ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZONE OF XOCHICALCO: CHARACTERISTICS, ARCHITECTURE - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The archaeological zone of Xochicalco consists of a set of architectural ruins that were erected during the settlements of the Mexican pre-Hispanic cultures. These ruins are located in the Morelos state in Mexico, and are considered one of the most important world heritage sites.

Taking into account the archaeological records, it can be established that the buildings of Xochicalco were built after the abandonment of the city of Teotihuacán, so their apogee dates from between 650 and 900 AD. Consequently, Xochicalco developed between the decline of Teotihuacán and the construction of Tula.

The archaeological zone of Xochicalco is one of the most representative of Mesoamerica. Source: Barbara Castro Mejia

Likewise, the set of Xochicalco ruins is one of the most recognized pre-Hispanic monuments in American history, since it is considered the cradle of the belief in the god Quetzalcóatl, one of the most influential religious entities within the Toltec culture. and Mexica.

Origin and history

Topography and location

The city of Xochicalco was built on top of a set of hills, for which reason several moats and artificial terraces had to be built to level the ground and make it habitable. However, its rugged and irregular geography allowed citizens to build a well-fortified city that was guarded from a series of watchtowers.

Xochicalco had an extensive construction of pyramidal bases, as well as rich palaces and courts for the famous ball games of pre-Hispanic cultures.

Likewise, the geographic location of this city was quite strategic, since it allowed the establishment of a network of commercial exchanges with other regions. This made it possible to extend their economic relations from areas like Guerrero to the Pacific and Gulf coasts.

Worldview in its iconography

Some historians consider that Xochicalco functions as a cultural synthesis of the Mesoamerican civilizations, since its architectural iconography is made up of astronomical, warlike and cultural themes.

Furthermore, in these ruins you can appreciate the complex cosmogony of these settlements. This city allows those interested and scholars to easily approach the episteme of the Mesoamerican towns that inhabited this region.

The boom or development of this city occurred in the Epiclassic period, which spanned from 650 to 900 AD. Later Xochicalco was abandoned in 1100, due to internal political conflicts that led to rebellions.

characteristics

Place names

The Nahuatl word Xochicalco means "place of the house of flowers" and it was an urban center drawn with caution, since it was based on the construction of a set of artificial terraces.

The meticulous planning of this city, as well as its particular geography, made it possible to defend the inhabitants from the attacks of other peoples.

Ornamentations

The iconography and hieroglyphs that are present in the temples that survived the passage of time allowed historians to record the relationship that existed between the regions of Veracruz, Oaxaca and some parts of the Mayan area.

In addition, the ornaments and reliefs present in the architecture show how the cult of Quetzalcóatl worked.

Caves and drains

On the slopes of Xochicalco you can glimpse a series of caves that are not natural, since they were drilled and manufactured by the inhabitants of the city in order to acquire construction materials.

Some of these were also made to study the movement of the stars. An example of this is the astronomical observatory.

This artificial cave is made up of a large chamber and a corridor along with an eight-meter fireplace. Sunlight enters the chimney hole due to a slight incline.

In this way the rays are projected on the floor of the cave and allow us to know the movements of the great star. The cave is painted yellow, red and black and was covered with stucco.

As for the drains, these are one of the most important elements of the old city, since they allowed to store large quantities of water to use it when the dry season was passing, which covers at least seven months of the year.

These drains were made with tubes that were assembled in a very similar way to those of today.

Architecture

The architecture of Xochicalco is made up of various structures that make it possible to study the civic and administrative organization of the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations.

In addition, within this city large elite residences were built, along with a wide set of buildings dedicated to culture and entertainment.

Due to its rich architectural diversity, some researchers promote the theory that Xochicalco maintained a community full of artists and sculptors from other parts of America.

For example, the reliefs that are found next to some buildings are characterized by their stylized and fine representations, similar to the Mayan and Teotihuacan style.

Similarly, the city is organized by a central square, considered the most important space in the city. There was also a main square; however, this was restricted access and only a small group of nobles and priests could enter. Within this plaza the acclaimed Temple of the Feathered Serpent was built.

Temples

Several buildings have been found for the celebration and worship of the gods; However, a series of stelae were also found that not only narrate religious and mystical episodes, but also political and military ones.

These constructions have calendrical designs, names, numbers and signs, suggesting that they were used as a record of the exploits of war heroes and rulers.

-Stelas

The Xochicalco stelae were discovered in 1961 by the Mexican archaeologist César Sáenz, who was able to record three quadrangular stelae. These differ from each other by the following characteristics.

First wake

Stela number one consists of a sculpture of the god Quetzalcóatl, who was represented emerging from the mouth of a serpent.

This stela narrates a popular mythological episode that explains the creation of the world and human beings. The story is known as the cosmic age or the fifth sun.

This narrative is linked to the cycle of Venus, which within Nahuatl mythology is the herald of the Sun since it is the first star that appears in the morning once the darkness begins to disappear.

At the top of this first stela there is a text showing the date "7 reptilian eye". Also, at the bottom there is a face that has symbols of fires emerging.

One of the most interesting elements of this stela is that on the sides it has a reclining character very similar to the Chac mool statuettes.

Second wake

This stela consists of a rectangular cubic sculpture with a spike at the base. On the front face is represented the god Tlaloc, who wears a headdress that symbolizes the passage of time. At the bottom you can find mustaches along with a series of fangs that are characteristic of this god.

On the sides of this stela glyphs were carved that allude to water together with a forked tongue; It should be noted that Tláloc is the god of rain, so all this decoration is related to this phenomenon. At the top you can also see some quads with aquatic elements.

As for the back face, in this you can see the figures of an arrow and a cob along with two human feet ascending and the sign of time. Above this symbol rests the head of a buzzard.

Third stele

In this third stela there is a sculpture that can be interpreted as the self-sacrifice that Quetzalcóatl carried out to create human beings for the fifth time.

At the top you can see the symbol of movement, while at the bottom there is a heart from which 3 drops of blood sprout; This image of the heart has been found in other representations of Teotihuacán.

In addition, in this stela there is a sculpture that was carved in a cubic way and has bas-reliefs on all four sides. In these several numerals are glimpsed along with the representation of a feline that has a forked tongue. This stela also has the image of feet that ascend.

Temple of the Feathered Serpent

This temple is considered one of the most important constructions in Mesoamerica due to its beauty and its religious relevance. At a first glance, the viewer can see that the temple is made up of six feathered snakes that are separated by other smaller snakes and other ornaments.

The heads of these deities have a broad crown and their undulating bodies are ornamented with wild snails.

Likewise, the temple has a first and second meander, both decorated with a human sitting on a cushion with a slightly deformed head. This characteristic is typical of the traditions of the Mayan culture.

In the third meander an inscription is engraved that says "9 reptile eye", which according to connoisseurs is an important date in the calendar of this civilization. Likewise, you can see some priests next to the sign of the eclipse; one of them has a toponym in the shape of a rabbit.

Other information and details about the temple

Between 1909 and 1910 the pyramid had to be intervened by Leopoldo Batres, a highly acclaimed Mexican archaeologist, who was in charge of restoring the structure of this ancient building.

The work was very exhaustive because the pyramid had lost several of its stones; These had been uprooted by the landowners to build their homes.

In the first years of construction, the structure had a small 10-meter arcaded room. Later, another expansion was made to the front; However, this new building was covered to build the pyramid that symbolized the most important place in Xochicalco.

Facing of the building

As for the building's face, it is located on the east side of the building and was divided into eight rectangles, which have a priest in each one.

These priests keep their legs crossed and hold a censer; in addition, they are accompanied by the sign of the day, which has a toponym that refers to the town where each of them comes from.

In total it is stipulated that the building had 28 representatives of priests. This approach was derived from the fact that the dimensions of the rectangles were considered and the number of characters that could fit on the wall was calculated.

In the upper area of ​​the wall you can see another series of rectangles in which you can see another character with crossed legs who has the word virgula with him. He carries with him an elongated bag, which was an attire typical of the priests of this culture.

This representation wears a feathered headdress and in front of it you can see a place name that indicates its place of origin. Also, just below this data is an open mouth that wants to swallow a circle; This refers to an eclipse that occurred in Xochicalco in 664 AD. C.

As for the southern area of ​​the wall, four priests can be glimpsed, all of them preceded by the symbol of the eclipse. Only the fourth priest has a place name, which consists of a small hare standing on its hind legs, carrying a virgula with it.

Front side and sides

On the front side of the temple you can see a figure in the shape of a coyote carrying a strange object, preceded by a warrior and a date. On the right side a tree is erected along with a large corn and next to it another warrior appears followed by another date.

On the sides of the temple there are two human figures wearing trusses, a ribbon below the knee, and huaraches; This outfit was typical of the players who participated in the ball game.

References

1. A. (2016) The Wisdom of Being: Archaeological Zone of Xochicalco. Retrieved June 17, 2019 from Gnosis: samaelgnosis.net
2. A. (2019) Xochicalco during the Epiclassic. Retrieved on June 17, 2019 from Mexican Archeology: arqueologiamexicana.mx
3. A. (2019) Archaeological Zone of Xochicalco. Retrieved on June 17, 2019 from INAH: inah.gob.mx
4. A. (sf) Xochicalco. Retrieved on June 17, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
5. Sánchez, D. (2016) Archaeological Zone of Xochicalco. Retrieved on June 17, 2019 from Foursquare: es.foursquare.com