Cacaxtla

The Gran Basamento, protected by its sheet-metal roof

Cacaxtla is an archaeological site located near the southern border of the Mexican state of Tlaxcala, at [19°18′N 98°20′W].

Contents

1 History

1.1 Modern history of the site

2 The city
3 Visiting the site
4 See also
5 External links

History

View over the top of the Gran Basamento

Cacaxtla is believed to have been the capital of an Olmeca-Xicalanca people, possibly Olmec or Maya settlers who arrived in this part of central Mexico from the Gulf coast or the Yucatán Peninsula in around 400 CE. Next to nothing is known of the "Olmeca-Xicalanca" - the term was first mentioned by Tlaxcalan historian Diego Muñoz Camargo at the end of the 16th century, when he described Cacaxtla as the principal seat of the “Olmeca”. Most archaelogists, however, consider the Olmec culture to have terminated ~400 BCE, almost 800 years earlier.

Following the fall of nearby Cholula (ca. 600), in which the Cacaxtlecas might have been involved, the city 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.

Detail from the Battle Mural

Because Cacaxtla's main basamento was not 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 is 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

Detail from the Battle Mural

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 is 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.

External links