Xochicalco
Pyramids in Xochicalco
|
|
 Location within Mesoamerica
|
|
| Location | Miacatlán, Morelos, Mexico |
|---|---|
| Region | Mesoamerica |
| Coordinates | 18°48′14″N 99°17′45.3″W / 18.80389°N 99.295917°W |
| History | |
| Periods | Late Classic |
| Official name | Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, iv |
| Designated | 1999 (23rd session) |
| Reference no. | 939 |
| State Party |
 Mexico
|
| Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
Xochicalco (Nahuatl pronunciation: [ʃot͡ʃiˈkaɬko]) is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in Miacatlán Municipality in the western part of the Mexican state of Morelos. The name Xochicalco may be translated from Nahuatl as "in the house of Flowers". The site is located 38 km southwest of Cuernavaca, about 76 miles by road from Mexico City. The site is open to visitors all week, from 10 am to 5 pm, although access to the observatory is only allowed after noon. The apogee of Xochicalco came after the fall of Teotihuacan and it has been speculated that Xochicalco may have played a part in the fall of the Teotihuacan empire.
The architecture and iconography of Xochicalco show affinities with Teotihuacan, the Maya area, and the Matlatzinca culture of the Toluca Valley. Today the residents of the nearby village of Cuentepec speak Nahuatl.
The main ceremonial center is atop an artificially leveled hill, with remains of residential structures, mostly unexcavated, on long terraces covering the slopes. The site was first occupied by 200 BC, but did not develop into an urban center until the Epiclassic period (AD 700 – 900). Nearly all the standing architecture at the site was built at this time. At its peak, the city may have had a population of up to 20,000 people.
Of special interest are sculptured reliefs on the sides of some buildings. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent has fine stylized depictions of that deity in a style which includes apparent influences of Teotihuacan and Maya art. The high taluds of the pyramid bear relief carvings that depict towns that paid tribute to Xochicalco as well as several seated figures that look Mayan. It has been speculated that Xochicalco may have had a community of artists from other parts of Mesoamerica.
...
Wikipedia