Xochicalco

To the southwest of Cuernavaca you find the site of the pre-Hispanic city of Xochicalco (c. A.D. 650–900), one of several that rose to power after the fall of the great metropolis of Teotihuacán. The disintegration of that immense city left a power vacuum throughout the region and various smaller city-states, Xochicalco among them, challenging each other for power. The city was situated on a hilltop overlooking the approaches of the ancient trade routes that ran west towards present-day Acapulco, south to the Valley of Puebla, and east to the vast Valley of Mexico. At its height, the city held perhaps 10,000 to 15,000 people and its major function must have been the control of access along the long-distance routes that carried precious goods throughout pre-Columbian Mexico. The elite precinct built on top of the hill is one of the most recently excavated parts of the site. In this section of the city are found the large storage rooms, ball courts, palaces, and temples of the rulers of Xochicalco. This well-protected precinct was situated to take advantage of the beautiful views across the valley, and the cooling breezes during the hot summer months. It was heavily fortified with thick, fortress-like walls, ramps, and defendable staircases. These massive fortifications can be seen from far across the valley and clearly controlled access to the site. The commoners lived in the lower sections of the city, where a number of large temple complexes, pyramids, and buildings are found. Here, on an artificially leveled hill, one of the largest ball courts in Mesoamerica is located. In addition, around the site and in the surrounding valley, terraced hillsides indicate the use of intensive agricultural techniques. The site, like several others of the same time period, appears to have been inhabited or at least strongly influenced by several different contemporary cultures. Most obvious is the Mayan influence, which is clearly seen in the elaborate decoration of the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. This unusual stepped pyramid is carved with a series of Mayan dignitaries each seated within the coils of a great feathered serpent that stretches around the pyramid base. An underground chamber at the site is now recognized as a solar observatory marking the sun’s zenith in May and July, dates that were also important in the Mayan calendar, and may reflect further Mayan influence at Xochicalco. A new museum has recently been built at the site and is well worth a visit. It not only exhibits artifacts recovered from the excavations, but also presents the results of the recent research.