ARCHAEOLOGICAL
ZONES
Mexico has 37,266 archaeological sites throughout the nation, 174 which are open to the
public. The excellent tourist facilities at the
ruins allow visitors to learn
about the historical and cultural development of Mexico?s ancient civilizations.
On the
highland valley of Mexico City,
the nation?s capital, you can visit Aztec
ruins at the Templo Mayor and see the most
important structure of ancient Tenochtitlan.
You can also check out the large round
pyramid in Cuicuilco, which was buried
by lava flow of the Xitle volcano
more than 2,000 years ago. Near Mexico City
is Teotihuacan, the most important ceremonial center in Mesoamerica. There you can see
the pyramids of the Sun and
Moon, two larges structures located on the
Calzada de los Muertos. In the state
of Hidalgo you?ll find Tula, Toltec ruins with 4-meter (15-feet) high stone
statues called atlantes. In
Morelos, you can visit an ancient Mexica
site, located at the top
of the Cerro del Tepozteco,
in Tepoztlan, as well as the enigmatic archaeological
zone of Xochicalco.
In Tlaxcala, you can admire
the frescoes at Cacaxtla, and
in the state of Puebla you can explore
Cantona, one of Mexico?s most urbanized
pre-Hispanic cities. Also in Puebla is Cholula, where
you?ll see the remains of
what might be the largest pyramid
in Mesoamerica, which is 65 meters (214 feet)
high.
In Mayan territory, in Mexico?s southeastern region, some of the
best archaeological sites
are located in the state of Chiapas: In Palenque, you can see the
tomb of King
Pakal; in Bonampak, you can marvel at a structure that has extraordinary murals; and you
can also visit Yaxchilan, in the Usumacinta river valley. In Campeche, you can
check out the site at Calakmul, which
covers an area of 70 km2 and has the highest
number of Mayan ruins. In the state of
Quintana Roo, near Cancun, you can visit Tulum,
a walled city overlooking the Caribbean Sea. In the state of Yucatan,
you?ll find incredible temples, buildings and ball courts
in the ancient cities of Chichen
Itza, Uxmal and Mayapan, among
others.
