THE 5 MOST IMPORTANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZONES OF GUERRERO - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Listing the most important archaeological sites in Guerrero is an arduous task, since by 2007 almost two thousand different sites were known within the 63,000 kilometers that comprise the State.

These are very diverse and date from different eras and pre-Hispanic cultures. Some are associated with the Mezcala, Olmec or Yope culture.

There are others that, although they are categorized as Mesoamerican, have no defined culture or lack of information to classify them.

You may also be interested in the traditions of Guerrero or its culture.

The 5 main archaeological zones of Guerrero

1- Oxtotitlán

In the municipality of Chilapa there are several anthropomorphic pictographs related to the Olmec culture.

Painted on rocks and cliffs, they can be several meters high and have bright colors such as red and blue.

They tend to have monster-animal motifs, a recurring theme in various ancient Mexican cultures.

One of the things that makes them interesting is the extensive use of color, difficult to elaborate at that time. For this reason, these manifestations are classified as polychrome paintings.

2- Teopantecuanitlán

In 1983 a monolithic clay and stone sculpture was discovered by chance in the Copalillo Valley. Its name means "temple of the jaguar gods" in Nahuatl, the ancient language of the region.

You can see sculptures with human features, others that could represent rain and water, and some that clearly represent ears of corn, a fundamental element of the country's gastronomy.

It is estimated that the area was inhabited between 1000 and 500 BC. C. and is located on the Cuernavaca to Acapulco highway, in the area where the Amacuzac and Mezcala rivers meet.

3- Palma Sola

In an area near the port of Acapulco there are 18 granite rocks engraved with motifs of flora and fauna typical of the area, and also with anthropomorphic motifs.

Some of these engravings are presumed to be primitive calendars and maps, although the area lacks architectural remains to serve as a geographical reference to compare with some of the designs.

Other elements engraved on the rocks include two whales and two crocodiles, a representation of the rain and a character that would represent a shaman in the middle of a rite.

But the main ones are figures with shapes of spirals and points, which could be related to the agricultural year.

4- Cuetlajuchitlán

Another of the archaeological sites discovered accidentally, also on the Cuernavaca-Acapulco road, is a structure built with stones. It is believed that it was part of the mezcala culture during its formative stage.

Located in the municipality of Huitzuco, it consists of nine architectural complexes made of pink quarry, a type of stone.

It has a remarkable hydraulic infrastructure, made up of a network of tanks and drains to store and distribute water from a nearby spring.

The construction includes several rooms and two monolithic tubs thought to have been used for ritual baths.

The name Cuetlajuchitlán is translated from the Nahuatl language into Spanish as "place withered" or "place of red flowers"

5- Xochipala

In the middle of the mountainous region of the state of Guerrero is this architectural area that has numerous structures, six patios and three plazas.

It was inhabited between the 7th and 11th centuries and also fulfilled ceremonial, commercial and civil functions.

Also known as La Organera, it is located on the Mexico-Acapulco road and is the best-known area of ​​the mezcala culture.

References

1. Guerrero.gob - Archaeological Zones of Guerrero guerrero.gob.mx
2. Mexican Archeology - Archeology of Guerrero arqueologiamexicana.mx
3. State of Guerero - Archeology estadoguerrero.blogspot.com
4. INAH - The Archaeological Zones of Guerrero cultura.inah.gob.mx
5. Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org