PAQUIMÉ CULTURE: ORIGIN, LOCATION, CHARACTERISTICS, RELIGION - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Paquimé culture was that of an indigenous American civilization that in turn broke away from the Mogollón culture, one of the most important traditional movements that occurred in the northern part of Mexico.

The strongest manifestation of the Paquimé culture was lived in the area of ​​Casas Grandes, a town located in the state of Chihuahua. In that region there is even a site whose name is Paquimé. At the moment it has the denomination of archaeological zone and is considered Patrimony of the Humanity by decision of the UNESCO in 1998.

Representative ceramics of the Paquimé culture. Source: Monchislpz29, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Paquimé culture was born from the Mogollón civilization and was very present between 700 and the 14th century, when it began its decline. Even so, there are evidence of traces of the culture until the 16th century.

Among the archaeological remains of the Paquimé culture there are some caves in the Casas Grandes sector.

Origin

The beginning of the Paquimé culture occurred during the 8th century. At that stage, different indigenous groups began to mobilize to get the best areas to develop activities such as agriculture.

The construction of caves was vital for the settlement of these human groups in the vicinity of the Casas Grandes river. In any case, the heyday of this culture was lived between seven and eight centuries later, due to the commercial activities that were carried out in the area.

The Paquimé culture became very important because they were a distribution center for minerals such as turquoise, which could be collected more easily in the northern region of Mexico. Like this mineral, the Paquimé culture was responsible for the distribution of many other products to areas of the south and center of the Mexican nation.

One of the most important characteristics of the Paquimé culture was its ceramics. Such was its importance, that nowadays there are replicas of the clay utensils that were made in this ancient civilization, such as vessels and pots.

The decline of this culture occurred with the burning and subsequent abandonment of the town of Casas Grandes. Other rival populations are believed to have attacked the area.

It must be taken into account that the Paquimé culture had an evolution that is usually divided into three different stages or periods. In addition, it was considered one of the most advanced civilizations in that region of the American continent.

He had a great influence on indigenous populations and in areas like New Mexico, Arizona, Sonora and obviously the state of Chihuahua.

Geographic location

The most important point of reference to talk about the Paquimé culture is to locate the state of Chihuahua. Specifically, this civilization settled about 300 kilometers away from the current capital.

They were located in areas such as Casas Grandes, a town of the same name (Paquimé) and in the vicinity of rivers such as Piedras Verdes, San Pedro or San Miguel.

It was a civilization that was found in a fairly arid area. The Chihuahuan Desert is considered one of the largest in North America.

The populations that initially settled in Casas Grandes later moved to other towns. It was bordered by the populations of Dunas de Samalayuca, Janos or the Babícora area and by several rivers.

characteristics

One of the most notable characteristics of the Paquimé culture was that it was found in a very dry area. That is why it is also said that there was a desert culture.

They were very advanced populations, which managed to have very efficient systems to transport water to areas where agriculture was possible.

Since 1998, the Paquimé culture is considered a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Also in 2015 it was recognized as one of the archaeological areas that have special protection by Unesco due to its great vulnerability.

There are traces of the construction of a residential area that, seen from the sky, is shaped like the letter u. According to the account of the first Spaniards who arrived in the region, the height of these constructions could be seven levels, but at present there are only traces of three of them.

The archaeologist Charles Di Peso divides the study of the Paquimé culture into six different periods that go from its beginnings (pre-ceramic stage) to decline (with the arrival of the Spanish). Despite this, most historians divide the Paquimé story into three stages: old, middle, and final.

The different studies that have been carried out on the Paquimé culture have determined that it was a civilization that had almost four thousand people. There are no further details on the linguistic or ethnic traits of this community.

In the museum of the Cultures of the North you can find samples of the archaeological remains that have been found in the area. They range from bone remains, instruments, minerals and precious stones to ceramics and tools that were used for daily tasks.

Religion

The Paquimé culture had a very special bond with religion. In fact, in the area where this civilization inhabited there are signs of several mounds that were used for ceremonies.

Several elements served as symbols for this population. For example, the game with stone balls and certain animals, such as the snake or the macaw, were associated with fertility issues.

The town that bears the same name as this culture, Paquimé, was where the ceremonial center of this civilization was located.

Taking into account that the Paquimé culture is divided into several stages, it can be said that the religion also underwent some changes over the years.

For example, initially, the dead were buried with a curved or flexed posture in hollows that did not have great depth. They did not usually give offerings or bury the remains following some kind of structure or steps.

Later the shamans appeared who had a level within the civilization much higher than the rest of the inhabitants. They were in charge of carrying out different tasks whose purposes were considered medicinal or magical.

Ceramic objects were also associated at some point with religious customs. Today in some areas they are still practical with cut ceramic discs.

Culture

Historians speak of three distinct stages. The first had to do with the old stage that was from 700 to 1060 AD. This leads to other periods that are defined as the convent phase (700 to 900), Pilón period (900 to 950) and the brave dog stage (950 to 1060). Then the old period occurred and ended in the late period.

- Stages

Old period

The Paquimé culture was characterized by not having a very abundant number of inhabitants. Probably in the beginning, this civilization started with only about 20 or 40 people. As a curiosity, note that the social system was based on equality.

The economy was based on the exchange of objects, especially ceramics. In the middle of this period, new tools began to be used, especially for labor issues and for the construction of their homes.

Middle stage

Between 1060 and 1340 the middle period of the Paquimé culture began. This part of history was divided in turn into three stages: the good faith phase (between 1060 and 1205), the Paquimé period (1205 to 1265) and the last one that was called the devil (between 1265 to 1340).

During the stage of good faith, a great influence of the cultures of Mesoamerica was seen in the Paquimé civilization. Although they still adapted many of these new ideas to their local customs.

The stage that bears the same name of the culture, Paquimé, was characterized by being the most important and by showing a very noticeable progress, especially with regard to the economic aspect. Despite everything, it only lasted 60 years.

During this time, the Paquimé culture grew and it was considered a city. The population spread over a large number of meters.

The construction works were of great importance for the development of culture. The inhabitants of Casas Grandes began to use new techniques to make their buildings. Among the materials they used was wood, but also earth.

Finally, during the devil stage, the settlement began to decline, giving way to the late period.

Late period

It was formed by two stages, the late and the Spanish. Basically it is the part in which the Paquimé culture began to decline in importance, at an economic and population level. During this time the abandonment of Casas Grandes was experienced.

They were badly punished by other civilizations that wanted to take over their lands. Many practitioners of the Paquimé culture were murdered and that is why skeletal remains are abundant in the region.

The climate is also blamed for the end of culture. Being an arid area, the dry seasons began to be longer and longer and therefore less suitable for survival.

- Studies

Charles Di Peso, an archaeologist of American origin, was instrumental in learning more about the Paquimé culture. For this he joined the Amerind Foundation to study the civilizations of northern Mexico.

Di Peso and his team discovered that Moctezuma Mountain was located a few kilometers from the town of Paquimé. In it they discovered some evidence of the Paquimé culture.

- Clothing

The clothes used in the Paquimé culture, as well as the hairstyles and the jewels or ornaments can be known thanks to the paintings that were made on the ceramic objects.

References

1. Braniff Cornejo, Beatriz. Paquimé. FCE - Fondo De Cultura Económica, 2016.
2. Minnis, Paul E, and Michael E Whalen. Discovering Paquimé. Tucson And Dragoon, 2016.
3. Vilanova Fuentes, Antonio. Paquimé, An Essay on Chihuahuan Prehistory., 2003.
4. Whalen, Michael E, and Paul E Minnis. Casas Grandes And Its Hinterland. University Of Arizona Press, 2001.
5. Whalen, Michael E, and Paul E Minnis. Ancient Paquime And The Casas Grandes World. The University Of Arizona Press, 2015.