Xochicalco

Xochicalco is site archaeological précolombien in the west of the state of Morelos to the Mexico, in the municipality of Temixco, to 38 km in the south-west of Cuernavaca. Its coordinates are.

The word Xochicalco wants to say “House of the flowers” in language Nahuatl.

It is a site classified with the world heritage of UNESCO in 1999 because of its architecture and of its sculptures preserved particularly well.

History

The city was founded for the traditional period of Mésoamérique towards 650 a. JC. Indeed, the fall of the large capitals as Teotihuacan about the 7th century causes important shifts in population, of which the Olmèques-Xicallanca, and the creation of new cities. It is also during this period that develop El Tajin, Uxmal and Cacaxtla.

Of share its architecture and its site in altitude, Xochicalco is the typical example of this new type of strengthened city and has many similarities with Monte Albán and Tula. Within sight of the reliefs and sculptures, one notices the artistic influence Maya Toltèque and .

It is made up of several pyramids on various levels of which the large pyramid of the Plumed serpent, built in “Talud-tablero”. It also counts 2 grounds of play of ball and an astronomical observatory.

The city was to contain with its apogee approximately 20.000 inhabitants, then was plundered and given up like other cities towards the end of the 9th century.

Redécouverte

If Bernardino de Sahagún speaks as of 1570 about it, the ruins were not described for the first time in 1777 per the explorer and Mexican naturalist Jose Antonio Alzate. In 1810, Alexander von Humboldt also described them and published several illustrations. The emperor of Mexico Maximilien Ier also visited the ruins.

One proceeded to many excavations throughout the XXe century and the site became a place protected in 1972.