Everything about Cuicuilco totally explained
Cuicuilco was an ancient
city in the central
Mexican highlands, on the southern shore of the
Lake Texcoco in the southeastern
Valley of Mexico. Today, it's a significant
archaeological site that was occupied during the
Mesoamerican
Middle and
Late Formative (ca. 700 B.C. to A.D. 150). Based on its date of occupation, Cuicuilco may be the oldest city in the Valley of Mexico and was roughly contemporary with, and possibly interacting with the
Olmec of the
Gulf Coast of lowland
Veracruz and
Tabasco (also known as the
Olmec heartland).
Etymology
According to translations of ancient
Nahuatl, Cuicuilco can be interpreted as the "place of prayer" or the "place of the rainbow."
History
Cuicuilco was originally founded as a farming
village, but presents evidence of early religious practices including stone offerings and the use of
ceramics as
grave goods. The city grew around a large ceremonial center with
pyramids and an associated
urban area that included
plazas and avenues bordering a series of small, shallow pools. These pools were fed by runoff from the nearby hills of
Zacayuca and
Zacaltepetl. Population at the city's peak is estimated at 20,000 people. Site features include terraces, various buildings, fortifications, and
irrigation ditches and
canals.
Archaeologists conclude that Cuicuilco was a prominent community prior to the emergence of
Teotihuacan as an urban center, noting that the six small communities which eventually combined to become Teotihuacan were founded and showing evidence of modest growth during the time Cuicuilco was building pyramids and public monuments. The city seems to have been abandoned around A.D. 150 to 200 after the eruption of a nearby volcano,
Xitle, although the territory was reoccupied at a much later date. Pottery, and other evidence, suggest that refugees from the volcanic disaster migrated north and became part of the population pool of Teotihuacan, near the northern shore of the Lake Texcoco.
Archaeological site
The site of Cuicuilco is covered by a dense volcanic lava field known as the
Pedregal de San Angel. The lava covers an area of approximately 80 km², including the foothills of the
Ajusco mountain range and extending down to a nearby lake shore. A 1956 study concluded that the uneven lava deposits, reaching a depth over 10 m in areas, were a major factor in the preservation of Cuicuilco. The site is also inside a modern urban area, and is partially covered by buildings associated with the
National University of Mexico. Only partial archaeological investigation has been possible, and modern building techniques have damaged the prehistoric city. Several 1990 archaeological finds at Cuicuilco, consisting of a circular pyramid constructed within a plaza with smaller structures associated with agricultural system, were destroyed for the construction of a multi-storied office complex. Consequently, the true size and complexity of Cuicuilco may be difficult to ascertain.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cuicuilco'.
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