El Opeño
| Tecuexe – Purépecha – Archaeological Site | ||
| Name: | El Opeño archaeological site | |
| Type | Archaeology | |
| Location |
Jacona, Michoacán Mexico
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| Region | Mesoamérica (México) | |
| Coordinates | 19°56′03″N 102°18′26″W / 19.93417°N 102.30722°WCoordinates: 19°56′03″N 102°18′26″W / 19.93417°N 102.30722°W | |
| Culture | Chichimeca – Tecuexe – Purépecha | |
| Language | Uto-Aztecan language – Purépecha language | |
| Chronology | 1300 – 200 BCE | |
| Period | Preclassical | |
| Apogee | ||
| INAH Web Page | Non existent | |
El Opeño is a Mesoamerican archaeological site located in the municipality of Jacona in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. It is home to a prehispanic site, mainly known from the ceramic material found in the funerary complexes of the site, which have been dated to the Late Preclassic period. The importance of this site in mesoamerican archaeology is due to its antiquity and the ample diffusion of its style, contemporary to other native culture developments such as the Capacha culture and earlier than the Chupicuaro. El Opeño tombs, the oldest in Mesoamerica, have been dated to around 1600 BCE - a similar period as Olmec culture development.
El Opeño discoveries became a milestone that questions the Olmec culture as the founders or precursors of all mesoamerican cultures.
At the same time, the lack of validated information becomes evident, as well as the need of serious studies of Cem Ānáhuac history, name of the territories known to the Mexica civilization before the Mexico Spaniards invasion and conquest.
It is not clear if the name El Opeño, has some meaning or what is the original name of this site.
In relation to the name of the city it is located, Jacona or Xucunan, there are several versions.
According to the Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México Michoacán, Jacona is a chichimeca origin word which means "place of vegetables". Another meaning comes from Xucunan, "place of flowers and vegetables".
Another version notes that Jacona (Xucunan) is a word from the Tecuexe, one of the Great Chichimeca civilizations, whose language is Uto-Aztecan languages.
In relation to this site's inhabitants or their culture there is no clear information; available text mentions several cultures, among other the Chichimeca, a subgroup of the chichimecas, the Tecuexe, Purépecha and another contemporary culture, the Capacha culture.
What is apparently clear, is that regardless of names assigned by scientists and scholars, the broad ancient Mexico region or Cem Anahuac, had many cultures and subcultures scattered in time and space, it is very likely that all had a common origin, the Nahuatl language and its derivations, and the many found similar archaeological evidence could corroborate this, regardless of the assigned name.
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Wikipedia