Everything about Cacaxtla totally explained
Cacaxtla is an
archaeological site located near the southern border of the
Mexican state of
Tlaxcala.
History
Cacaxtla was the capital of region inhabited by the
Olmeca-Xicalanca people. It isn't known with certainly the origins of the Olmeca-Xicalanca, but they're assumed to come from the
Gulf coast region, and were perhaps
Maya settlers who arrived in this part of central Mexico around
400 CE.
The term "Olmeca-Xicalanca" was first mentioned by Tlaxcalan historian Diego Muñoz Camargo at the end of the 16th century. This historian described Cacaxtla as the principal settlement of the “Olmeca”, although what we today refer to as the Olmec culture ended ~400
BCE, that is, almost 800 years earlier.
After the fall of the nearby city
Cholula (ca. 650 - 750) -- in which the
Cacaxtlecas might have been involved -- Cacaxtla became the hegemonic power in this part of the Tlaxcala–Puebla valley. Its ascendancy came to an end around
900 CE and, by
1000, the city had been abandoned.
Modern history of the site
The site was rediscovered in
1975 by looters, but quickly came to the attention of archaeologists that same year.
The city
The centre of the city of Cacaxtla was the 200-metre-long, 25-metre-high
Gran Basamento – a natural platform offering a fine defensive position and commanding views over the surrounding terrain. The city's main religious and civil buildings were located on this platform, as were the residences of the priest class. Several other smaller pyramids and temple bases stand in the vicinity of the main platform.
Because Cacaxtla's main
basamento wasn't excavated until the
1980s, many of the original coloured wall decorations have been preserved and can be appreciated
in situ by visitors to the site. Of particular interest is the fact that most of the murals seem to combine the symbology of
Altiplano cultures with influences from the
Maya, making Cacaxtla unique in this regard.
The most famous of Cacaxtla's preserved paintings is the "Battle Mural", or
Mural de la batalla, located in the northern plaza of the
basamento. Dating from prior to
700, it's placed on the sloping limestone wall of a temple base and is split in two by a central staircase. It depicts two groups of warriors locked in battle:
on the one side are
Olmec jaguar warriors, armed with spears, obsidian knives, and round shields, who are clearly trouncing an invading army of
Huastec bird warriors (some of whom are shown naked and in various stages of dismemberment).
Visiting the site
The archaeological site is maintained by the government
National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and is open to the public every day of the week, from 09:00 to 18:00. In addition to the ruins, there's a small but well presented museum containing models of how the city appeared in its heyday and a collection of artifacts found on the site.
Due to heavy hail storms of May 21, 2007 the archaeological site is closed until further notice. Details
http://www.inah.gob.mx/Banners/cacaxtla_comunicado/index.html
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cacaxtla'.
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