Chupícuaro (archaeological site)
Encyclopedia
| Name: | Chupícuaro |
| Location | Acámbaro Acámbaro Acámbaro is a city and municipality in the southeastern corner of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, on the banks of the Lerma River, and the oldest of the 46 municipalities of Guanajuato. Acámbaro is noted as a major railway junction, a local transport hub, and the origin of the nationally famous... , Guanajuato Guanajuato Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato.... |
| Coordinates | 20°01′20"N 100°35′29"W |
| Culture | Chichimec - Toltec Toltec The Toltec culture is an archaeological Mesoamerican culture that dominated a state centered in Tula, Hidalgo in the early post-classic period of Mesoamerican chronology... |
| Period | Preclassical Mesoamercian Period |
| Language | P'urhépecha language P'urhépecha language P'urhépecha is a language isolate or small language family spoken by more than 100,000 P'urhépecha people in the highlands of the Mexican state of Michoacán... |
| INAH Official Page | Not available |
Chupícuaro is an important prehispanic
Pre-Columbian era
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
archeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
from the late preclassical
Mesoamerican chronology
Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into several periods: the Paleo-Indian , the Archaic , the Preclassic , the Classic , and the Postclassic...
or formative
Formative stage
The Formative Stage or "Neo-Indian period" is an archaeological term describing a particular developmental level. This stage from 1000 BCE to 500 CE is the third of five stages defined by Gordon Willey and Philip Phillips' 1958 book Method and Theory in American Archaeology.Cultures of the...
period; located in the northern mesoamerican
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
border, west of the Mexican Plateau
Mexican Plateau
The Central Mexican Plateau, also known as the Mexican Altiplano or Altiplanicie Mexicana, is a large arid-to-semiarid plateau that occupies much of northern and central Mexico...
, it is on hills nearby the Lerma River and its tributary Coroneo or Tiger River; currently most part is under water by the Solis dam, just 7 kilometers from Acámbaro
Acámbaro
Acámbaro is a city and municipality in the southeastern corner of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, on the banks of the Lerma River, and the oldest of the 46 municipalities of Guanajuato. Acámbaro is noted as a major railway junction, a local transport hub, and the origin of the nationally famous...
, in the Guanajuato
Guanajuato
Guanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
State, México.
Etymology
The name Chupícuaro derives from the purépecha languageP'urhépecha language
P'urhépecha is a language isolate or small language family spoken by more than 100,000 P'urhépecha people in the highlands of the Mexican state of Michoacán...
word "chupicua" name of the "Ipomoea" plant, used to tint blue, and the term "ro" place or that is, which can be translated as "blue place".
History
This prehispanic archaeological site located on the banks of the Lerma River, between the present-day cities of AcámbaroAcámbaro
Acámbaro is a city and municipality in the southeastern corner of the Mexican state of Guanajuato, on the banks of the Lerma River, and the oldest of the 46 municipalities of Guanajuato. Acámbaro is noted as a major railway junction, a local transport hub, and the origin of the nationally famous...
and Tarandacuao
Tarandacuao
Tarandacuao is a Mexican city located in the lowlands of the state of Guanajuato. The municipality has an area of 117.39 square kilometres, and is bordered to the north and east by Jerécuaro, to the south by the state of Michoacán, and to the west by Acámbaro. The municipality had 11,583...
in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. Little is known about the history of this site, and it was not until 1946, due to a dam construction, that the first explorations were performed, discovering pottery objects and tombs. The place is currently below dam water, although there are surrounding areas still being explored.
Chichimec nomad groups (guamares y guachichiles) arrived from the current day San Luis Potosí state.
These groups settled in a large village comprising huts built over platforms coated with mud and stone. They grew corn, beans and squash, on the banks of the Lerma River and its tributaries. By the existence of metals and stone molcajetes (used to grind corn), it is inferred the probably planted chili and wild tomatoes. It is also known they were hunters-fishers-gathers.
According to several authors, it is believed that this settlement developed between 500 BCE and 300 CE. The first inhabitants of this area were hunter-gatherers and lived along the river, eventually developed agricultural knowledge.
Site
From type evidence, its development has been established between 500 BCE and 300 CE, although some scientists suggest an older development, as far back as 800 BCE.This archaeological site is potentially one of the most extensive and important of the country; there are more than a dozen pyramids built on an oval basement, only one has been partially explored, various flint stone objects, figurines and pottery were found.
The rest of the structures remain to be explored. There are tombs, altars and other scattered remains in an estimated 500 m2 area. It is a pity that archaeological sites like this are abandoned.
Chupícuaro culture
This culture is important due to the influence it had in the area. It is possible it spread to southern United States, 500 BCE. There are theories that the first Guanajuato inhabitants belonged to this culture.Ceramics of this culture is earlier than the classical mesoamerican period, includes angular figurines with geometric shapes. The Acámbaro museum exhibit pieces from the tarascan, mazahua, and Otomi cultures.
Apparently the Chupícuaro culture developed in a vast territory, or it was defined as Chupícuaro style or tradition (Beatriz Braniff) in, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Guerrero, Mexico State, Hidalgo, Colima, Nayarit, Querétaro and Zacatecas. It is estimated that Chupícuaro facilitated the northward expansion of Mesoamerican elements (cultural roots of western Mexico and perhaps Northwest, comparable with the Olmec culture throughout Mesoamerica (Jiménez Moreno, 1959: 1043).)
Chupícuaro had an important cultural development and expansion of its style in distant areas from the diffusing center and influenced ceramic traditions, which lasted until the end of the classical period, and even into the Postclassical, as seen in tarascan Michoacán ceramic.
At the end of 1985, at the first prehispanic societies meeting, in relation to the Chupícuaro culture it was noted, that Chupícuaro tradition ceramics manufacturing groups, should be considered part of Mesoamerican stratified societies, with a definite political and territorial structure and not as isolated village societies, lacking ceremonial centers and architecture. From that first impulse, subsequent social groups presented own cultural expressions, at regional level in the Mesoamerican context.(Crespo, et. al., 1988:259).
Regional cultures
The Acámbaro region had five Prehispanic cultures:- Chupícuaro – Late Preclassical - 800 BCE to 200 CE.
- Los Morales - Late Preclassical - 400 BCE to 250 CE.
- Teotihuacán - Preclassical Period - 200 CE to 900 CE.
- Toltec – Early Postclassical - 900 CE to 1200 CE.
- Tarascan – Late Postclassical - 1200 CE to 1525 CE.
Source: Archaeology Hall, Acámbaro Local Museum, Guanajuato, 2001.
Late Preclassical or Formative
The Olmec culture decline formed the origin of the "Late Preclassical" period (400 BCE - 150 CE). It was a cultural diversification period, and assimilation of Olmec elements in cultural systems. That base was the origin of several of the most important mesoamericanMesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
traditions. However, Cuicuilco
Cuicuilco
Cuicuilco is an important archaeological Mesoamerican Middle and Late Formative period site located on the southern shore of the Lake Texcoco in the southeastern Valley of Mexico. Today, it is a significant archaeological site that was occupied during the Early Formative until its destruction in...
in the South of the Valley of Mexico, and the Chupícuaro, are the most important. The first was to become the largest city in Mesoamerica and main ceremonial center of the Valley Mexico; maintained relations with Chupícuaro. The decline of Cuicuilco is parallel to the emergence of Teotihuacán
Teotihuacán
Teotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas...
, and consumed with the eruption of the Xitle
Xitle
Xitle is a volcano in the Ajusco range in Cumbres del Ajusco National Park. It is located in the Tlalpan borough in the southwestern part of Mexico City. It is an ash cone volcano with a conical form, round base, altitude of approximately 300m, and a slope between 30° and 40°.Xitle registered its...
volcano ("circa" 150 CE), which led to settlers migration from Valley of Mexico going north. Chupícuaro culture is known for its ceramic production, traces are detected by a wide area located in the Bajío
Bajío
The Bajío is a region of Central Mexico that includes the plains south of the Sierra de Guanajuato, in the state of Guanajuato, as well as parts of the states of Querétaro and Michoacán .In general parlance, it is usually associated with the States of Guanajuato and Querétaro, although it only...
and the lake basin.
Ceramic
Chupícuaro was a major ceramic center, recognized as one of the best in Mesoamerica by the fine ceramic finishing and decoration, which were developed in multiple shapes and colors, some with geometrical drawings. The motifs were deities, maternity, breastfeeding, people and its ornaments, animals and plants.Ceramics included multiple monochromatic forms and a variety of three-color polychrome (red, beige and black) with pyramidal geometrical drawings or zig-zag. Clay figurines used “pastillaje” techniques and made hollow figures. Shell, bone and stone were used.
From study of ceramic styles, the clothing used is inferred, they painted their faces and bodies, wore sandals, truss, necklaces, earflaps, and earrings. Women wore elaborate hairstyles.
Burials
Chupícuaro inhabitants practiced a cult of the dead characterized by tombs where they placed trophy skulls, Obsidian arrowheads, metates, figurines, earflaps, shell ornaments, necklaces and beads, bone artifacts and musical instruments, these were found during excavations around 1950.The many burials and offerings provide knowledge of the way of life of the ancient Chupícuaro inhabitants, it is inferred that they were farmers who lived in huts built from perishable materials forming a good extended rural village, built low platforms with clay floors, sometimes grouped together, over which their houses were built. They harvested corn, beans and pumpkin.(pineapple CHAN, 1967: 263).