Cuicuilco Temple Mound

We had a stop at Cuicuilco which is a round temple mound. Cuicuilco is an important archaeological Mesoamerican Middle and Late Formative (c. 700 BCE – 150 CE) period site located on the southern shore of the  Lake Texcoco in the southeastern Valley of Mexico. Today, it is a significant archaeological site that was occupied during the Early Formative until its destruction in the Late Formative. 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).  After studying some on the Olmec, they had a lot of the same teachings and understanding of the gospel as we have, so this place was fascinating.

Based on known facts, it was the first important civic-religious center of the Mexican Highlands, its population probably included all social strata and cultural traits that would characterize the Altépetl (city-state) of classical Mesoamerica.

Cuicuilco was destroyed and abandoned since the eruption of the volcano Xitle, causing migrations and changes to the population, it culminated with the Teotihuacán consolidation as classical period ruler of the Central Highlands.

At the site are 8 of the many housing and religious buildings that once existed, and the remains of a hydraulic system that supplied water the city. One of the pyramids was built in a strategic position, representing early prehispanic attempts to link religious concepts with cosmic events through building construction.

Following are some photos we took.

 

 Above, Cuicuilco Round Temple Mound. The steps and stone work

 are original. They don't let you climb the original steps, but go up next to them.

 

The building in the background was being built when they discovered this site. All this vegetation is also original and untouched. They did not dig any of it up but they let it grow naturally in the ravine aound the the area. It is now a botanical area to the mound.

 

 

You can see some of the layers or elevations around the mound. It is wide at the base and gradually narrows in three levels. The top level is flattened where they worshipped. The guide was telling us that originally this was all a valley, so the people who built the temple had to build the mountain by hand so they could put their temple on top! They believed you had to go to the top of the mountain to speak to God. Boy, does that sound interesting!

 

Above, you can see some of the original vegetation and trail around the mound. We saw two squirrels down in the ravine. There were prickly pear cactus with ripe fruit they were gathering and eating. Fun!

 

 

Curtis standing on the very top of Cuicuilco Temple Mound.  You can

 see buildings in the valley below around it.

 

 

From the top of the mound you can see an amusement park

in the distance. It is a Wet & Wild!  In the foreground you see the path

leading down from the mound.

 

Turning and looking another direction from the top is a freeway. But if you notice,

it is a 2 story freeway (like in San Francisco). Interesting thing is

 Ica Fluor who Curtis is doing consulting in Mining for ...

is the company building this 2nd level!

Sandi is on the left as she and the tour group are heading

 back to the bus. What a very interesting site to behold.