Santa Cecilia Acatitlan facts for kids
Main staircase of the pyramid
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| Location | Tlalnepantla de Baz |
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| Coordinates | 19°33′09.30″N 99°10′24″W / 19.5525833°N 99.17333°W |
| History | |
| Periods | Late Postclassic |
| Cultures | Chichimeca |
Acatitlan is an ancient place in Mexico. Its name comes from the Nahuatl language and means "place among the reeds." This archaeological site was built by early Aztec or Toltec people. You can find it in the town of Santa Cecilia, near Mexico City. Long ago, before Europeans arrived, Acatitlan was located on the edge of a large lake called Lake Texcoco.
History of Acatitlan
Acatitlan was closely connected to another important ancient city called Tenayuca. These two sites were only about 3 kilometers (about 2 miles) apart. Tenayuca was a major center for politics and religion during that time.
Later, the Mexica people took control of Acatitlan and Tenayuca. The Mexica were the people who built the powerful city of Tenochtitlan. Acatitlan became part of their large empire in the Valley of Mexico. This lasted until the Spanish explorers, known as conquistadors, arrived in 1521.
After the Spanish conquered Mexico, Acatitlan began to lose its importance. Like many other ancient structures, its buildings were taken apart. The stones from these old buildings were then used to construct new churches, houses, and other buildings in the area.
Exploring the Ancient Pyramid
Today, only one main building remains at Acatitlan. It is a large, square base that once held a temple on top. This structure has a big staircase leading up to where the temple used to be.
Experts believe that the temple at Acatitlan, like the one in Tenayuca, was dedicated to two important gods: Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc. Huitzilopochtli was the Aztec god of war and the sun, and Tlaloc was the god of rain.
Ancient pyramids were often built in layers, one on top of another, over many years. At Acatitlan, archaeologists have found evidence of at least four different building periods. The inside of this pyramid is very well preserved. However, the outer parts were removed, and many of their stones were used to build the nearby church in the late 1500s.
In 1962, an architect and archaeologist named Eduardo Pareyon Moreno worked to rebuild and strengthen the pyramid's base. He also reconstructed the temple on top. Even though his methods might be different from how archaeologists work today, he helped create a beautiful example of a Mexica pyramid. It is now one of the best-preserved pyramids from this culture.
The Site Museum
There is a museum right at the Acatitlan site called the Eusebio Davalos Hurtado Museum of Mexica Sculpture. It opened in 1961 and is run by INAH, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History.
The museum is located in what used to be a hacienda (a large estate) that belonged to Eusebio Dávalos. He was an archaeologist who spent many years collecting ancient artifacts. The museum now displays his collection, which includes pottery and stone objects from Acatitlan and other Mexica sites.
The museum also has rooms set up like a kitchen and living room from the time before the Mexican Revolution. You can visit the museum on Calle Circuito Pirámide in Tlalnepantla.
See also
In Spanish: Santa Cecilia Acatitlán para niños
