Altavista (Zacatecas) facts for kids
Altavista archaeological site in Chalchihuites
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| Location | Chalchihuites, Mexico |
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| Region | Mesoamerica |
| Coordinates | 23°28′58″N 103°52′39″W / 23.48278°N 103.87750°W |
| Type | Archaeological site |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 200 CE |
| Abandoned | c. 1500 CE |
| Cultures | Chalchihuites |
Altavista, also known as Chalchihuites, is an ancient archaeological site in northwest Mexico. It is located near the town of Chalchihuites in the state of Zacatecas. This special place was a cultural hub that people lived in and used for a very long time, from about 100 AD to 1400 AD.
The site is found in the "Sierra de Chalchihuites" mountains. The name chalchíhuitl comes from the Nahuatl language and means "precious stone." This area was home to the Chalchihuites-Chichimec culture.
Altavista got its name from a ranch that was nearby when archaeologist Manuel Gamio first explored the area. Many believe that this important ceremonial center was built by a group called the Súchil, part of the larger Chalchihuites culture.
The Chalchihuites culture was very advanced. They lived during the Mesoamerican classical period. These people had a well-organized society and government. They even had their own writing system using pictures and symbols. They built formal cities and special ceremonial places. They knew a lot about city planning, numbers, and even astronomy. The Chalchihuites people found everything they needed here to build a strong community.
Altavista was a key spot for trading a valuable blue-green stone called turquoise. This turquoise came all the way from mines in what is now New Mexico in the southwestern United States. Around 800 CE, the population started to shrink. This happened after a long dry period that made farming very difficult in the Mexican semi-desert.
The Chalchihuites culture was at its strongest at Altavista between 400 and 650 CE. This was during the classical period. This cultural and ceremonial center marks the furthest north that Mesoamerican culture reached.
This culture spread along the eastern side of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. It stretched from western Zacatecas into Durango, lasting from about 100 to 1250 CE. It's seen as a "border culture" because it was between the settled Mesoamerican groups and the hunter-gatherer Chichimec groups of the dry northern plains.
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Discovering Altavista's Past
In 1908, Manuel Gamio led the first scientific digs in northern Mexico. At Altavista, he explored the area now called the Columns Hall. He also looked at nearby caves, thinking they might have been used for defense.
The site was not studied again until 1971. That's when J. Charles Kelley started a big excavation project. Most of what we know today about the Chalchihuites site and culture comes from Kelley's 30 years of research. He worked with many others in the Zacatecas and Durango regions.
Kelley believed that the Altavista ceremonial center was carefully planned and built between 450-470 CE. It wasn't just built randomly. Its location and direction were based on the Chapín hill. This plateau is about seven kilometers southwest of the center. Two special circle-cross symbols were found there, similar to those at Teotihuacán. During the summer solstice, the sun aligns from these symbols to a peak called Picacho Mountain. This peak is also connected to the Labyrinth at Altavista.
What Makes Altavista Special?
Altavista is located almost exactly on the Tropic of Cancer. Its main buildings are designed so their corners point directly to the north, south, east, and west. This kind of alignment is quite rare in Mesoamerica.
Archaeologist Phil Weigand's research found over 750 ancient mines in the Chalchihuites area. This might be the most mining activity in all of Mesoamerica. They also found turquoise that came from far away. It likely came from deposits in the US Southwest, over a thousand kilometers north of Chalchihuites.
According to Kelley's studies, Altavista was very important during its peak. It was like other major ceremonial centers of the Classic period. But it was in a key area for the Chichimec people. This meant there was local trade and economic activity. They also traded resources with groups from other regions. This included mining and political control. For the Chalchihuites, this meant building and maintaining religious and civic structures from about 450 to 850 CE.
Places like Altavista, with their complex features and connections to Mesoamerican rituals, help us understand how Teotihuacán influenced different parts of Mesoamerica. Traders, priests, and merchants helped connect local leaders into trade networks. They also set up routes to keep these activities going. They were likely a major force that brought Classic Mesoamerica together.
Altavista's Amazing Alignment
The archaeological site was built based on the exact location of two hills. One is Chapín, seven kilometers southeast. This is where two circle-cross symbols were found, similar to those at Teotihuacán. From Chapín, you can see the sun align with another hill, Picacho Pelón. This alignment also connects to the Altavista labyrinth.
The labyrinth is a hallway made of adobe walls and pillars. At the end of this corridor is the Observatory. From here, the first rays of the sun on the equinox peek over the top of Picacho Pelón.
The main plaza of the site points perfectly to the four main directions. This shows how much these ancient people knew about the stars and Earth's magnetic poles.
Another building, the "Columns Hall," was a lunar calendar. It has four rows of seven columns each. This equals 28 columns, which is the number of days in a lunar cycle.
Because of its location near the Tropic of Cancer, Altavista is thought to be one of the most important astronomical observatories in Mesoamerica. Its position allows for perfect viewing of the sun's path during the equinoxes and solstices. This is seen in relation to the sun rising over the nearby hills: Chapín, Pedregoso, and Picacho.
Important Buildings at Altavista
It seems that many buildings at this site have not yet been explored.
There are two main plazas, each with a mound in the center. These might have been used for special ceremonies or competitions. The east plaza has more important-looking spaces. This suggests they were for leaders from different native groups during events.
Columns Hall: An Ancient Calendar?
This is one of the oldest structures at the site. It's a square room with traces of a chamber that had 28 columns. These columns supported the roof. The space is divided into four rows, with seven columns in each row. The columns are different sizes and shapes. Many believe this hall was a calendar, showing the 28-day lunar cycle. The hall was built on a stone platform. It had a central altar and a raised walkway around the edge.
During excavations, it was clear the structure was carefully planned. They used a system of posts to set the exact size and lines of the walls. These posts were kept and covered with plaster.
It's thought that the original building had an open patio in the middle. Over time, it was changed by adding more columns to fully cover the roof. Later, it was filled in to create a platform for a building on top, which is now gone.
Gamio Stairway: Access to a Temple
The "Gamio Stairs" likely led up to the building mentioned above. It looks like some columns were strengthened, and extra support was added to the outer walls. This suggests there might have been some structural problems.
Near the northern corner of the structure, archaeologists found a burial with several people. Four ceramic pots were placed as offerings, possibly linked to the four main directions. The pots show an eagle holding snakes and lightning. It is thought that this building was a temple dedicated to the god Tezcatlipoca. He was known as the Nocturnal Jaguar God of the Northern Skies.
Sun Pyramid: A Place for Leaders
In 1976, Kelley and his team found that this pyramid was the last of three building stages. On top, they found remains of a temple with decorative battlements. Inside the pyramid was a hidden room, or crypt. It held the remains of three people with very special offerings. It is believed these were priest-governors connected to sun worship.
Skull Temple: Ritual Offerings
This temple is southwest of the Sun Pyramid. Its adobe walls and floors were plastered many times. A small entrance, about 70 centimeters high, is in the middle of the southeastern wall. Two holes, about 40 centimeters wide, were found in the floor. They likely held wooden posts that supported the roof. In the center is a stone furnace covered in adobe plaster, about two square meters in size.
Archaeologists found many human bones scattered on the floor of this structure. Most were skulls, jaws, and long bones. Many skulls had holes at the top, and two leg bones had traces of ropes tied to their ends. It is thought that the skulls and long bones hung from the ceiling. They might have been special offerings or symbols from ceremonies.
This practice of displaying bones as part of rituals also appears in central Mexico during the Postclassical period (900-1519 CE). There, it was seen in structures called Tzompantli. This suggests a connection between the mountain groups of this northern region and those in the central plateau of Mexico.
Labyrinth: Following the Sun's Path
The Labyrinth is next to the Columns Hall. It's a long corridor with stone walls. It has many turns and pillars at different angles. A closer look showed that several additions or changes were made to the corridor over time. It has been proven that the eastern part of the corridor and the top of Picacho hill line up with the rising sun during the equinox.
It seems that the sun on the horizon, behind Picacho, shines directly into the labyrinth. This is why it's called the "solar path." The amazing accuracy used to design and build this structure is clear. It worked like a solar calendar. Next to the labyrinth is a group of rooms, a hall, and an open area. This is known as the Astronomers Palace.
Other Structures to Explore
There are still many buildings at Altavista that need to be studied. On a platform southwest of the patio, there are traces of three structures. These include a central pyramid and smaller rooms on both sides.
Protecting Altavista
People in Chalchihuites are worried about the safety of the area. They are also concerned about the valuable collection of archaeological pieces kept at the museum. They want to make sure these important artifacts are protected.
See also
In Spanish: Altavista (Zacatecas) para niños
