THE 4 MOST RELEVANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZONES OF QUERÉTARO - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The archaeological zones of Querétaro are part of the 189 Mexican archaeological zones that are under the protection of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

Querétaro is a Mexican state founded on December 23, 1823. It is considered the cradle of the Independence of Mexico, since it was there that the Constitution of 1917 was written.

Archaeological Zone of Toluquilla - Querétaro

The state has an area of ​​historical monuments that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Its history, its natural environment, its cultural and architectural heritage, its rich gastronomy and the warmth of its inhabitants make this land an ideal place for national and international tourism.

Among all the attractions that the state of Querétaro has, its archaeological zones occupy a special place because they are the testimony that manifests the cultural activity of the pre-Hispanic societies that inhabited it.

These sites number more than 1,100, of which 77 have been investigated and registered. Currently only 4 are open to the public.

You may also be interested in the tourist places of Querétaro.

The 4 main archaeological zones of Querétaro

1- Archaeological Zone of Ranas

It is located southwest of the Sierra Gorda at a height of 2400 meters above sea level.

The pre-Hispanic civilizations settled in this space between 400 to 1300 AD based their economy on mining, hunting and gathering, and agriculture.

Fourteen pre-Hispanic mines have been located associated with the exploitation of cinnabar. This finding shows the dominance of this item in the economy of extinct civilizations.

The indigenous people who built it have been called Serranos, an austere and underdeveloped town of which little is known.

2- El Cerrito archaeological zone

It is located in the north central region of Mexico, between the eastern and western mountains, at the head of the Corregidora municipality. It is located 7 km from the city of Querétaro.

Its chronology is estimated from the upper pre-classic period, and it is believed that it was occupied until the seventeenth century.

The archaeological ruins of El Cerrito were a ceremonial center that arose as a result of migrations and new foundations, a consequence of the fall of Teotihuacán as the capital of Mesoamerica.

This pre-Hispanic sanctuary shows the settlement of indigenous Chichimeca, Tarascan and Otomi groups.

3- Archaeological zone of Toluquilla

It is located 110 km from San Juan del Río. The ruins of the pre-Hispanic city are nestled in an elongated plateau, which was modeled with stones and mud.

Its buildings were built on older ones, surrounded by carved flagstones and covered with stucco.

Toluquilla was the home of priests and people related to the cult. The chronology of the town dates from 600 to 300 BC. C. and from 600 to 1350 d. C.

4- Archaeological zone of Tancama

It is located in the Sierra Gorda de Querétaro, 13 km from the municipal seat and municipal delegation Rincón de Tancama.

It is characterized by the presence of adapted terraces and platforms, on which 42 architectural structures with features similar to those of Ranas and Toluquilla were built.

Its main chronological location is estimated to be in the late classical period, between 700 to 900 AD.

Its main buildings include the one with the copper butterflies (which is the tallest), the one with the hooks, the one with the dead and the one with the obsidian knife. These names correspond to the excavations or the characteristics of their structures.

References

1. Queretaro. (October 30, 2017). In: es.wikipedia.org
2. El Cerrito Archaeological Zone. (2015, June 11). In: inah.gob.mx
3. Archaeological zone of Ranas. (2015, June 10). In: inah.gob.mx
4. Archaeological Zone of Tancama. (2015, June 11). In: inah.gob.mx
5. Archaeological Zone of Toluquilla. (2016, January 22). In: inah.gob.mx
6. Archaeological zones in Querétaro: 4. (nd). Retrieved on November 8, 2017 from: sic.gob.mx