_stEJa9DuccwL-hG1TdXBUXR60ktRPIGsDyY0n1B8/s1600/IMGP1544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjghfAXPiX0izjESdhyphenhyphenOvdWctuCtG8AT28ih3Rml6UdxOPBz3tLJKoR-9AAERkVLEdtE5tZQqaqU5prRHby-1LMoaPF9pJvURVdOo_stEJa9DuccwL-hG1TdXBUXR60ktRPIGsDyY0n1B8/s400/IMGP1544.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">In this famous mural by Diego Rivera, in Mexico City's <i>Palacio Nacional</i>, Quetzalcoatl is depicted as a civilizing god, the inventor of writing and of the calendar, the god who taught men how to cultivate crops, to wear clothes and live in cities. <b>[Photo by Author; <i>Palacio Nacional</i>, Mexico City]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"> If the above interpretation is
correct, then the pyramid of Xochicalco might be interpreted as a monument
erected to commemorate the mythical ancestry of the lords of Xochicalco, descendants from a company of gods that were the sole survivors of
a cataclysm that destroyed and sunk their primeval homeland, the “</span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">Island of the Winds</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">”. This cataclysm appears to be related
to the impact of a comet or another celestial body, and there is moreover a
suggestion of cyclical or recurring cosmic events. In this sense, even the
calendric glyphs on the pyramid of Xochicalco might be interpreted as referring
to some recurring astronomic event, perhaps the passage of a comet, which was
believed to cyclically bring devastation to the world.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
story goes on with the arrival of this company of gods, the “<i>Lords of Time</i>”, to Mesoamerica, where they founded a number
of cities and temples, taught agriculture, astronomy and the arts of
civilization to the still primitive inhabitants of the valley of Mexico, and
also established a lineage of kings to whom the rulers of Xochicalco and other
places in Mesoamerica traced back their ancestry and, ultimately, their divine right
to kingship. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A leap to the other side of the Atlantic<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAK1tIR7NE9XvuKhyJ7gqFDwo5EI7C69j5qp6MvuyLBsUfRVrf0KxiaUBuKY6izjjPvHkTOYCQw4l6_jv1wb3H62a4Enl23Q6bHp9Dupgwqd7BUeVVUYNsT0r2yqNFJwyo2BaoPKlLojE/s1600/Aztlan_codex_boturini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAK1tIR7NE9XvuKhyJ7gqFDwo5EI7C69j5qp6MvuyLBsUfRVrf0KxiaUBuKY6izjjPvHkTOYCQw4l6_jv1wb3H62a4Enl23Q6bHp9Dupgwqd7BUeVVUYNsT0r2yqNFJwyo2BaoPKlLojE/s400/Aztlan_codex_boturini.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">A page from the Codex Boturini, showing the mythical migration of the Aztecs from their ancestral homeland of Aztlan, the "</span><i style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">place of whiteness</i><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">" or the "</span><i style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">place of reeds and herons</i><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">", here depicted as an island in the middle of a sea or lake. </span><b style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;">[Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"> This story, if correct, bears
some remarkable similarities to other cosmological myths of a global cataclysm
from across the Atlantic, particularly to the famous </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">Edfu
building texts</i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">. The
similarities are so striking that one might be induced to think that the pyramid
of Xochicalco and the Edfu building texts do indeed tell the same story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
<i>Edfu building texts</i> are a collection of
hieroglyphic writings found on the outer walls of the Ptolemaic temple of Edfu,
in Egypt, dating to the 2<sup>nd</sup> Century BC. No doubt, however, the Edfu
building texts were copied after some much older material, possibly dating to
the Old Kingdom. The story told in these ancient Egyptian texts is almost
identical to the one represented on the walls of the Mexican pyramid of
Xochicalco. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This
<i>corpus</i> of texts, which has only been
partially translated, also seems to refer to a primeval abode of the gods,
which was destroyed in a violent cataclysm and was later submerged. The
similarities, however, don’t stop here. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In
the <i>Edfu building texts</i>, this primeval “Land
of the gods” is depicted as an island, variously called “<i>Island of
Creation</i>”, “<i>Island of Trampling</i>”,
“<i>Island of Combat</i>”, “<i>Island of
Peace</i>” or “<i>Island of the Egg</i>”,
names that might all possibly relate to mythical events in the island’s history. This
island, the original abode of the gods and seat of the first, mythical ancestor
of the Temple, appears to have been destroyed in a violent attack by a “<i>snake</i>” or “<i>serpent</i>”, which
caused the island to split and sink in the primeval Ocean, causing all of its divine inhabitants to perish. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">According
to E.A.E. Reymond, author of <i>The Mythical Origins of
the Egyptian Temple</i>:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“<i>The homeland of the primeval ones […] having been constituted by the
creators themselves, came to its end at a definite moment of the primeval age.
A storm, perhaps, came over the island, during which an attack was made by an
enemy pictured as a snake. The aggression was so violent that it destroyed the
sacred land with the result that all of its divine inhabitants perished</i>”
<b>[6]<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Concerning
the “snake” itself, which was apparently responsible for the destruction and
sinking of the island, she adds: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“<i>He refers to a snake, the nhp-wr, the Great Leaping One, who appears to
be the chief enemy of the god […] his feet were pierced and the ground of the
domain was split. This is a clear picture of a disaster</i>” <b>[7]<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
attack was so violent that it caused the primeval island of the gods to sink
and be submerged:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“<i>The primeval water might have submerged the island as a consequence of
a fight, and the island became the tomb of the original divine inhabitants</i>”
<b>[8]<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This
serpent, also called in the Egyptian text “<i>The Great Leaping One</i>”
is highly reminiscent of the feathered serpents depicted on the outer faces of
the pyramid of Xochicalco, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for comets. There is also an idea in the Edfu text of recurring catastrophes,
as the text explicitly references multiple cycles of creation and resurrection
of the primeval island. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The
“company of gods” that survived the destruction and sinking of the primeval
island of creation (otherwise known from other Egyptian sources as the <i>Shemsu-Hor</i> – the companions of Horus), seems to have played
a role in the rebirth of civilization after the catastrophe which is very
similar to the one attributed in Mesoamerica to Quetzalcoatl and his companions.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There
is also another striking analogy in the names used to describe the new homeland
of the gods after the catastrophe. The Edfu text mentions that <i>reeds</i> were all that survived of the primeval island of the
gods after its sinking, and that the island itself was covered in <i>reeds</i>: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“<i>The beginning of the first Edfu record does not tell us that the new
generation of creators arriving in the island would perceive the island itself
when the sun shone once more on the primeval waters. It is stated that they saw
only the reeds on the surface of the water</i>” <b>[9]</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And
also: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“<i>The Edfu cosmogonical records begin with a picture of the primeval
island where the gods were believed to have lived first…which, in part, was
covered with reeds</i>” <b>[10]</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Interestingly,
the mythical capital of Quetzalcoatl after his arrival in Mexico was called <i>Tollan</i>, which in Nahuatl means “<i>the place of
reeds</i>”. Tollan was considered an ancestral place of origin for the
civilizations of Mexico, and was the legendary capital of the Toltecs (meaning “<i>people of the reeds</i>”). The very name of Quetzalcoatl is
often associated with the glyph “<i>Ce Acatl</i>”, or “<i>1 reed</i>”, with the reed glyph appearing several times on the
pyramid of Xochicalco itself. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In
Aztec myths, the original homeland of the Aztec people is named “<i>Aztlan</i>”, a name somehow associated with the color white,
whose literal meaning is “<i>place of herons and reeds</i>”.
One might also find interesting, and it is certainly matter of speculation,
that while the ancient Egyptians located the homeland of the Gods in the far
West, Quetzalcoatl was believed to have come to America from the East, that is
from across the Atlantic. It is on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico that the
earliest known Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmecs, developed, and it is with
the Olmecs that the earliest depictions of the feathered serpents are found. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Perhaps
the pyramid of Xochicalco does not tell the same story as Plato’s Atlantis, but
the parallels with the ancient Egyptian myths from across the Atlantic, and the
Mesoamerican legend of Quetzalcoatl as a civilizing god who came from the East,
all point to a common belief in a primeval homeland of the gods, that was
destroyed and sank in a time beyond recorded history, from which civilization
spread to both the Old and the New World. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYsfbL-H5QGpDNS7M_XD2xZdiBv2Uz3sl-JNdMiI7eRbXMS3sW0gFTxr687imdiRCOSo6Rmf0sJ855S3wHO7_ogvVKcp8M9ZyUxZLC0UXTYVN2xL_ac53rIMrjd7v1VTIR4OnNlzzSbQ/s1600/IMGP3904_stitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYsfbL-H5QGpDNS7M_XD2xZdiBv2Uz3sl-JNdMiI7eRbXMS3sW0gFTxr687imdiRCOSo6Rmf0sJ855S3wHO7_ogvVKcp8M9ZyUxZLC0UXTYVN2xL_ac53rIMrjd7v1VTIR4OnNlzzSbQ/s400/IMGP3904_stitch.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">A panoramic view of the Northern side of the pyramid of the feathered serpents at Xochicalco. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">References:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> A good online biography of Augustus
Le Plongeon can be found at the following website: </span><a href="http://maya.csueastbay.edu/archaeoplanet/LgdPage/LepKehoe.htm"><span lang="EN-US">http://maya.csueastbay.edu/archaeoplanet/LgdPage/LepKehoe.htm</span></a><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">[2] </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Victor Clube, Bill Napier, <i>The Cosmic Serpent</i>, Faber & Faber, 1982<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">[3]</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> For instance, Venus is depicted as
a “smoking star” in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis, as well as in the Songs of
Dzitbalche, suggesting a connection between Venus and Comets. See Susan
Milbraith<i>, Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore
and Calendar</i>, University of Texas, 1999<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="ES-MX" style="line-height: 115%;">[4]</span></b><span lang="ES-MX"> in Nahuatl, “<i>Citlalin
popoca</i>”. Source: Remi Simeón, <i>Diccionario de la lengua
Nahuatl o Mexicana</i>, 17<sup>th</sup> edition, México, 2004 (1<sup>st</sup>
Spanish edition 1977)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="ES-MX" style="line-height: 115%;">[5]</span></b><span lang="ES-MX"> Rubén Morante López, <i>El Templo de las Serpientes Emplumadas de Xochicalco</i>, no.
94, Universidad Veracruzana (1994), accessed online: <a href="http://cdigital.uv.mx/bitstream/123456789/1232/2/199491P113.pdf">http://cdigital.uv.mx/bitstream/123456789/1232/2/199491P113.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">[6]</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> E.A.E. Reymond, <i>The Mythical Origin of the Egyptian Temple</i>, Manchester
University Press, 1969, p. 113-114<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">[7]</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> Ibid., p. 113<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">[8]</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> Ibid., p. 109<i> </i> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">[9]</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> Ibid., p. 109</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">[10]</span></span></b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Ibid., p. 59</span></span></div>
Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-70880078072813691402015-06-14T21:21:00.000-05:002015-06-14T21:39:36.329-05:00Lost Cities of the Mexican Highlands<div class="adM">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The mysterious ruins of Chimalacatlan</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> In a remote mountain region to the South of the Central Mexican state of Morelos, stand some of the most enigmatic megalithic ruins of all of Mesoamerica.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxy6NgtDN0lMdds6em6vFIAUpyQslNl5oQahZ_lkk5cjTOIKwUuVxQCj_m1c3tbKVZA_xt8SZQEzfWWY6WkI5tNgzLpTEox1NRCQPa1LxmGbR5u9EZjWTY3wr9VRiqz_VCeTAI4xrjOls/s1600/IMGP4808hdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxy6NgtDN0lMdds6em6vFIAUpyQslNl5oQahZ_lkk5cjTOIKwUuVxQCj_m1c3tbKVZA_xt8SZQEzfWWY6WkI5tNgzLpTEox1NRCQPa1LxmGbR5u9EZjWTY3wr9VRiqz_VCeTAI4xrjOls/s400/IMGP4808hdr.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan, megalithic walls" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The impressive megalithic Acropolis of Chimalacatlan rises on top of a high ridge overlooking the Sierra de Huautla and the vast plains of Morelos and Guerrero</i>. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Mexico and Central America are rightfully famous for their impressive concentration of ancient Pre-Columbian ruins, covering a time span of several thousand years, from the Olmec civilization of the early pre-classic and formative period (1,400 BC to 400 BC), to the great Maya civilization of the lowlands of Chiapas and Guatemala (beginning 750 BC), to the bloodthirsty rituals and military organization of the great Aztec empire (1,325 AD to 1,521 AD). </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet, for how impressive the architectural and artistic achievements of these great Pre-Columbian civilizations (suffice to mention the great Maya pyramids, palaces and ballcourts), megalithic stone architecture seems to be largely absent from the landscape of ancient Mesoamerica.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Certainly, many Mesoamerican civilizations were familiar with cutting and raising large stone monoliths. As an example, one could easily cite the over hundreds of stelae erected by the Mayas of the Classic Period (250 to 900 AD), some of which weighting over 60 tons <b>[1]</b>, or the equally impressive Olmec stone heads (weighting betwen 6 and 40 tons <b>[2]</b>) and Aztec monoliths. The most famous Aztec monolith, the celebrated Stone of the Sun, or Piedra del Sol, now in the Museo Nacional de Antropologia in Mexico City, in fact a massive stone calendar and cosmologic monument, weights an estimate of nearly 25 tons <b>[3]</b>. Even more impressive, the Tlaloc monolith (originally from San Miguel Coatlinchan and now decorating a fountain outside of the same Museo Nacional de Antropologia in Mexico City), weights in excess of 168 tons and is also believed to date to the Aztec period <b>[4]</b>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> In spite of these astonishing feats of engineering, the use of large and often very large stones seemed to be limited to free-standing monuments, while smaller stones, adobe and concrete were the materials of choice throughout Mesoamerica for all large scale constructions and pyramids. Even the most impressive Maya pyramids, as well as the even larger pyramids at Teotihuacan and Cholula, were built almost exclusively of small, incoherent stones and adobe, mixed with concrete and stuccoed or plastered on the outside.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Unlike the Andean region of South America, with its impressive megalithic architecture as in the region of Cuzco, capital of the Inca empire, and Tiwanaku, nothing on the scale of the impressive megalithic walls and constructions of Peru seems to have ever characterized Mesoamerican architecture. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> There is however one remarkable exception to this rule, which is as impressive in its monumentality and scale as it is also remarkably unknown to the public at large, including many of the very specialists in Mesoamerican archaeology and architecture <b>[5]</b>. This is the case of the megalithic platforms and walls of Chimalacatlan, in the south of Morelos and near the border with the state of Guerrero. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"A most ancient and famous work"</span></i></b></b><br />
<b style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b></b>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The ruins of Chimalacatlan are located within the boundaries of the municipality of Tlaquiltenango, amid the stunning natural setting of the Sierra de Huautla. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It takes about 40 minutes to reach the tiny village of Chimalacatlan from the municipal capital of Tlaquiltenango, and during the rainy season, another 30 to 40 minutes to walk the steep and muddy trail leading up to the ruins. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The site lamentably lacks almost any kind of tourist infrastructure, with the exception of a decaying panel at the end of the trail, informing you that you have finally reached the site. What you will find, however, will more than compensate the effort required to get to this remote location. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirx-c9Pt2KnN5wrfo9A7s_M8BBSh0DBVn0GHxuRkFL1_7YFQqh9hhnBit6me_2Hrx1LT3oj1f0y6TkVgah8dTGnCI7AeAt-fAD4hHd641CqH6Xx-vHyKGnDySdVczyBR2a-p-D0FCuDug/s1600/IMGP4602d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirx-c9Pt2KnN5wrfo9A7s_M8BBSh0DBVn0GHxuRkFL1_7YFQqh9hhnBit6me_2Hrx1LT3oj1f0y6TkVgah8dTGnCI7AeAt-fAD4hHd641CqH6Xx-vHyKGnDySdVczyBR2a-p-D0FCuDug/s400/IMGP4602d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Ballcourt on the Mesa del Venado" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The first structured encountered on the Mesa del Venado (and the only one at least partially cleared from the thick vegetation covering the hill) is a ceremonial ballcourt resting on top of a high dry stone platform.</i> <b>[Photo by Author] </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJvAQQhh9iNVKONyBzyuzaF3Y60huMX_vt6TXmRaJZ0pK1mWRuQdZWBp0n8PP7ehwbQW_0R1awBMWsHwMVeKjxJWhW7ib8xDJM0hd2yu0x6cpQEEhG_a9EN9u1gQoZxf6034wC0OUqVM/s1600/IMGP4611d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJvAQQhh9iNVKONyBzyuzaF3Y60huMX_vt6TXmRaJZ0pK1mWRuQdZWBp0n8PP7ehwbQW_0R1awBMWsHwMVeKjxJWhW7ib8xDJM0hd2yu0x6cpQEEhG_a9EN9u1gQoZxf6034wC0OUqVM/s400/IMGP4611d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Ballcourt on the Mesa del Venado" width="265" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>A detail of the wall construction on the Mesa del Venado shows the use of mid-sized, roughly cut stones around the corners of the structures. Although of not particularly accurate workmanship, these platforms are remarkable for the use of dry, unmortared stone. </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXol-WgrO33Yx7bS49ML0vhKl0DXMlhrvV85zYhutFJombSGV2ZXwUg8PUscWfPiU3LPvN2qDZ4DNDUWkwXwCjDBtJmPbRR-7eR1zHtU_WN41cjcfWroVnsTFfCT8WCl2NYEepU5ZEFgI/s1600/IMGP4614d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXol-WgrO33Yx7bS49ML0vhKl0DXMlhrvV85zYhutFJombSGV2ZXwUg8PUscWfPiU3LPvN2qDZ4DNDUWkwXwCjDBtJmPbRR-7eR1zHtU_WN41cjcfWroVnsTFfCT8WCl2NYEepU5ZEFgI/s400/IMGP4614d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Ballcourt on the Mesa del Venado" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The little ceremonial ballcourt on top of the Mesa del Venado is one of the most distinctively Meso-American structures at the site, although it possibly dates to a later phase of occupation than the megalithic walls of the Acropolis, when the settlement expanded to engulf the nearby hill. </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The first ancient construction encountered on the site, occupying a plateau know as Mesa del Venado, is a vast ceremonial platform complete with a ruined pyramid, almost entirely covered by the lush tropical vegetation of the area, and a small ballcourt game. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here for the first time the unusual character of the ruins of Chimalacatlan starts to emerge. The ballcourt itself rests on a large platform, built with carefully arranged unmortared stones: Even though the general quality of the masonry and stone construction is quite poor, the presence of dry walls and unmortared stone construction is striking when compared to the architectural style of other nearby sites like Xochicalco. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The main ceremonial center of the ancient city occupies the hill right opposite to this first group of ruins, called Cerro del Venado. The trail to the top runs amidst giant cactuses and copal trees forming a scenery of stunning natural beauty in one of the largest protected areas of tropical dry forest in all of Mexico.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The site itself is arranged on a set of dry stone platforms, placed at different levels, once connected though a system of monumental ramps and stairways of which only few sections emerge from the thick underbrush and vegetation. Unfortunately, the lower platforms are currently in a very ruinous state, still awaiting excavation and proper consolidation works. It seems, however, that the platforms formed a set of plazas at different levels, roughly following the profile of the natural elevation.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxv224L31XQgB_sAv2a79wHtbK6OXwYobZGL2ce_IQR8qzpbvupVeBuD96-WfYCWAsvlfIL0J7BJOdDvMd9iR_Bn9j5Dw4tXduJ5cmsMNViDw8o0PUOBNyuxfua5OMwaj0y0mbxAkl-s/s1600/IMGP4628d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxv224L31XQgB_sAv2a79wHtbK6OXwYobZGL2ce_IQR8qzpbvupVeBuD96-WfYCWAsvlfIL0J7BJOdDvMd9iR_Bn9j5Dw4tXduJ5cmsMNViDw8o0PUOBNyuxfua5OMwaj0y0mbxAkl-s/s400/IMGP4628d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan" width="265" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The decaying sign at the entrance of the site. You can zoom in the image to read an English and Spanish description of the ruins, as well as a map of the major structures still visible on the mountain. </i><b>[Photo by Author] </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdES75SUJ_e0WSM4H9LlHcp7_ynCOHYZLqDBUE1xARLES7NA5P9nEiEW0a9IXqpkMOp8hJdHUGhHpthps1OtDrb-w-BvssqTH5wPjLuqFAFz7kCudFWoPCZkU0Z6O0dRcLv20znOw-yUA/s1600/IMGP4634d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdES75SUJ_e0WSM4H9LlHcp7_ynCOHYZLqDBUE1xARLES7NA5P9nEiEW0a9IXqpkMOp8hJdHUGhHpthps1OtDrb-w-BvssqTH5wPjLuqFAFz7kCudFWoPCZkU0Z6O0dRcLv20znOw-yUA/s400/IMGP4634d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The long ascent to the Acropolis is finally compensated with the impressive sight of this megalithic stone wall, that closes the path from the lower terraces.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> It is not until one reaches the middle portion of the hill that one encounters the first spectacular examples of megalithic architecture at the site. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The megalithic buildings consists of a set of two superimposed platforms, at slightly different elevations,only the first one of which appears to be complete on all four sides. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The lower platform is perfectly square and measures about 40 meters on each side. Its outer walls reach at least 7 to 8 meters high at the North-West corner, and are entirely built of massive ashlars, some of which over 2,5 meters long. The construction is of remarkable quality and accuracy, consisting of several layers of carefully laid out and jointed megalithic stone blocks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The second platform shares the exact same characteristics of the first one, including the slightly inward-sloping walls and fine megalithic masonry. Only the main facade of the platform survives in its entirety, while the remaining sides terminate abruptly after 25 or 30 meters against the natural bedrock.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbmSrlARxH0fxCP_pM22dLzaYp6fJ7sJ_tBeWn8wj4X2ryqE6KoT916DivwgJ2x69yPmmM1T4wjQY54NGMchqq8BaRPQxbBQap5rwbbVkxdFKCg9OGhNJE5K9nCpOyrsRIyduIJ3jTUE/s1600/IMGP4648d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbmSrlARxH0fxCP_pM22dLzaYp6fJ7sJ_tBeWn8wj4X2ryqE6KoT916DivwgJ2x69yPmmM1T4wjQY54NGMchqq8BaRPQxbBQap5rwbbVkxdFKCg9OGhNJE5K9nCpOyrsRIyduIJ3jTUE/s400/IMGP4648d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The great megalithic wall facing the ravine on the North-West side of the Acropolis. The wall continues without interruptions for a length of about 60 or 70 meters, and encircles the Acropolis on three sides (the fourth one is the natural bedrock). Some of the stones are over 2,5 meters in length and might weight in excess of 5 or 6 tons. </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZ_HEOTg_ezu29ZLnqDrsIdlKi_cLG8Z_MfaHzbZd5fNP7IvahuW7A9AAEx8LMihagkaedeaKrZX7w7QOBitSiWKnm-9oBts3jsoKyx_TCIjZyFblYf9GtLJ4-FW49msL53TRGKpD5_g/s1600/IMGP4649d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZ_HEOTg_ezu29ZLnqDrsIdlKi_cLG8Z_MfaHzbZd5fNP7IvahuW7A9AAEx8LMihagkaedeaKrZX7w7QOBitSiWKnm-9oBts3jsoKyx_TCIjZyFblYf9GtLJ4-FW49msL53TRGKpD5_g/s400/IMGP4649d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The point where the lower platform joins the upper megalithic platform is marked by a beautiful angle, where the wall reaches again an heigh of about 5 to 6 meters. </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ovEmWfgkKa8hv9_XftNE0otlzkHd9CvMNELVhd1cJ1vVB31xElPcKa3oLj3UIHfVq9vzRiHJwHAinlYavHjfhlRxaT-gMZGQxinRILZblouAhixCJExzTkn-D5wdTZv0KNbgqnp7HKs/s1600/IMGP4654d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ovEmWfgkKa8hv9_XftNE0otlzkHd9CvMNELVhd1cJ1vVB31xElPcKa3oLj3UIHfVq9vzRiHJwHAinlYavHjfhlRxaT-gMZGQxinRILZblouAhixCJExzTkn-D5wdTZv0KNbgqnp7HKs/s400/IMGP4654d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The height of the wall delimiting the perimeter of the second (upper) megalithic platform decreases progressively as the slope of the hill increases, until leveling down to the level of the natural bedrock. This would have made it rather unsuitable to serve a defensive purpose, and suggest instead a ritual or ceremonial use of the megalithic platform above. </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The longest continuous stretch of megalithic walls, facing a deep ravine and joining the two platforms, covers a length of about 60 or 70 meters, and forms a beautiful angle where the two platforms join at different elevations, the second (uppermost) platform being slightly larger at the base than the lower one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The top of the lower platform is occupied by what appears to be a sunken patio or courtyard, a feature not uncommon at other Olmec sites in the Region (like Chalcatzingo and Teopantecuanitlan, which might provide important elements for the dating of the megalithic platforms of Chimalacatlan). The top of the uppermost platform was also artificially leveled around a natural rocky outcrop, and is occupied by several large boulders, still in the rough, which might have been intended as part of some sort of megalithic temple or construction, which was however never completed.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWylgefeXLhSAWYHcHSBuQ87lgwra3FdjHrDZaP8mRWp9iVJyO3CRn8g3J7e02laq0ZyuWQbpXpVAvWARR7P-1xvPv1fzElf8g2ehezPD99loa2LNBXAuV1nx8ByEL5RuaRs7RNPvqTs/s1600/IMGP4674d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWylgefeXLhSAWYHcHSBuQ87lgwra3FdjHrDZaP8mRWp9iVJyO3CRn8g3J7e02laq0ZyuWQbpXpVAvWARR7P-1xvPv1fzElf8g2ehezPD99loa2LNBXAuV1nx8ByEL5RuaRs7RNPvqTs/s400/IMGP4674d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>In this view, taken from the South-West corner of the second (uppermost) megalithic platform, the rubble filling of both platforms, behind the megalithic retaining walls, can be clearly appreciated. The top of the first (bottom) platform is occupied by a sort of sunken patio, also delimited by large megalithic blocks, which is suggestive of the ceremonial use of the site.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIuBmxU0BgiIlqZwU-sKC5mxPfLz4n37fkhPm5BjE9Uoe3bfZh-XG9Jiw_KMb3W2myqXGDZ6Uit_oZdhFiX4hXVHpEeNJx85DMB8EXGXUFfNH4WOaqtHIch1owRH_i4VUdwZVX35uaCk/s1600/IMGP4680d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIuBmxU0BgiIlqZwU-sKC5mxPfLz4n37fkhPm5BjE9Uoe3bfZh-XG9Jiw_KMb3W2myqXGDZ6Uit_oZdhFiX4hXVHpEeNJx85DMB8EXGXUFfNH4WOaqtHIch1owRH_i4VUdwZVX35uaCk/s400/IMGP4680d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>A detail of one of the megalithic stone blocks on the uppermost platform, measuring over 2,5 meters in length. Interestingly, most stones appear to be cracked , something which might be compatible with exposure to very intense heat. The natural erosion has also cancelled any trace of tool marks, and is itself suggestive of the high antiquity of the site.</i><b> [Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCao16h8vUuqlQu8Xx8GRhfJE1egDZArWNgOU2C-Hubz2Nf131u5X5R1d1eQlg2Qo3zuxnzg_NXRBTFPyP1FasZPpYKJPK-T7s82WiijTaQbcP0fdG12vKp3WEClDozU61LIGUTcCISQ/s1600/IMGP4682d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCao16h8vUuqlQu8Xx8GRhfJE1egDZArWNgOU2C-Hubz2Nf131u5X5R1d1eQlg2Qo3zuxnzg_NXRBTFPyP1FasZPpYKJPK-T7s82WiijTaQbcP0fdG12vKp3WEClDozU61LIGUTcCISQ/s400/IMGP4682d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The megalithic wall on the North-East side varies in height between 4 meters to as little as one meter, where it reaches the level of the natural bedrock.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFBeu4DgQfafMoDD3f1f1f4vfl1iRHdLhONYiDItWo3b50CDrBiox1ndWbEuHEKOf0uB8ikS29LEdP3n42BqsBhPA6IY0pGMllH2iG9quVzgXm2LhousCR8sdy-zu34T_AAkDt7jb_iM/s1600/IMGP4687d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFBeu4DgQfafMoDD3f1f1f4vfl1iRHdLhONYiDItWo3b50CDrBiox1ndWbEuHEKOf0uB8ikS29LEdP3n42BqsBhPA6IY0pGMllH2iG9quVzgXm2LhousCR8sdy-zu34T_AAkDt7jb_iM/s400/IMGP4687d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>Another view of the same North-East angle, as seen from the lower platform. Note the very accurate workmanship and placement of the megalithic stone blocks delimiting the second (upper) platform. </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr9ytipaDrgAKm3J3IT9ZxqB_LXyY3rNQjb6EA5RRWaqWqifPa-5lWtrNvNjlMi1X5A40ecAUjcW40ItgUuOoi9Anir-VU6j-FWaHHT3YX5vPgv0eNpteRv7GXfi1fFBdnUpvvKoAtLk/s1600/IMGP4695d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNr9ytipaDrgAKm3J3IT9ZxqB_LXyY3rNQjb6EA5RRWaqWqifPa-5lWtrNvNjlMi1X5A40ecAUjcW40ItgUuOoi9Anir-VU6j-FWaHHT3YX5vPgv0eNpteRv7GXfi1fFBdnUpvvKoAtLk/s400/IMGP4695d.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The center portion of the upper platform wall is composed of more irregular stone blocks, not nearly as finely jointed as the wall portions to its left and to its right. This is possibly suggestive of later repairs, or even of the presence of a doorway in this part of the wall, that was later closed.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFi5dqneffY7nsVoU0isF8BwodkQ1cnDdTKwhIyTuicJNvbkIH_CpgGkbkCdR4QZ8jx-JSU6Q3L0PYfqRQgnPX5seppdlFe4y_I82DkI-EvXo30_wfOxZcgIbqwaS6UmTRr3U-S9YFobk/s1600/IMGP4720d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFi5dqneffY7nsVoU0isF8BwodkQ1cnDdTKwhIyTuicJNvbkIH_CpgGkbkCdR4QZ8jx-JSU6Q3L0PYfqRQgnPX5seppdlFe4y_I82DkI-EvXo30_wfOxZcgIbqwaS6UmTRr3U-S9YFobk/s400/IMGP4720d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>Near the North-East corner of the second (upper) megalithic platform, the lower platform forms an angle with it that mirrors the similar angle on the North-West face of Acropolis. The lower wall here is not even one meter tall, and would have certainly served no defensive purpose.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1x92XVGcWlEcuFLBdQE4rrruLh-cics8u_LvZyfxQxqx-Janp96I_Tuo1EI4P4xf6Qm2w9aLpsX0tQZkjM07LuRzFAbPFsMpraUpJHQO_0CWJSzhrr8zHjcVpCuBYI4pv-ha4boooyS0/s1600/IMGP4726d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1x92XVGcWlEcuFLBdQE4rrruLh-cics8u_LvZyfxQxqx-Janp96I_Tuo1EI4P4xf6Qm2w9aLpsX0tQZkjM07LuRzFAbPFsMpraUpJHQO_0CWJSzhrr8zHjcVpCuBYI4pv-ha4boooyS0/s400/IMGP4726d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The Western side of the Acropolis is delimited by a low wall, less than 3 meters high, which nevertheless shows some remarkably accurate megalithic construction (compare with the dry stone wall to the left, which is of much cruder construction). </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqm8SpsZW6ADIEwwhoMcgXvmqYlaAmg_-BYWo24m93vEKiL2QYRsMrXp-20cfpptv5h23TBUWlBu56r_k9H3QUMGlwoXF2xfsXWwYnQVaNa-7tm1adKSwYKh8yYWLuuoto93w4W-ren4/s1600/IMGP4729d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqm8SpsZW6ADIEwwhoMcgXvmqYlaAmg_-BYWo24m93vEKiL2QYRsMrXp-20cfpptv5h23TBUWlBu56r_k9H3QUMGlwoXF2xfsXWwYnQVaNa-7tm1adKSwYKh8yYWLuuoto93w4W-ren4/s400/IMGP4729d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platform" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Another view of the lower megalithic platform, from the North-East. It is unclear whether the wall was actually meant to be higher (as the layer of stones placed here above the level of the platform would appear to suggest), or was only meant to act as a monumental retaining wall for the platform itself.</i></span><span style="background-color: white;"> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Above this second platform, the natural bedrock was laid barren and cut into what would appear as canals and trenches up until the top of the hill. There, the peak is occupied by a large pyramid-like structure, consisting of four super-imposed terraces, all sharing the same trapezoid shape with the exception of the top platform, which is a perfect square. From the uppermost platform, located almost at the center of a spectacular natural amphitheater of mountains, the view stretches far away to embrace the entire Sierra de Huatla and the plains of Cuernavaca. Although some larger stones were employed in the construction of this pyramid, and a few well cut stone blocks are visible on some of the terraces, the workmanship is generally poorer than the rest of the megalithic platforms, employing smaller and more irregular stones.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopy1Srr8h9e5R3zjafIxFkOEcZfOW_GdbLlI-wkI4CM68qy403Ft9w5Kxdm7eJVjZSINnFoBXbZrkhGSX6Jv0zD4iWt4EpIPkFFG4PD9KBvRFPH2vDz7nNByrTpnVPvHhSHq-8aClPAI/s1600/IMGP4733d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopy1Srr8h9e5R3zjafIxFkOEcZfOW_GdbLlI-wkI4CM68qy403Ft9w5Kxdm7eJVjZSINnFoBXbZrkhGSX6Jv0zD4iWt4EpIPkFFG4PD9KBvRFPH2vDz7nNByrTpnVPvHhSHq-8aClPAI/s400/IMGP4733d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Cerro del Venado" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>Above the second megalithic platform and along the rather irregular path leading up to the top of Cerro del Venado, the natural bedrock lies (perhaps artificially?) exposed. The very deep trenches and pits cut into it might not be entirely natural, and could instead be part of an abandoned attempt at sculpturing the summit of the hill into terraces.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvNfyCU4iy1AjeZNfhWe84_r0k7awl_gcdnDILkgi271N0JeRBidC5N2zVs0gGkA2DXCboCfLEkaOFiZ4tt7LQnbqQ0Q79xn0bHpdTsJEOsHfZ88YFb7uZO8iMJfXiV_9u8yAJIuBBG0/s1600/IMGP4734d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglvNfyCU4iy1AjeZNfhWe84_r0k7awl_gcdnDILkgi271N0JeRBidC5N2zVs0gGkA2DXCboCfLEkaOFiZ4tt7LQnbqQ0Q79xn0bHpdTsJEOsHfZ88YFb7uZO8iMJfXiV_9u8yAJIuBBG0/s400/IMGP4734d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Cerro del Venado" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The uppermost platforms on the Cerro del Venado, all built of smaller, less regular stones, rise directly from the natural bedrock underneath them. </i><b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbzExrmsE87LkCtrmIcJrzC762vUNnds63lVxSHDvMT8eTMWrq2hV0dFbqnVgzkMuhXcZ4HP6AJ5ABDSrroduINaltr2I6dZKD-9vEx7JTqZ0R8V9ObfUAA9RFbx7jECpiaRnfTfrrHw/s1600/IMGP4756d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbzExrmsE87LkCtrmIcJrzC762vUNnds63lVxSHDvMT8eTMWrq2hV0dFbqnVgzkMuhXcZ4HP6AJ5ABDSrroduINaltr2I6dZKD-9vEx7JTqZ0R8V9ObfUAA9RFbx7jECpiaRnfTfrrHw/s400/IMGP4756d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Cerro del Venado" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The view from the top of Cerro del Venado stretches over the entire Sierra of Huautla.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx5GmWDR6TJIyuIMsaTBgbQgP20Ah9UUQV2pwqz09g1_ZY5gD3i1c5wbSUgONkoyjaZgmtVxyD1Pi0jUbZI5h_8iQKc65YKEfo7eeEDNpSlFS-wR5zp5BvKQV6HPdQkJSKOGYnBf8hrw/s1600/IMGP4764d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx5GmWDR6TJIyuIMsaTBgbQgP20Ah9UUQV2pwqz09g1_ZY5gD3i1c5wbSUgONkoyjaZgmtVxyD1Pi0jUbZI5h_8iQKc65YKEfo7eeEDNpSlFS-wR5zp5BvKQV6HPdQkJSKOGYnBf8hrw/s400/IMGP4764d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Cerro del Venado" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>The very summit of the Cerro del Venado is occupied by this massive four-tiered pyramid. Each level is trapezoidal in shape, retained by high dry-stone walls which, although lacking the megalithic precision and monumental appearance of the lower platforms, have survived remarkably intact the ravages of time over many centuries. Some larger stones of rather regular appearence, perhaps belonging to an earlier, megalithic, stage of construction, are to be found amidst the dry-stone masonry of this pyramid.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The general feeling is that an impressive surge of construction led the unknown inhabitants of Chimalacatlan to build the massive megalithic walls and platforms that we see today, designing an entire system of terraces and platforms around the summit of the hill, only a small portion of which was however completed by the time the site was apparently abandoned. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Construction on the site might have resumed at a much later point in time, perhaps centuries later, when the more crude constructions were added, which included the ballcourt game on the Mesa del Venado, and the terraced pyramid which occupies the summit of the hill and incorporates several partially carved megalithic blocks that were likely part of some older, perhaps unfinished structure occupying the summit.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A lost civilization?</span></i></b></b><br />
<b style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></b></b>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> In spite of the little interest that currently sorrounds the ruins of Chimalacatlan and their impressive megalithic constructions, a much larger controversy was sparkled by their early discovery at the end of the XIX Century. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Indeed, the first mention of the ruins of Chimalacatlan in the Sierra de Huautla might date back to the early times of the Spanish conquest. A passage in the Relacion Historica de la Nacion Tulteca, composed between 1600 and 1608 by Fernando de Alva Ixtlixochitl, one of the early native historians of the New Spain and descendant of the old kings of Texcoco, seems to refer to vestiges of a very similar kind to the ones of Chimalacatlan, also in the province of Cuernavaca. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Describing some of the most ancient seats of the Toltecs, Ixtlixochitl describes the ruins in this terms:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"<i>In Cuauhnahuac</i> [The ancient name of what is nowadays the city and district of Cuernavaca - NdA] <i>they built a palace with a city, a most ancient and famous work, a palace all built of large stones, of large cut stones without mortar, nor plaster, nor wood, but all of stone, carved and jointed together</i>." <b>[6]</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Of course, the Toltecs mentioned in Ixtlixochitl's account must not be the historical Toltecs, but rather the "mythical" Toltecs, to whom all kinds of wonderful and prodigious things were attributed by the Aztecs and by the later inhabitants of the Central Mexican highlands. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The modern discovery of the ruins of Chimalactlan must however be attributed to a certain Don Lorenzo Castro, Cura of Tlaquiltenango, who discovered the ruins towards the end of the XIX Century. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> The then bishop of Cuernavaca, Francisco Plancarte y Navarrete, informed of the discovery, also took a very keen interest in the enigmatic ruins of Chimalacatlan, to the point of identifying them with the long lost capital of the Olmecs, or Tamoanchan, a mythical place believed by the Aztecs to be the seat of the Mesoamerican equivalent of the Garden of Eden and the birthplace of the first Mesoamerican civilizations, if not of mankind itself <b>[7]</b>. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Doubtless, the links between Chimalacatlan and the Olmec civilization run much deeper than the legendary accounts, and are also stressed in a recent paper by the Mexican Instituto Nacional de Antropologia (INAH).<b> [8]</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> According to the authors, the ruins of Chimalacatlan might date to the middle Pre-Classic period, that is to say, to a time between 800 and 600 BC, due to their striking similarity with other sites in the state of Guerrero, especially with the early Olmec site of Teopantecuanitlan, where large megalithic stone blocks were also used in the construction of a set of sunken patios and courtyards. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Other sites with megalithic stone architecture might also exist in the remote wilderness of the Sierra de Huautla, but knowledge of these sites is still very scarce. The sites of Huautla and Mesa de los Tepalcates seem to share similar architectural features with Chimalacatlan, including the use of large megalithic stone blocks measuring over 2 meters in length. As of now, however, almost no documentation exists of these sites outside of the above mentioned report.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE2Sp3-HW2QSE6wnPLP1IjCMKCnIt4RgvWh_fMatRmdouinNFtXGRCvGoKkEjCRyLCOmbaYHiYE78BesLmPtbz1s-Zy8l1irjDEh8Qc_gM3r_OsSl-bVVMzQmT2KxcMiN1uRyLOkWUIs/s1600/IMGP4781d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE2Sp3-HW2QSE6wnPLP1IjCMKCnIt4RgvWh_fMatRmdouinNFtXGRCvGoKkEjCRyLCOmbaYHiYE78BesLmPtbz1s-Zy8l1irjDEh8Qc_gM3r_OsSl-bVVMzQmT2KxcMiN1uRyLOkWUIs/s400/IMGP4781d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platforms" width="265" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>A view of another one of the monumental platforms at Chimalacatlan, towards the summit of the Cerro del Venado. Some of the stones used in the construction are fairly large, although the workmanship is not nearly as accurate as that of the lower megalithic terraces. Similar ruins are said to exist at several other places in the remote wilderness of the Sierra de Huautla.</i> <b>[Photo by Author] </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Wz0YzVZ0VVfUz1JmT-C7U3KRzXCETcdj-0fugOp2dtGl8DQ9IhbTYG2APZoQXgrVnoPbxxBT6QLSz2tL4a0fH7UlJnfIGD4O8_3Q_xD5sHARTkf8bq0MZnI1uar4-gDIVhGjguom4IA/s1600/IMGP4792d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Wz0YzVZ0VVfUz1JmT-C7U3KRzXCETcdj-0fugOp2dtGl8DQ9IhbTYG2APZoQXgrVnoPbxxBT6QLSz2tL4a0fH7UlJnfIGD4O8_3Q_xD5sHARTkf8bq0MZnI1uar4-gDIVhGjguom4IA/s400/IMGP4792d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic Platforms" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>Evidence of ancient quarrying at Chimalacatlan. A large rectangular block still lies in its trench next to several other ones at various stages of completion. The quarries were located uphill from the main megalithic platforms, at a distance of some one hundred meters.</i> <b>[Photo by Author] </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUdnOAlYtnFarOB1HudemQh1mvFBkh-XHkRGTmBpM5BR2DDX7ouMnQo0D1zlRHHx_TuWKu4OMzICiFobpI_4MAcsSlV9ZjkLCbDU6k1U8ZMMeIHhHgVrRGw4tGc8cnOUcv5SyIFsDCOY/s1600/IMGP4802d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUdnOAlYtnFarOB1HudemQh1mvFBkh-XHkRGTmBpM5BR2DDX7ouMnQo0D1zlRHHx_TuWKu4OMzICiFobpI_4MAcsSlV9ZjkLCbDU6k1U8ZMMeIHhHgVrRGw4tGc8cnOUcv5SyIFsDCOY/s400/IMGP4802d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Cerro del Venado" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>Additional quarrying is visible near the summit of the hill of Cerro del Venado. Aerial and satellite photographs do indeed show large, regular trenches cut in the natural backrock where the hill was likely intended to be cut into additional terraces and platforms, none of which was however completed at the time most monumental construction at the site suddenly ceased.</i> <b>[Photo by Author] </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6B5TsrlhYBfxBR873qYqaDn27FZiSPv7Yww3hhNxoQIQf0dlC92mDFr9AK_OhqRRDA1Uek0cCjSod7GEx-9WJV20nQ89q4RMkpKoz7QuFk3GGrVGEw8RmytRQuQZzapJWq33pPqtcpJY/s1600/IMGP4827d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6B5TsrlhYBfxBR873qYqaDn27FZiSPv7Yww3hhNxoQIQf0dlC92mDFr9AK_OhqRRDA1Uek0cCjSod7GEx-9WJV20nQ89q4RMkpKoz7QuFk3GGrVGEw8RmytRQuQZzapJWq33pPqtcpJY/s400/IMGP4827d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platforms" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>Again near the Western side of Acropolis, the contrast between the megalithic stone wall to the right and the much cruder dry-stone wall to the left is almost suggestive of two entirely different epochs of construction.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjal3a3OE1CKCAB5si8fDNVqfS0SxZB2faAu4oSjaFnx5F_mDnsFmbCOHmZKouZdRYz7INraTX6UgZe0-VWAnixgHhnrnppEDP4995CpR3Mx9AT_pbKhbyWMw3Gw0Lz_eplqgmSQgBDXpM/s1600/IMGP4829d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjal3a3OE1CKCAB5si8fDNVqfS0SxZB2faAu4oSjaFnx5F_mDnsFmbCOHmZKouZdRYz7INraTX6UgZe0-VWAnixgHhnrnppEDP4995CpR3Mx9AT_pbKhbyWMw3Gw0Lz_eplqgmSQgBDXpM/s400/IMGP4829d.jpg" title="Chimalacatlan - Megalithic platforms" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>A view of the main ceremonial stairway approaching the Acropolis from the North-West. The height of the megalithic stone wall to the left diminishes with the slope from as much as 7 to 8 meters at the North-West corner to as little as 2 meters towards the top.</i> <b>[Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Interestingly, the very modern day name of the municipal capital of Tlaquiltenango (from the nahua, Tlakiltenamko), where the village and ruins of Chimalacatlan belong to this day, literally means "polished" or "dressed walls", with the hieroglyphic for the city name showing a set of regular, polished constructions accompanied by the depiction of a tool commonly used for polishing stone. No significant ancient remains survive in the town of Tlaquiltenango itself, except for its Franciscan (and later Dominican) convent, built in 1540 and one of the oldest still standing in the Americas, also likely built on top of Pre-Columbian ruins and re-using much of the ancient stones. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Still to this day, the area is filled with legends of a once large and populous city, simply known as La Ciudad Perdida - The lost City, believed to have since time immemorial vanished in the unexplored mountain ranges and ravines of the Sierra de Huautla. There are even rumors of underground tunnels and caves that would lead to the fabled lost city. One such tunnel is rumored to connect the present day convent of Santo Domingo in Tlaquiltenango to the Churches of Zacatepec, Tetelpa, Galeana, Las Bovedas and Jojutla, which also occupy the sites of former Pre-Columbian settlements.<b>[9] </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> It is not know who the original inhabitants of Chimalacatlan and its nearby sites were, but it is very likely they imported their megalithic technique and refined architecture from some other place, perhaps from the Olmec heartland on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The absence of artifacts clearly relatable to the megalithic structures also significantly compounds the problem of the origins of their builders and the question of their date. </span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">References:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<b>[1] </b>The Quiriguà Stela E, believed to be the largest at any Maya site, measures 10.6 meters (35 ft) from the base to the top, and weights between 59 and 65 tons. Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_stelae">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_stelae </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>[2] </b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmec_colossal_heads">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmec_colossal_heads</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>[3] </b><a href="http://www.inah.gob.mx/boletin/17-arqueologia/7469-se-cumplen-224-anos-del-descubrimiento-de-la-piedra-del-sol">http://www.inah.gob.mx/boletin/17-arqueologia/7469-se-cumplen-224-anos-del-descubrimiento-de-la-piedra-del-sol</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>[4]</b> <a href="http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2014/04/05/espectaculos/a08n1esp">http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2014/04/05/espectaculos/a08n1esp</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>[5]</b> One of the most extensive studies of pre-Columbian architecture in Mesoamerica (Maria Teresa Uriarte, Pre-Columbian Architecture in Mesoamerica, INAH Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, 2009), fails to mention the site altogether. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>[6]</b> Fernando de Alva Ixtlixochitl, Obras Historicas, Oficina tip. de la Secretaria de Fomento, Ciudad de Mexico, 1891, p. 38</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>[7]</b> Francisco Plancarte y Navarrete, Tamoanchan: El Estado de Morelos y el principio de la civilizacion, Imp. El Mensajero, Mexico, 1911</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>[8] </b>Mario Cordova Tello, Juan Pablo Sereno Uribe, Sur de Morelos: Chimalacatlan, INAH, <a href="http://consejoarqueologia.inah.gob.mx/wp-content/uploads/1_proychimala.pdf">http://consejoarqueologia.inah.gob.mx/wp-content/uploads/1_proychimala.pdf</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>[9]</b> Morelos Turistico, Turismo Tlaquiltenango, <a href="http://www.morelosturistico.com/espanol/pagina/z_146_Tlaquiltenango__Turismo.php">http://www.morelosturistico.com/espanol/pagina/z_146_Tlaquiltenango__Turismo.php</a></span>Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-46701555561913383332014-12-24T08:47:00.001-06:002014-12-24T08:49:07.775-06:00The Dimensional Gateway of Ñaupa Iglesia<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The secret Temple of Gold</span></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkEl_4dBEpjaVEmKEFkBCdlqCS0YCquP6xwkbUQ7mYVvQbA_yEW0bnLsPWWpOSoBqmHD8LpOdjZhMRB0w9jSPc4GOR9g_FdE8_DSBEDxgOVw8NvhOR_Q3J6enEW6-m-rE-WKljWaRJ44/s1600/IMGP4240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkEl_4dBEpjaVEmKEFkBCdlqCS0YCquP6xwkbUQ7mYVvQbA_yEW0bnLsPWWpOSoBqmHD8LpOdjZhMRB0w9jSPc4GOR9g_FdE8_DSBEDxgOVw8NvhOR_Q3J6enEW6-m-rE-WKljWaRJ44/s1600/IMGP4240.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">A view towards the entrance of the main cave of Ñaupa Iglesia, with the rock cut doorway in the foreground and the very strangely carved "altar" overlooking the valley on the cliff side. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Early
in 2014 we learnt of a “secret” ruin that was supposedly discovered a few years
ago somewhere in the mountains above Cusco, Peru, along the Sacred Valley. As the
source refused to provide coordinates for the site, the only information
available were a few rather intriguing pictures of what looked like a sealed
rock-cut doorway and a name, Ñaupa Iglesia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">We
eventually managed to pinpoint the site’s exact location with the help of
Google maps and indications from a local guide. For anyone interested, the
actual coordinates for the site are: <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><b>13.292214S</b>;<b> 72.232222W</b>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Much
less know and significantly less travelled than its more famous counterpart at Hayu
Marca (The “<i>Gateway of Aramu Muru</i>” near Ilave, on
Lake Titicaca), one can reach this site only with the help of an expert local
guide or a good GPS. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A
short detour from the Sacred Valley, on a branch of the road connecting
Urubamba to Ollantaytambo, takes into a deep and somehow hidden valley
resembling a canyon with towering cliffs. One needs to leave the car at a small
river crossing, and then walk a few minutes along the railway tracks until you reach a tiny pathway leading up to some abandoned agricultural terraces likely
dating to Inca or pre-Inca times. The climb from this point takes a good 15
minutes, and can be very steep at points.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjye5Lpmz3vtN0ifyoEPmra2HhuxIRvMjs2pcmlt7DztcWi4DwFo8fSoC2bzSblTt9qqB21DitQGQLMlwtTUhqVq0cXFqhfZrUnNUNlFADTUA4QiPc-7m3ZaFK9k4dReq407w8q-CjZWNU/s1600/IMGP4220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjye5Lpmz3vtN0ifyoEPmra2HhuxIRvMjs2pcmlt7DztcWi4DwFo8fSoC2bzSblTt9qqB21DitQGQLMlwtTUhqVq0cXFqhfZrUnNUNlFADTUA4QiPc-7m3ZaFK9k4dReq407w8q-CjZWNU/s1600/IMGP4220.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The steep trail leading up to Ñaupa Iglesia from the valley underneath, amidst towering cliffs. [Photo by Author]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Sybguv9WZySKsYkXKy1lnEMd7nipwZ_JiBZBDfSRHgFfqfBe17wAYWca9_tK40nDkcnIcQZ72TFK4qejUM6DoV72kWr6ZF5UoOmYd_7wJP-v8Re8wIdztTJbhwv34lm3I21gofQGQKE/s1600/IMGP4224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Sybguv9WZySKsYkXKy1lnEMd7nipwZ_JiBZBDfSRHgFfqfBe17wAYWca9_tK40nDkcnIcQZ72TFK4qejUM6DoV72kWr6ZF5UoOmYd_7wJP-v8Re8wIdztTJbhwv34lm3I21gofQGQKE/s1600/IMGP4224.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The entrance to the main cave of Ñaupa Iglesia, overlooking the deep canyon underneath. The "altar" is visible in the foreground (in the shade), together with a wall with niches of much cruder construction.<b> [Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">What
awaits about halfway to the top, carved into the cliff face, however, is very
much worth the effort. There lies a monument unique in its kind in all of Peru,
a rock-cut temple or shrine containing a beautifully carved monolithic altar
overlooking the valley and a rock-cut doorway, also carved from the living
rock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There
are also walls with niches in a style closely reminiscent of Tiwanaku
architecture, but of much cruder construction, on both sides of the shrine. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This
strange ruin is known to the locals by the name of <i>Choquekilla</i>
or “The temple of Gold”, or “<i>Ñaupa Iglesia</i>”,
meaning the “Church of the Ancients”. The <i>Ñaupas </i>are
inhabitants of the spirit world, or of worlds before our own, and can travel
across the spaces by manifesting themselves around sunset or dawn at certain
sacred locations. According to Andean lore, a meeting with the <i>Ñaupas </i>can be extremely dangerous, and their secret
dwellings as well as the portals through which they cross into this world are
better left undisturbed.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbe6JxBp2OcVDWTmGqaMlXzCA8M491O_SiTJdcnQWDBRtGVSMT0SUlfMhBIKYlkpiy-8ToB9wZYBFvuhLoR0ws3ZZekcYzoelG3BcrZmSOFFTlfMhdugAavRep0fTNvwbcG9eVUt90FVs/s1600/IMGP4238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbe6JxBp2OcVDWTmGqaMlXzCA8M491O_SiTJdcnQWDBRtGVSMT0SUlfMhBIKYlkpiy-8ToB9wZYBFvuhLoR0ws3ZZekcYzoelG3BcrZmSOFFTlfMhdugAavRep0fTNvwbcG9eVUt90FVs/s1600/IMGP4238.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The rock cut doorway that in the old Andean traditions would have served for the Ñaupas to cross into our world from other spaces. Some offerings and candles have been placed on the threshold by local shamans. [<b>Photo by Author</b>] </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPKXU9NvC0p0m6Votu9FqfkJZw6TDDHcG0wKVzLz1BOvkfpLrXRS4ZOlPvK-PjRxepJDcmutuS2rkRPuAS5BoYLGYwoBHhpVuOKL7a1jZV3S5P_d3fNleO5qS60k9j2n0hnHVNIlJ1K4/s1600/IMGP4249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPKXU9NvC0p0m6Votu9FqfkJZw6TDDHcG0wKVzLz1BOvkfpLrXRS4ZOlPvK-PjRxepJDcmutuS2rkRPuAS5BoYLGYwoBHhpVuOKL7a1jZV3S5P_d3fNleO5qS60k9j2n0hnHVNIlJ1K4/s1600/IMGP4249.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another view of the rock-cut doorway of Ñaupa Iglesia, looking into the cave. The cave ceiling appears to have collapsed at some point, burying under a deep pile of rubble whatever was located at the opposite end of the cave. [<b>Photo by Author</b>]</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The
rock-cut doorway truly looks like a gateway into another world, and one would
truly need magical powers to cross the solid rock wall sealing it. The most
interesting feature, however, is the very peculiar “altar” located at the
entrance of the cave. It is very finely carved in a way that reminds of the
stepped </span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Chacana</i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">, symbolizing the three worlds of
Andean cosmogony. Unfortunately this beautiful altar was apparently blown up,
allegedly by treasure hunters looking for buried gold, so that now the carvings
appear incomplete. Or was it? Looking up closely, one notices several perfectly
drilled holes piercing the altar stone. These holes were supposedly used for
sticking dynamite or other explosives to blow up the hard stone in search of
gold. One wonders whether another explanation exists for the presence of these
perfectly drilled holes. Were they part of the original construction? This is
not unlikely, given the fact that similar perfectly drilled holes are also
found in hard stone at other sites in Peru and Bolivia, most notably at Tiwanaku,
Cusco and Ollantaytambo.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaVLd7e9nwmc6gcv0n77htknTOJXX_mKv_pdXwOOYLlHO_IDb3rBFZepQ9wVBAr75Jn6p3s49wtHIxoLP_af2rmuikGAz65VzzcXlHD7D6srCAljDXPmkucN9RDO9vg0D4VB2GEc6P2Y/s1600/IMGP4227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaVLd7e9nwmc6gcv0n77htknTOJXX_mKv_pdXwOOYLlHO_IDb3rBFZepQ9wVBAr75Jn6p3s49wtHIxoLP_af2rmuikGAz65VzzcXlHD7D6srCAljDXPmkucN9RDO9vg0D4VB2GEc6P2Y/s1600/IMGP4227.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">The very strange "altar" located at the entrance of the cave. It has a strikingly modern design, almost reminescent of some ancient and strange piece of machinery. The very fine and neat carvings also extend to the rock floor and to the other sides of the "altar" (unfortunately broken and defaced by what must have been a powerful explosion - perhaps a disastrous attempt by looters to find buried treasure by breaking up the altar). Interestingly, the stone of which the altar is made appears to be of an entirely different composition than the surrounding sandstone. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0guiC-IwySEXHOzfdMNVObUppa1yjrc11_9UWEP5wRir8CM7imoPEHo0pa9NNVKe5FAVyyfusapdH2RDq2XlEyK2cDAm_Ot0ifYugebdN1peqNSnPaKuFDN8J9Sb-6o2Z0nszfHnx8fU/s1600/IMGP4232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0guiC-IwySEXHOzfdMNVObUppa1yjrc11_9UWEP5wRir8CM7imoPEHo0pa9NNVKe5FAVyyfusapdH2RDq2XlEyK2cDAm_Ot0ifYugebdN1peqNSnPaKuFDN8J9Sb-6o2Z0nszfHnx8fU/s1600/IMGP4232.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;">Another frontal view of the "altar". The perfectly drilled hole on top of the main carved face can be clearly made out. The grooves and cuts in the floor (which is of one piece with the monolithic altar stone) are suggestive of some kind of object or artifact being placed on hinges in front of the "altar", which now appears to be lost. <b>[Photo by Author]</b></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There
are also more interesting holes and marks on the natural bedrock leading to the
altar, suggesting that an object or artifact of some sort was placed right in
front of it and likely fastened to the stone floor. One would almost be
forgiven to think that the altar was in fact a sort of device meant to control
the opening and closing of the doorway right behind it, perhaps in some altered
state of consciousness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Aside
from the gate, the cave appears to have partially collapsed, and some other
rock-cut surfaces suggest it might have once extended further into the
mountain.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One
is left to wonder what the purpose of this strange and somehow sinister shrine
could have been, and we have no doubt that the same crowds that now gather
around the gateway of Aramu Muru and other similar places in Peru and South
America will soon discover also this still remote and secluded location. Perhaps
this will also serve to bring to it the attention it deserves from the
archaeological community. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765301636970401482.post-51073439866665190722014-12-24T04:19:00.001-06:002014-12-24T08:51:20.409-06:00A Journey into the X-Zone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 16.8666667938232px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Mysterious "Zona-X" of Cusco</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlFBLntKYszIKmL0nP5uAoYs3P3VRhALI_KctyYe2zgKvic-Q4hn0hMG-1JUa9C40nCdNVW8g-VSYCkt5C8nzlgk4nAnJHiV2y8oSnx9iteD_OXPob6KYrie2KbD-nMRtI3-VEQgyXZ8/s1600/IMGP4851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlFBLntKYszIKmL0nP5uAoYs3P3VRhALI_KctyYe2zgKvic-Q4hn0hMG-1JUa9C40nCdNVW8g-VSYCkt5C8nzlgk4nAnJHiV2y8oSnx9iteD_OXPob6KYrie2KbD-nMRtI3-VEQgyXZ8/s1600/IMGP4851.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A view of the idyllic landscape sorrounding the "X-Zone" of Cusco, which extends just a short distance from the great megalithic fortress of Sachsayhuaman. What seems just a natural landscape is in fact littered with the signs of a very mysterious past: carved stones, altars, shrines and the entrances to several underground tunnels and caves. [<b>Photo by Author</b>]</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Unknown
to many of the tourists who visit the nearby fortress of Sachsayhuaman,
overlooking the ancient city of Cusco, Peru, a short cab ride (or a very scenic walk)
will take you into the hearth of the “X-Zone”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It
is difficult to describe what the “X-Zone” actually is. At a minimum, it is an
impressive collection of megalithic ruins, a maze of underground tunnels and
strange rock-cut monuments. But there is also a more sinister side to it,
related to mysterious disappearances and sightings. This is, by the way, not
surprising for an area so isolated and rich in caves, both natural and
man-made. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
first approach to the X-Zone is from the road connecting Sachsayhuaman and
Q’enko to the nearby ruins of Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. The area is
immediately recognizable as a large rocky outcrop surrounded on one side by
massive polygonal walls, very much reminiscent of the walls of Sachsayhuaman. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There
are extensive signs of quarrying, and there is no doubt the area was used as a
stone quarry at some point. There are elements, however, that point to a much
different function for the area before it was turned into a stone quarry. Many
of the walls of the rocky outcrop appear to have been cut into regular shapes
to form little chambers, shrines and doorways. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There
is a sense of extreme antiquity here, which is further reinforced by the severe
erosion and weathering of many of the stone surfaces. Interestingly, many of the neatly carved chambers and doorways which are now fully exposed to the elements
appear to have been once underground and to have only been exposed by quarrying
or erosion.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwASmpPWLRMNJ5fZ1GIbwmp70VQSFvaRdYxvA47BtW3_oizU9jxoYirVYe5dbEBWDe8ta-2K5oS6XHKnEomfC97Lkr4WVveAFhLpXQM4QES-mLmtKYzAhW_ZwwU-zICQd8VNRfoVK6UKc/s1600/IMGP4853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwASmpPWLRMNJ5fZ1GIbwmp70VQSFvaRdYxvA47BtW3_oizU9jxoYirVYe5dbEBWDe8ta-2K5oS6XHKnEomfC97Lkr4WVveAFhLpXQM4QES-mLmtKYzAhW_ZwwU-zICQd8VNRfoVK6UKc/s1600/IMGP4853.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A set of niches and rock-cut doorways, highly suggestive of a funerary arrangement (the niches served perhaps to contain mummified bodies or other offerings). Much of the superstructure of this chamber seems to have been quarried away, leaving the rock walls exposed to the weathering agents. [<b>Photo by Author]</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE9Wpcj6jmLLsW9IGEdCjKYuKDymSNfv17FF5vZcMY2LY86vwMgvenS1n-HZ2IyVv_Q5Fnkre963MSB7qiBMzaAwcRGDyFg3xmRZvf8KEYnYIwzoHuKRSmTsqDc-qVIZmyytPZCA3SHI/s1600/IMGP4849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIE9Wpcj6jmLLsW9IGEdCjKYuKDymSNfv17FF5vZcMY2LY86vwMgvenS1n-HZ2IyVv_Q5Fnkre963MSB7qiBMzaAwcRGDyFg3xmRZvf8KEYnYIwzoHuKRSmTsqDc-qVIZmyytPZCA3SHI/s1600/IMGP4849.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A carved rocky outcrop, also in the vicinity of the "X-Zone", likely used as a quarry for the nearby fortress of Sachsayhuaman. [<b>Photo by Author</b>]</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">These
carved walls and chambers show remarkable polish and many unusual features also
found at several pre-Inca sites around Peru (See my previous entry – </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The Vitrified Ruins of Ancient Peru </i><a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.it/2014/09/the-vitrified-ruins-of-ancient-peru.html" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">), including partial
vitrification.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
most unique and unusual feature of the “X-Zone”, however, is the maze of
tunnels that extends deep underground inside the rocky outcrop. It is likely that this might correspond to the area known from ancient sources as the “<i>Chincana Grande</i>”,
or the “<i>Great Chincana</i>”, a word meaning
labyrinth or maze in Quechua. The X-Zone would appear to be a much more likely
candidate for this than the other rocky outcrop which is more commonly known by
the same name closer to Sachsayhuaman (there are actually two Chincanas near
Sachsayhuaman, one called the “<i>Chincana Chica</i>”,
on the Rodadero hill facing the giant megalithic fortress, which consists of
some short tunnels that can be rather effortlessly explored, and a large rocky
outcrop commonly – but in our opinion mistakenly – identified as the <i>Great Chincana</i>, where several shrines and steps have been
carved into the rock, yet bearing no trace of tunnels or other features that
might justify such a name). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The mysterious subterraneans of the Incas<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Many
legends relate to a maze of tunnels and ancient passageways supposedly existing
underneath the city of Cusco and dating to a time possibly earlier than that of
the Incas. According to a long established tradition, dating back to early
colonial times, these tunnels are supposed to connect the temple of the Sun in
Cusco (the famed <i>Qorikancha</i>) to the giant
megalithic fortress of Sachsayhuaman, as well as to many other places as far as
Tiwanaku in Bolivia. [1]<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">According
to a famous story, reported among others by the historian Garcilaso de la Vega,
vast treasures were concealed in these tunnels in the days of the siege of
Cusco by the Spaniards, including the fabulous Sun of Gold that once shone in
the innermost shrine of the <i>Qorikancha </i>of Cusco.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Other
more recent tales, although somehow harder to verify, relate of entire expeditions vanishing
without a trace into the maze of tunnels underneath the city in search of the fabled gold of the Incas. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Doubtless,
the “Zona-X” is the closest neighbor to the maze of tunnels that is the matter
of such legends and fairy tales. Everywhere one sees the entrances to countless
tunnels and underground passages, often branching out in multiple directions and intersected by other smaller tunnels. Some of the galleries are very
neatly carved, with regular outlines and polished walls and ceilings; some even
have steps carved in the floor, leading to unknown depths. In other cases, however, the galleries resemble natural caves, the workmanship is very rough and the course irregular.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y2lJXy6KKYE6tji_DH47Does855QfOfkhEAr3a35Z1CxVjeIYd_4GMe7mCnWUySFBrjc7cZpatkOzoJ2TyWO_aQuZJHpmsx0ePmx2jl0gwuzhhJPReNxKZTDHqFp_A8HYPuaZPaMZWs/s1600/IMGP4881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y2lJXy6KKYE6tji_DH47Does855QfOfkhEAr3a35Z1CxVjeIYd_4GMe7mCnWUySFBrjc7cZpatkOzoJ2TyWO_aQuZJHpmsx0ePmx2jl0gwuzhhJPReNxKZTDHqFp_A8HYPuaZPaMZWs/s1600/IMGP4881.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A neatly cut stone surface. Was it part of some underground chamber or hypogeum now exposed by quarrying and erosion? Note how the carved walls and ceiling end abruptly where the rock appears to have been cut, [<b>Photo by Author</b>]</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8haq5DapNP01Wu-z3SWTrL9yRCmb3gF65cCVarfrD2jVkx6KDScSzPbKcajddXMpEkLuN4iKgQDUkPdjpUWNl9eGQUs2TmA3lwcTnZKmutYk0gXOt0NKsxiEr94NoZ7e6TwpXDOp6qs/s1600/IMGP4896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8haq5DapNP01Wu-z3SWTrL9yRCmb3gF65cCVarfrD2jVkx6KDScSzPbKcajddXMpEkLuN4iKgQDUkPdjpUWNl9eGQUs2TmA3lwcTnZKmutYk0gXOt0NKsxiEr94NoZ7e6TwpXDOp6qs/s1600/IMGP4896.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A curiously shaped niche, which was apparently left unfinished. [<b>Photo by Author</b>]</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">One
very large gallery crosses almost the entire length of the rocky outcrop,
covering a distance of a few hundred feet. It is unusually large and spacious,
reaching at points an apparent height of over 3 meters. There are niches carved
in the walls, which also bear signs of vitrification and have a mirror-like
appearance. Even this gallery is intersected by countless smaller tunnels, some
leading up and partially obstructed, others leading down, deep into the bowels
of the Earth. Not even the local guides know where many of these tunnels could lead.
One older guide that we interviewed at the site claimed he was able to follow one
such tunnel for over 20 minutes, down to the point when the heat and the lack
of oxygen would make it impossible to go any further. Yet he would ensure us that
the tunnel continued steeply going down towards some dark abyss of unfathomable
depth. Other guides would confirm the tale and swear that if one were to follow
these tunnels to the end, he would emerge exactly from underneath the </span><i style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Qorikancha</i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> or somewhere near the Cathedral of Cusco. </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2X1kw2wjZtoewW_YGKK9wSiivTRDe6BWyXhteI64M36XK-JwZKf3mx4q4CEX7WEjWeM4FouwNd9GALq8VRnDjMjeFGYTjU263upxAln7GkqwtWn_YAlViv9o5MaGGP0y-0APA3T9dIc/s1600/IMGP4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2X1kw2wjZtoewW_YGKK9wSiivTRDe6BWyXhteI64M36XK-JwZKf3mx4q4CEX7WEjWeM4FouwNd9GALq8VRnDjMjeFGYTjU263upxAln7GkqwtWn_YAlViv9o5MaGGP0y-0APA3T9dIc/s1600/IMGP4898.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the countless tunnels that can be found in the X-Zone. This one appear to be a natural cave that was then artificial enlarged and is also intersected by several other passages and tunnels. [<b>Photo by Author</b>]</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwe6YKYY9Wz9IBbn2gsTYUZFknmHFrx3nlJADNhN6D9fkOJU0UFvXawKLrE6Q941B27iXWfQOkVbzUuPeQWKuXFAjxeVoN1qnFr8I8FEcIaAsrYn1Xb_GrtSuZq88CLRsWKRTngWTF7wQ/s1600/IMGP4906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwe6YKYY9Wz9IBbn2gsTYUZFknmHFrx3nlJADNhN6D9fkOJU0UFvXawKLrE6Q941B27iXWfQOkVbzUuPeQWKuXFAjxeVoN1qnFr8I8FEcIaAsrYn1Xb_GrtSuZq88CLRsWKRTngWTF7wQ/s1600/IMGP4906.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A neatly carved tunnel entrance, also laid exposed by erosion and quarrying. One can see the walls of some kind of antechamber leading into the tunnel, which has now lost its original roofing (one of the roofing stones can still be seen right above the entrance to the tunnel, tightly inserted between the two rock walls). [<b>Photo by Author</b>]</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The
many shrines and rock-cut altars one finds at the site doubtlessly testify to
the importance and sacredness of the place in ancient times. A small temple was
built on one side of the rocky outcrop, although the poor workmanship of its
construction, mostly consisting of loose stones, would place it well into Inca
times.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A
visit to the “X-Zone” is also easily complemented by a visit to the nearby
Temple of the Moon and the Temple of the Monkeys, which also hold many
fascinating secrets and unexplained features (See my previous entry – <i>The Vitrified Ruins of Ancient Peru </i><a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.it/2014/09/the-vitrified-ruins-of-ancient-peru.html">[2]</a>). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Notes:</b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>The approximate coordinates of the site are: </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i><b>13.496427 S, 71.974033 W</b> (from Google Maps) - A sign near the entrance points to an area of the archaeological park of Sachsayhuaman called Lanlakuyok. Due to the isolated position of the site, we highly recommend hiring an expert local guide. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">[1] The Koricancha Project is currently investigating some of these reports, which have already led to some highly promising discoveries and findings. More details can be found on the Project's website: </span></span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 16.8666667938232px;"><a href="http://www.koricancha.net/index.html">http://www.koricancha.net/index.html</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">[2]<a href="http://unchartedruins.blogspot.it/2014/09/the-vitrified-ruins-of-ancient-peru.html">http://unchartedruins.blogspot.it/2014/09/the-vitrified-ruins-of-ancient-peru.html</a></span></div>
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Marco M. Vigatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07902172890244343767noreply@blogger.com0