Tamtoc facts for kids

Tamtoc, also known as Tamtok or Tamohí, is an amazing ancient city built by the Huastec people. Its name in their language, Téenek, means "place of the water clouds." You can find this special place in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí, in a region called the Huasteca. Since 2000, experts have been working hard to uncover and protect Tamtoc, led by archaeologist Estela Martínez Mora.

Scientists first thought Tamtoc was most important between 900 and 1100 AD. But new discoveries, especially a giant stone called Monument 32, suggest it might have been a big deal much earlier, around 600 AD.

Tamtoc was huge, covering about 210 hectares. It was one of the most important Huastec cities in ancient times because of its size and unique features. The city grew for centuries before the Spanish arrived, then was suddenly left empty in the 16th century. It sits right by the Tampaón River, which is part of the Pánuco River system.

One cool thing about Tamtoc is how important women seem to have been. About 90% of the ancient burials found here are women. Also, most of the clay and ceramic figures show women. This makes experts think women held powerful positions in the community.

People have known about ancient ruins in this area since the late 1800s. Explorers like Joaquín Meade looked at the site in the late 1930s. More intense studies happened in the 1960s. Finally, Tamtoc opened to the public on May 11, 2006.

Where is Tamtoc?

The ancient city of Tamtoc was built on a flat area near the Tampaón River. This location was perfect for finding and growing food, which helped many people live there. The Tampaón River was also important for getting food and trading goods with other regions.

The people of Tamtoc hunted and gathered food from nearby mountains. They also got special stone from the Sierra de Tanchipa. This stone, called sandstone, was used by artists to carve sculptures of leaders, priestesses, and large stone slabs called stelae. These stelae showed important events and stories. From another mountain, Cerro del Murcielago, they got green stone called tinguaíta. This stone was used to make jewelry and useful tools.

The flat lands and mountains around Tamtoc were important for its history and economy. They also played a big role in their religious beliefs. Important hills helped them track the stars and even influenced how the city was designed.

Tamtoc's Story

Local History

Tamtoc is thought to be the ancient capital of the Huasteca region. This is because it was very important for trade and military power. So far, experts have found at least three main periods when people lived here:

• The oldest time was around 600 BC, when the city first started.
• The second period was between 600 AD and 900 AD. During this time, a new cultural style arrived and changed how Tamtoc looked. This made the city even more powerful in the region.
• The last period was between 900 AD and 1350 AD. Many more people lived here, and a lot of building happened. This shows the society became stronger and more complex. For reasons we don't know yet, the city lost its power and was abandoned at the end of this period.

How Old is Tamtoc?

Tamtoc thrived a very long time ago. When the famous "Priestess" sculpture was being carved here, many other big historical events were happening around the world:

• In Greece, the Peloponnesian Wars were going on.
• The city of Rome didn't even exist yet.
• The Olmec civilization was at its peak.
• Ancient Egypt was in its later period.
• The ancient city of Babylon had already been left empty.
• The Incas had not yet built their empire in Peru.

Exploring the Ancient City

More than seventy buildings have been found at Tamtoc. Experts have drawn maps of them all. About thirty of these buildings are open for visitors to see. There's a big central square that was probably used for important meetings or government work. It was built during the city's last years.

Amazing Buildings

East Structure

This building, also called "Paso Bayo," is 21 meters tall. Tall buildings like this were usually bases for very important temples. People would perform rituals there, often related to measuring time and watching the stars. This structure is the second tallest at Tamtoc and marks the eastern edge of the main city area.

Main Plaza

This area has 23 buildings. Eighteen of them are around a central square, and five are in the middle. All these buildings were likely used for government or religious activities.

Most of the other buildings here were homes for the city's leaders. One building, AW3, was a small altar. Almost all the buildings in this group had stairs leading to the top, where a temple or home would have been.

The Main Plaza was built in at least two stages. The first stage, between 600 and 900 AD, had circular buildings. Most of these were later covered by newer structures. The buildings you see today are from the last period, between 900 and 1350 AD, when the city was at its strongest.

Northeast Plaza

This group has 10 mounds. Nine of them are around a plaza, and one is a bit separate to the north. This area was likely used for homes and for making textiles (like cloth).

North Area

This part of Tamtoc has several buildings and is famous for many important discoveries. These include the Flamingos tombstone, The Giant, the Castrillón Stela, La Venus de Tamtoc, and the huge stone of La Priestess (Monument 32). This area also has natural springs. An old system of channels carried water from these springs to different parts of the city, ending in the Laguna de los Patos.

Recent digs near building C3 found a place where people made beads for necklaces and other decorations.

The Ferris Wheel Area (La Noria)

The La Noria area was very important in Tamtoc and changed a lot over time. It had three main uses:

Sacred Spring

Also known as the Caja de Agua (Water Box), this is where the ancient city of Tamtoc might have started. Water comes from a spring here, and because water is so important for life, it was a sacred place. The people of Tamtoc built channels to carry water from the spring. Many offerings have been found here, including the huge sculpture of The Priestess. These things are from the earliest time people lived here, around 600 BC.

Work Area

The Water Box was changed between 600 and 900 AD. It stopped being a sacred place and was used for everyday tasks. Two ovens found during recent digs suggest it might have been used for preparing food.

Cemetery

In the last period (900 to 1350 AD), new buildings, temples, walkways, and open spaces were built in the La Noria area. These were used for religious ceremonies. A group of burial mounds stands out here. About seventy human skeletons of different ages have been found in them.

Studies of the skeletons show that these people had serious infections. "In the bones of all individuals, clear changes and signs of this type of illness have been found," said Martínez Mora. She and Guillermo Córdova Tello are leading the Tamtoc archaeological project.

West Structure

This is one of the biggest building foundations at Tamtoc and has a front staircase. It used to be called "El Tizate." This is because near here, by the river, there's a deposit of volcanic ash called tizate. This material was used to make pottery. From the top of this structure, where a temple once stood, you can see all around Tamtoc. This building marked the western edge of the city's main area. It was likely used for watching the stars, which was important for the Huastec people's beliefs about the universe.

Great Lagoon of the Ducks

At first, people thought the Great Lagoon of the Ducks was a natural lake. But studies of the water and land showed that people actually built it. They likely made it to prevent flooding from the Tampaón River.

During the work to restore the lagoon, many ancient objects have been found. These objects were part of offerings. Because of this, heavy machines cannot be used to drain the lagoon, as it would risk damaging these historical treasures.

Amazing Discoveries

The Priestess

Monument 32, better known as The Priestess, is a giant stone calendar that tracks the moon. It's even bigger and older than the famous "Aztec Calendar" (Piedra del Sol). Its exact age isn't set yet, but it's thought to have been made between 1150 and 700 BC. It seems to have been made by the Olmecs. This was a big surprise because experts didn't know the Olmecs were in this area so early. The calendar is a huge stone slab made of sandstone. It's eight meters long, four meters high, 50 cm thick, and weighs over 30 tons! You can find it in the North Area, specifically near the El Manantial de La Noria spring.

It was found by accident in February 2005 while workers were fixing an old water channel. This channel used to carry water from a spring to an artificial lagoon in the city. It took until November 2006 to fully uncover it.

Because of the weather and too much moisture from rain and the spring water, the stone sculpture started to wear away. So, the La Noria area had a lot of conservation work done. Now, efforts are focused on restoring a lagoon near the spring. This will help protect The Priestess and allow visitors to see it in its natural setting.

The Governor

Monument 22, also known as El Gobernador or simply Tomás, is the lower part of a male human sculpture. This monument might show an important person, perhaps a ruler of Tamtoc named Cinco Caracol. His hand position looks like it was meant to hold a staff, and there are different carvings on the monument.

The Scarred Woman

The sculpture of the Scarred Woman, or the "Venus of Tamtoc," was found in 2005. It was discovered during the rescue work for "Monument 32." This female sculpture is more than 2,500 years old and was underwater for much of that time in the La Noria area. This discovery was very special because no other ancient sculpture in Mesoamerica was known to be so detailed and well-made, especially one showing a woman. It makes us rethink the important role women had in the social, political, and religious life of ancient cultures. The stone carving of this sculpture is so good, it's like the art from Ancient Greece!

This life-sized female sculpture is missing its head. It's made of basalt stone, which isn't found in this region. Archaeologists believe it was broken on purpose for a ritual. Instead of sacrificing a person, this object was used to encourage fertility, as it was placed in a water tank.

The Venus of Tamtoc has raised marks on her shoulders, chest, and thighs that look like tattoos. These marks are thought to relate to the 52-year cycle of the Mesoamerican calendar and the 104-year cycles of the moon and sun. It's believed that the sculpture isn't of a goddess, but of a priestess. This shows how important women were as keepers of time, possibly through their menstrual cycles.

Art and Culture

Pottery

The pottery found at Tamtoc shows that people made very detailed and decorated pieces. Everyday pots have been found in homes, and special offering pottery has been found in the Great Laguna de Los Patos and in burials.

These pottery pieces are kept safe by the INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History) while they plan for a Tamtoc Site Museum.

Sculptures

Several workshops for making sculptures have been found in the La Noria area of Tamtoc. One interesting piece is a fragment of a stone slab that shows a creature with human legs but bird claws instead of feet. This fragment is about one meter high, 1.5 meters wide, and weighs 90 kilos.

These stone-working workshops prove that highly skilled artists made top-quality sculptures at Tamtoc.

Paintings

Like other ancient cities, Tamtoc's buildings were also covered with bright and colorful murals and paintings. In the Northeast Plaza, parts of murals with red, orange, blue, and green colors have been found on some buildings.

Culture and Traditions

Procession of Spirits

For the Teenek community, the Tamtoque (East Structure) has a special meaning. Until the 1930s, people were still buried here. Today, many indigenous communities, especially the Teeneks, gather at Tamtoc in November for an event called the "Procession of Spirits." During this two-day event, different groups perform dances and place offerings at the base of the Tamtoque to honor their ancestors.

Digging Up the Past

Tamtoc is still being excavated, and experts are finding countless artifacts. These are taken to the INAH laboratories in Mexico City. Architect Guillermo Ahuja O. has been a key supporter of the work that has grown since the early 2000s. The city's ruins have been studied, protected, and opened to the public thanks to a special group called the Trust for the Archaeological Rescue of Tamtoc. This group includes Fomento Cultural Banamex, AC, the Government of San Luis Potosí, and the National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Images for kids

• Tamtoc Main Square in winter with Paso Bayo in the background

  Tamtoc Main Square with Paso Bayo in the distance.

• Canal del Manantial with Monument 32 (The Priestess) in the background and Structure 10 on the right

  The Canal del Manantial with The Priestess (Monument 32) and Structure 10.

See also

In Spanish: Tamtoc para niños