Cueva de la Olla (archaeological site) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paquimé - Mogollón Culture, Archaeological Site Oasisamerica |
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| Name: | Cueva de la Olla | |
| Type: | Archaeology | |
| Location: | Nuevo Casas Grandes, Nuevo Casas Grandes Municipality, Chihuahua Mexico |
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| Region: | Mesoamerica, Oasisamerica, (México) | |
| Coordinates | 30°09′10.73″N 108°19′33.25″W / 30.1529806°N 108.3259028°W | |
| Culture: | Mogollon - Paquimé | |
| Language: | ||
| Chronology: | 950 a 1060 d.C. | |
| Period: | Paquimé "Perros Bravos" Phase | |
| INAH Web Page | Non existent | |
Cueva de la Olla (which means "Cave of the Pot" in Spanish) is an amazing ancient site. You can find it in the northwest part of Chihuahua State, Mexico. It's about 47 kilometers southwest of Nuevo Casas Grandes.
This special place is inside a natural cave. It got its name because of a huge, round structure that looks like a giant pot or vase. This structure is called a cuexcomate. It was a big barn used to store food. Similar large barns were found in other caves in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains.
The area around Cueva de la Olla is called the Valley of the Caves. People have lived here for a very long time. Scientists found signs that humans used an early type of corn around 5500 BCE. Winters in this region were very cold. So, people needed a way to store their food. That's why they built the large barn, which you can still see today, even though it's quite old.
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Ancient Cultures of the Region
Long ago, groups of hunter-gatherers came to this region from the north. They were likely from cultures like the Mogollon, Anasazi, or Hohokam. They followed the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. These groups gathered plants and hunted small animals like turkeys. Over time, they settled near rivers and started farming. This led to the development of the Paquimé culture, also known as "Casas Grandes."
Cueva de la Olla was used during an early time of the Paquimé culture. This period is called "Perros Bravos," and it lasted from about 950 to 1060 CE.
Archaeologists have found pieces of simple pottery from the Mogollon people here. They also found a few fancy items typical of the Paquimé culture. The people who built Cueva de la Olla were likely villagers. They used the natural resources around them and also grew corn, squash, and beans. They worked together as a community.
It's believed that about 30 people lived in Cueva de la Olla. They probably farmed the flat lands nearby. A stream provided them with water all year. They stored enough food in their barn to last for at least 170 days. They also ate wild plants like acorns.
History of the Casas Grandes Culture
Important clues about the early people of northern Mexico come from the Casas Grandes culture. This culture is part of the Mogollon culture. Along with the Anasazi and Hohokam, these cultures make up the Oasisamerica area. In Mexico, this northern cultural region is called "Gran Chichimeca." In the United States, it's known as the American Southwest.
Many sites of this culture are found in Chihuahua State. Paquimé was the main city and a big trading center. The first settlements of this culture date back to 1000 BCE. The culture was at its strongest between 1261 and 1300 CE. It then disappeared around 1450 CE.
The challenging environment of this area shaped its people. They changed from wandering hunter-gatherers to settled farmers. They learned to grow crops and raise animals.
Sites of the Casas Grandes culture are found from the Pacific Ocean coast to the Sierra Madre Occidental. This means they lived in many different types of environments and climates.
Early Cultural Stages
The first stage is called the "desert" stage. During this time, ancient people made rock carvings (petroglyphs) and cave paintings. These were often for hunting ceremonies. A good example is found in Samalayuca.
The "Mountain Stage" came next. People lived in "cliff houses" high up in canyons. Caves and holes in the rocks became their homes and shelters. These homes kept them safe from extreme temperatures and attacks. The Paquimé culture grew most in the city of Paquimé. This was a large trading city with buildings up to three stories high. This city gave its name to the Casas Grandes culture.
Besides religious items, these people also created beautiful art. Their fine pottery is especially well-known.
The Paquimé Culture's Growth
The Paquimé culture is part of the Mogollon cultures. Depending on where you look, it's sometimes grouped with the Southwest or Northern cultures. More recently, these have been called Oasisamerica cultures.
The Paquimé culture reached its peak in the Casas Grandes region of Chihuahua, Mexico. This happened at the settlement known as Paquimé. Ancient groups traveled through this region. They were part of human migrations heading south into Mexico and Central America. Around 3000 BCE, the first signs of Yuto-Aztec groups appeared. They pushed older Hohokam settlers to the east and west.
Around 700 CE, the Paquimé culture began in this region. People started farming and building small, semi-underground adobe houses. They built these homes along the "Piedras Verdes," "San Pedro," and "San Miguel" rivers. These rivers join to form the Casas Grandes River.
Archaeologist Charles Di Peso studied the area. He suggested six stages for the culture's development.
Stage I: Pre-Ceramic Horizon
This stage is the earliest. We don't know exactly when it started, but it ended between 100 and 200 CE. People did not make pottery yet.
Stage II: Undecorated Ceramic Period
This period ended around 800 CE. People started making pottery, but it didn't have decorations.
Stage III: Old Period
This period ended around 1100 CE. During this time, the first villages were built. People started farming seasonally, using rainwater from the mountains.
This period is divided into three smaller parts:
- Convent Phase.
- Pilón Phase. During these phases, people began building round homes. They dug a circle less than a meter deep for the base. These homes were about 10 square meters in size. Their doors were round. In the middle of the village, there was a larger community house.
- Perros Bravos Phase. In this phase, houses became bigger. People started building them next to each other. The bases of the houses changed from round to square. Decorated pottery appeared during this time. Also, items like shell necklaces, small turquoise beads, and copper pieces were found.
Stage IV: Medium Period
This period finished around 1400 CE. The way society was organized changed, and the city of Paquimé grew.
This period is divided into three smaller parts:
- Buena Fe Phase. Houses were single-story. Their doors were shaped like a "T." Roofs were supported by wooden beams.
- Paquimé Phase. This was the time when the culture was at its best. Trade with other groups increased. People built special structures for ceremonies. The city had a system of channels to bring water. They also built a ballgame court. Multi-story houses began to be built, some with up to four levels!
- Diablo Phase. The city was partly left empty. The culture began to decline because of attacks from enemies. Around 1340 CE, enemies attacked the city. Many people were killed. This is known because many human remains were found in strange positions.
Stage V: Late Period
This period lasted from 1340 to 1660 CE. It is divided into:
- Robles Phase.
- First sporadic Spaniards contact Phase. This was when the first Spanish explorers started to appear in the area.
Stage VI: Spaniards Period
This period lasted from 1660 to 1821 CE. This was when the Spanish had taken control of the region.
Building Styles of Paquimé
T-Shaped Doors
The buildings had unique T-shaped doors. These doors were wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. They were also quite short, only about one meter high. Some people believe the shape of the door was linked to ancient spirits called "cachinas" in the American Southwest.
Walls
Builders used a "box system" for the walls. They used molds to pour mud without any plant material. This mud was then pressed down to make it strong. The outside of the walls was covered with a smooth plaster. This plaster was made from sand, lime, and crushed oyster shells. Then, it was painted blue, green, and pink. The walls did not have deep foundations. They were built from shallow trenches about 25 cm deep. For taller buildings, the lower walls were wider (up to 1.40 m) than the upper walls (50 cm).
Furnaces and Ventilation
People used furnaces to control the temperature inside their homes. They also had special openings in the doors for smoke to escape. These openings were sized to fit the room.
Stairs and Ramps
Buildings had stairs and ramps to move between levels.
Water System
The people of Paquimé had clever "water retention systems." They built an irrigation system with channels, terraces, and earthworks. This system brought water from the rivers into the city. Rectangular stone channels, about 30 cm wide, carried water to different rooms. There was even a special pool that filtered used water from steam baths (called temazcal). They also had a drainage system.
The Cueva de la Olla Site
Cueva de la Olla is one of the most famous sites of the Paquimé culture. The complex has seven rooms built inside the cave. It also has that huge circular barn, which looks like a giant pot from far away. This barn was used to store corn and squash.
The rooms and the barn were built using cast adobe. This shows the typical building style of Paquimé, including the "T" shaped doors.
The cave itself is not very deep. The entrance is about three meters high.
The Cuexcomate Barn
This type of barn, called a cuexcomate, is similar to others found in highland areas, like Cacaxtla in Tlaxcala. These structures show that people stored their farm products. This was important for their food supply and survival.
Archaeological finds show that these people farmed and had ways to manage soil and water.
The cuexcomate at Cueva de la Olla is very important because of its large size. It is 2.5 meters wide and 3.55 meters tall. Its location in the complex shows it was important for the whole community.
The structure is shaped like a mushroom. It was built using dry, rolled straw. It's believed that it stored seeds like amaranth, epazote, and others. There was enough food to last for 170 days.
The barn had red and black designs painted on it. These designs might have been meant to protect the food and the people living there. This suggests it also had a ceremonial meaning.
It has a semi-circular opening at the top, about 80 cm wide. This was probably for ventilation. It was covered with palms and reeds. There are also holes in the walls to put in and take out grains. The types of seeds found show that the people were farmers. Inside the cave, there are seven square rooms made of clay. The T-shaped doors are mostly destroyed, but you can still imagine what they looked like.
It's thought that the cave was used for living. There's even a small room inside a larger one, which might have been used by an important person.
There are other caves with ancient remains nearby, including the "Cueva de la Golondrina" (Swallow Cave) in the same canyon.
See also
In Spanish: Cueva de la Olla para niños
