La Campana (archaeological site)
| Capacha Culture – Archaeological Site | ||
| Name: | La Campana | |
| Type | Mesoamerican archaeology | |
| Location |
Colima Municipality, Colima State Mexico
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| Region | Mesoamerica | |
| Coordinates | 19°16′04″N 103°43′33″W / 19.26778°N 103.72583°WCoordinates: 19°16′04″N 103°43′33″W / 19.26778°N 103.72583°W | |
| Culture | Capacha | |
| Language | Nahuatl | |
| Chronology | 100 - 1500 d.C. | |
| Period | Mesoamerican Postclassical | |
| Apogee | 450 - 850 d. C | |
| INAH Web Page | La Campana Archaeological site - INAH | |
La Campana is an archaeological site included in the Mexican archaeological heritage list since 1917. Located in the vicinity of the city of Colima. This site was the largest prehispanic population center in western Mexico. Site studies indicate that some of its features are related to the classical period Teotihuacan culture.
Vestiges of Capacha phase ceramics, dating from the year 1500 BCE were found onsite. This site features the presence of shaft tombs, ceramics offerings, storm drain systems, avenues and an administrative and religious center with numerous monuments. The site was opened to the public in 1995. The Spaniards discovered the place in 1524, at the time it was known as Almoloyan.m or “place between two rivers”.
During prehispanic times, the region of the Colima state was seat of various ethnic groups which flourished in western Mexico. The region was inhabited by various Lordships (not reigns as erroneously stated by some historians) that disputed the territories. At the beginning of the 16th century, Purépecha groups dominated several regions, the Tzacoalco salt mines owned by Tecos, because of this their leader Coliman or Tlatoani Colimotl defeated them, after the salt war, the Tecos took Sayula, Zapotlán and Amula and even reached Mazamitla, becoming the predominant group.
Other sites known in the region:
Settlement of a sedentary Capacha Culture group dedicated to agriculture and ceramics production, their life span was between 2000 and 1000 BCE. The site is located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Colima Municipality.
Archaeologists assign a period between 300 BCE and 300 CE; located southwest of Colima, in the vicinity of the Los Ortices village. This native settlement was more evolved than the Capacha site, they produced finer pottery, also made stone sculpture and buried their dead in "shaft tombs", very characteristic of the region.
Chronologically placed between 600-1100 CE, in an area east of the Colima city, in the El Moralete neighborhood. This native group developed crafts with features somewhat more primitive than the others. Developed a smaller ceramics variety and built rougher shaft tombs.
El Chanal site developed the most representative style of the region, settled in the El Chanal community. In the mid-20th century a step pyramid was found; at the beginning of the 1990s, discovered esplanades, temples, squares and a ballgame court: architectural evidence of a culture that had reached a high degree of evolution. By 1520, this complex had already disappeared and only remained in the area some native peoples, apparently subjected to another more powerful city, Tecomán.
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