Cerro de las Minas facts for kids
Cerro de las Minas is an ancient city site in Oaxaca, Mexico. It's found just north of the city of Huajuapan de León. This site is part of the Ñuiñe (pronounced Nwee-nye) culture. This culture lived in the lowlands, or "hot lands," of the Mixtec area.
The site sits on a large hill overlooking the Huajuapan Valley. This hill was a great spot because it was close to farms for food. It was also near important trade routes. These routes made the city very important in its region. Cerro de las Minas was a special place for the leaders of that time. It is the only lowland Mixtec archaeological site that you can visit today.
Contents
Exploring the Site
Scientists have studied Cerro de las Minas for many years.
Early Discoveries
Dr. John Paddock first explored this site in the 1960s. He helped us understand the Ñuiñe culture. Later, Dr. Marcus Winter did a lot more work in 1987.
History of Cerro de las Minas
About 2500 years ago, many Mixtec groups lived in this area. They were called Ñuu Yata Yata, meaning "ancient people." These groups lived in places like Cerro de las Minas.
How the City Grew
The Ñuiñe culture grew for about 600 years. This was until around 250-350 CE. It might have been influenced by the big city of Teotihuacan. Cerro de las Minas became a major Ñuiñe center. It was founded in the late Preclassic period. The city was most powerful between 400 and 800 CE. Other big cities like Monte Alban and Teotihuacan also thrived then.
Trade and Connections
Cerro de las Minas was on important trade paths. These paths connected the Valley of Mexico with Oaxaca. People traded many things here. They exchanged obsidian (a volcanic glass), pottery, fabrics, and metals. They also traded salt, wood, charcoal, plants, fruit, and copal (a type of tree resin).
The city grew from a small village in two main stages.
Ñudee Phase
The first stage is called Ñudee. This name means "place of the brave" in Mixtec. It lasted from 400 BCE to 250 CE. The site was started by people from the Santa Teresa site. That site was about two kilometers south.
Ñuiñe Phase
The second stage is called Ñuiñe. This was when the site became a city-state. It lasted from about 250 CE to 800 CE. During both stages, the city was influenced by other Mixtec and Mesoamerican cultures. Cerro de las Minas was the main center for its area. This area stretched about 10 to 15 kilometers around the city. At its peak, between 1,000 and 2,000 people lived here.
The Ñuiñe culture became very strong during the Classic period. They developed their own style of buildings, writing, and pottery.
Decline of the City
Around 800 CE, the city started to decline. It might have been taken over by a nearby powerful group. The area did not grow much again until after the Spanish arrived. The Spanish founded the city of Huajuapan in 1525. This new city was built in the valley below, next to the river.
City Design
Cerro de las Minas looks similar to other Mixtec cities. Buildings were built around several open squares. The rest of the people lived around these squares. This was different from other cities that had one large main square. The building areas were changed with terraces. These terraces were called coo yuu, meaning "clay dyke." Stairs were needed to move around the town.
Cerro de las Minas had special carvings with writing. This writing system is called Ñuiñe. It is similar to the writing found at Monte Alban. This suggests a strong connection between these areas.
What the Site Looks Like
Most of the site covers about 50 hectares. This is on top and down the sides of a large hill. The hill was chosen because it was easy to defend.
Main Areas
The center of the site has three large mounds. Each mound is about eight meters high. They are also about forty meters wide. These mounds form a line through the site's center. Large platforms are built between them. These platforms stretch for about 180 meters.
There is also a Mesoamerican ball court. It is sixty meters long and fifteen meters wide. The sides of the hill have flat areas called terraces. These were made for a market, the palace, and homes.
Homes and Burials
Homes usually had stone foundations. Their walls were made of stone or adobe. Later homes had thinner walls. These walls used flat stones to fill gaps. Homes in important spots often had graves inside them. This is similar to later Mixtec burial traditions. It was especially for important people.
The palace building had many rooms. It also had a central patio. A large tomb, called Tomb 5, was found here. This tomb held three main burials. These were probably members of the ruling family. In total, nine tombs were found. Some had been robbed. But others still had human remains, pottery, and gravestones. More than 100 regular graves were also found.
Important Discoveries
Major work at the site happened in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Marcus Winter led a team of 200 people. Much of what we know about this Mixtec region comes from finds here. This is especially true for the Mixtec writing system.
Tomb 5 Finds
Most important finds came from Tomb 5. This tomb was in the palace complex. It had many Mixtec pottery pieces. It also had a colorful urn. This urn showed the god of wind or fire. The god had a brazier (a container for hot coals) on its head. It sat on a platform with four symbols. This urn is now in the Museum of Oaxaca.
Most of the Ñuiñe writing was found in this tomb. It was on gravestones. This writing usually has a main symbol. This symbol is often the name of the person who died. It also includes dates. Two such gravestones were found in Tomb 5. They were likely for the city's leaders. The same writing was found about 25 kilometers north. There, it was under painted battle scenes. Tomb 3 was found to be robbed. But it still had pieces of an urn and a carved stone.
Cultural Connections
Things found here show contact with other Mixtec cities. These include Diquiyú, Monte Negro, Huamelulpan, Yucuita, and Yucuñudahui. Even after six years of digging, the site is not fully explored. However, there are no funds right now to continue the work.
Main Structures
Here are some of the important buildings and areas at Cerro de las Minas.
Structure H1A
This structure covers the top of the hill. It was probably a temple. You could reach it by a wide staircase.
Mound 1
This mound has not been fully explored yet. It has a stairway that likely led to a temple on top.
Mound 2
This is a large platform with flat surfaces. It probably had homes on its northeast side. It's not clear what buildings were on the platform itself.
Main Plaza
This open area is between Mound 1 and Mound 2. The patio of Tomb 5 is here. Residential buildings surround it on three sides. You can still see the remains of rooms and patios.
Tomb 5
This tomb held the remains of several people. It also contained over 70 pottery vessels. A beautiful Ñuiñe urn was found here. The walls of the tomb's patio show special building styles. Another living area, called Area C, is in the patio.
Ballgame Court
Near Mound 2, remains of a structure were found. It might have been a ballgame court. The evidence is not very clear. Only some signs remain. Houses were built over these signs later. Its long shape and two small carved stones suggest it was a court. This was before the houses were built.
Mound 3
This mound has not been explored yet. The space between Mound 2 and Mound 3 has no homes. Like the Tomb 5 patio, it might have been a Tianguis (market).
Museums with Finds
Pieces found at Cerro de las Minas are shown in the Huajuapan Community Museum. Other items are in the Oaxaca Cultures Museum and the Mitla Frissell Museum.
See also
In Spanish: Cerro de las Minas para niños
