Cuetlajuchitlán
Encyclopedia
| Mezcala Culture – Archaeological Site | ||
| Name: | Cuetlajuchitlán archaeological site | |
| Type | Archeology | |
| Location | Paso de Morelos, municipality of Huitzuco de los Figueroa Huitzuco de los Figueroa Huitzuco de los Figueroa is one of the 81 municipalities of Guerrero, in south-western Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Huitzuco. The municipality covers an area of 921.9 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 35,055.... , Morelos Morelos Morelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca.... |
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| Region | Mesoamerica 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... (México Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... ) |
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| Coordinates | 20°33′03"N 100°26′33"W | |
| Culture | Cuitlatec Cuitlatec Cuitlatec was an indigenous ethnic group of Mexico's Pacific coast region, in the Río Balsas region of Guerrero state... - Mezcala |
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| Language | Cuitlateco Cuitlatec language Cuitlatec, or Cuitlateco, is an extinct language of Mexico, formerly spoken by an indigenous people also known as Cuitlatec.-Classification:... |
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| Chronology | 800 a.C. – 300 d.C. | |
| Period | Mesoamerican Late Preclassical | |
| INAH Web Page | Conaculta page Cuetlajuchitlán (Los Querendes) | |
"'Cuetlajuchitlán"' is a mesoamerican archaeological site located 3 kilometers southeast of Paso Morelos, northeast of the State Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
It was discovered in 1991 duringg construction works of the highway from Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
to Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
that crosses 50 meters below (through a tunnel) "Los Querendes".
This site was one of the main prehispanic population centers in this region during the late preclassical, of groups deriving from the Mezcala culture, in the large settlements of the Rio Balsas. Its development occurred from 800 BCE to 300 CE, with relevance to archaeology of the Guerrero state, due to its antiquity and functional architectural style, primarily for the storage and drainage systems, as well as the construction of stone columns.
Toponymy
Paso Morelos was formerly known as Cuetlajuchitlán or Cuetlajuchi.The word Cuetlajuchitlán formerly given to the original population, and now used for the archaeological zone site, is a Nahuatl word that means: "Place of red flowers" or "Withered place".
It may be that the "red flower" is in allusion to Poinsettia, native to the region.
Archaeological Site
The site extension is about 35 hectares, of which only two have been explored; sites already uncovered are located on a limestone hill, where the late Preclassical period settlements were found.Cuetlajuchitlán, during its apogee had three constructive stages, over a period of about 900 years. These are:
First Stage
The first (800-600 BC) found very few archaeological remains were found during excavation.This stage is characterized by limestone rocks walls that make up leveling platforms as well as housing foundation, figurines and some pots found. These materials show that the site was then a small village - perhaps dependent on a larger Olmec related culture (Mezcala) settlement in the Balsas River region during the mid-preclassical (800-1000 BCE), or as it seems more likely that it was inhabited by people who settled here around 600 BCE, at the decline of the Olmec sites.
Second Stage
During the period of 200 BCE to 200 CE, Cuetlajuchitlán flourishes, this is characterized by the abundance of objects of ceramic, which were dated to the late preclassical; also found in one of the corridors, sculptures carved on TuffTuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
blocks, worn out by time. From this begins the architectural development of the site, limestone blocks and cylinders carved for its construction in columns and walls, all very well defined in its manufacturing.
Third Stage
This stage continued with development of buildings, whose material from previous constructions was reutilized, these included the column blocks column and MetateMetate
A metate is a mortar, a ground stone tool used for processing grain and seeds. In traditional Mesoamerican culture, metates were typically used by women who would grind calcified maize and other organic materials during food preparation...
s. Limestone walls are associated with the Mezcala culture style, this feature of around 300 CE, sets the decadence y abandonment of Cuetlajuchitlán.
Site Description
The site has a complex architectural distribution, with stone slab streets, large platforms, open spaces and others that functioned as rooms, warehouses or possibly as workshops where specialized activities were performed. From the architectural design, it can be inferred that elite groups lived here; they controlled communal activities and performed public and ceremonial activities.The site has several function places, these include two ceremonial places and three residential housing complexes, it is believed were occupied by high ranking people and craftsmen. The most important Cuetlajuchitlán buildings, in the two explored complexes are:
Ceremonial Place 1
This is the main structure of the site, it is rectangular and measures 28 m, north–south and 18 m east-west. Its large platform, sunken patio and walls, were built with limestone blocks; two pink tubs carved from a single block were found here, probably used for ritual baths. These baths have a seat on the west side, with an external design resembling an eyebrow, similar to the constructive style of the area. Close the main platform is a TemazcalTemazcal
A temazcal is a type of sweat lodge which originated with pre-Hispanic Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica. The word temazcal comes from the Nahuatl word temazcalli , or possibly from the Aztec teme and calli . Temazcal in English is also written as temezcal, temascal, or temescal...
or ancient steam bath.
Ceremonial Place 2
Situated next to ceremonial place 1, at the southeast end with an enclosed small space; It also has two tubs that probably were used before the enclosure construction. As evidence, its construction materials were reutilized in an area used for rectangular and circular pink stone block carving and storage, and later used for building construction.Residential Housing Complex
These were places inhabited by high hierarchical level people, located in the northern, southern and western slopes of the hill. Features the street continuation on axes distributed around well-defined platforms, pink limestone room were built with sunken patios and their respective drainage system, water tanks and small storage areas.Complex 8
Located some 200 meters outside the area previously explored, it is a vast complex consisting of a square surrounded by platforms with housing units which in turn had their respective water tanks and a water channel. The center has a great platform where probably was placed the house of an elite leading member, who probably ruled Cuetlajuchitlán at a point in time.Storage areas
In several ports of the site are some constructions with shape and dimensions similar to storage areas, possibly for grain, food or manufactured products. These underground deposits were built with limestone walls and floor slabs. An important amount of ceramic pots fragments were found in these.Site Access
The site is located at kilometer 188 of the CuernavacaCuernavaca
Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
- Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
highway, 3 kilometers southeast of Paso Morelos, Huitzuco de los Figueroa
Huitzuco de los Figueroa
Huitzuco de los Figueroa is one of the 81 municipalities of Guerrero, in south-western Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Huitzuco. The municipality covers an area of 921.9 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 35,055....
, where is an Access to the site. Site visits are Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00.
Tlaxmalac
Located to the west, it is a rock with a carved head, faithful testimony of culture.Barrio Cantón
During excavations, many ceramic and stone figures were found in original conditions.La Maroma
Located to southeast, also found ceramic and stone idols as well as a jade mask objects.Other sites in the region
- Teopantecuanitlán, in Copalillo.
- La Organera, in Xochipala
- Huamuxtitlán, in the municipality of the same name.
- Los Tepoltzis, in Tixtla
- Ixcateopan, in the municipality of the same name
- La Sabana and Palma Sola, in Acapulco
- Pezuapan, in the municipality of the same name
- La Soledad de Maciel, in Petatlán
- Oxtotitlán, in Chilapa
- Tehuacalco, between this municipality and Juan R. Escudero
External links
- Cuetlajuchitlán, Sitio pre-urbano en la región Mezcala en la revista Arqueología Mexicana.
- Official web site Paso de Morelos town