El Cuajilote
Encyclopedia
| Name: | El Cuajilote |
| Location | Atzalan Atzalán Atzalán is a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz, and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name.It is located at , some 45 km northwest of the state capital Xalapa.- External links :... , Veracruz Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is... |
| Coordinates | 19°58′02"N 97°12′55"W |
| Culture | Totonac Totonac The Totonac people resided in the eastern coastal and mountainous regions of Mexico at the time of the Spanish arrival in 1519. Today they reside in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo. They are one of the possible builders of the Pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and further maintained... |
| Period | Preclassical - Classical Mesoamerican |
| Foundation | Around 200 CE. |
| Decline | Late Classical |
| Language | Totonacan languages Totonacan languages The Totonacan languages are a family of closely related languages spoken by approximately 200,000 Totonac and Tepehua people in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo in Mexico... |
| INAH Official Page | Filobobos archaeological site |
El Cuajilote or Filobobos is an archeological site of the Totonac
Totonac
The Totonac people resided in the eastern coastal and mountainous regions of Mexico at the time of the Spanish arrival in 1519. Today they reside in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo. They are one of the possible builders of the Pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and further maintained...
Culture, located in the Tlapacoyan
Tlapacoyan
Tlapacoyan is a city in Veracruz, Mexico. It is located about 3 hours car-drive away from state capital Xalapa-Enríquez.Tlapacoyan's population is around 100,000 people.FOOD...
municipality, Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
state, México.
Just as in many other Mesoamerican sites, the original name is unknown and arbitrarily names are assigned, sometimes local names are used, in this case, the name “El Cuajilote” derives from the “Chote” tree from the Totonac region, although the tree is scarce in the area nowadays. This site is part of the Filobobos zone, where vestiges of at least six archaeological sites are known. Currently only two have been explored; Vega de la Peña and El Cuajilote.
Cuajilote, is also the name of a tree (Parmentiera aculeate), also known as huachilote or monkey cocoa, typical of low deciduous forest, exist in broad territories in the South and Centre Mexico.
According to INAH the Filobobos name derives from the local sharp profiles (“Filos”) of gorges and ravines, created by a geologic phenomenon from the Cenozoic era, and of “”bobos”, name of an almost extinct fish variety, very appreciated in the region.
The gorges and water falls, have allowed a natural preservation of the Filobobos Archeological Site.
It is a very fertile region and from prehispanic time it has been an important natural communication corridor between the Central Plateau and the Gulf of Mexico, used by diverse ethnic groups for travels, in the process of commercial and cultural trade.
Site history
This site is located within the urban area of Tlapacoya, Alonso de MolinaAlonso de Molina
Alonso de Molina was a Franciscan priest and grammarian, who wrote a well-known dictionary of the Nahuatl language published in 1571....
, establishes that Atzalan is a Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
word meaning "place where washing is done ", i.e. laundry. Cecilio Agustín Robelo, noted the word to be an impersonal verb “tlapa”, wash and yan, is the place where the verb’s action takes place, resulting in "place where wahsing or laundry takes place". Peñafiel interpreted the Tlapacoyan hieroglyph from the Matrícula de Tributos
Matrícula de Tributos
The Matrícula de Tributos is a 16th century central Mexican manuscript on amatl paper, listing the tribute paid by the various tributaries of the Aztec empire.The Matrícula was the source for the tribute section of the Codex Mendoza....
(Mendocino Codex) and adds establishes that the sign Teltl, means stone below water (atl) and above a fantastic figure which could be a white and black canvas with a hand over it, indicating a verbal word derived from Tlapaca "wash" ending with location prefix "Yan".
Atzalan is of Totonac origin, there was a large city here, known today as “Vega de la Peña”. In the 16th century here was an old town called Yohualtlacualoyan, ancient center of Tenochtitlan tributary cities, including the cities of: Xilochitlán Xochicuauhtlan, Tuchtlán Coapan, Aztapan and Acazacatlán
Historical records establish that this area was a tax collection center (products) for the empire in this zone, it collected several products, including bird feathers Empire.
El Cuajilote flourished towards 200 CE, and had a constant occupation until 800 CE. Some constructions seem to have been altars, as vestiges indicate aspects of fertility and earth cult.
Permanence of inhabitants in the Filobobos archaeological zone was made possible by the availability of survival resources, the permanent supply of water and its constant exploration, complemented with the bordering archaeological niches in high and low lands around the gorges. The ball games are different in both sites and have opposite alignment.
Site
Urban development is seen in the arrangement of the archaeological sites, which becomes evident by the urban planning adapted to the physiographic and natural terrain; for example hydraulic infrastructure is evident in the water wells, channels and TemazcalTemazcal
A temazcal is a type of sweat lodge which originated with pre-Hispanic Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica. The word temazcal comes from the Nahuatl word temazcalli , or possibly from the Aztec teme and calli . Temazcal in English is also written as temezcal, temascal, or temescal...
es.
The great Totonaca Plaza, sheltered by cliffs, canyons and ravines is crossed by the Filobobos River, it is located in a very humid zone estimated at a little more than 2000 years old.
The site has an extension of about 31,500 square meters. It is estimated that there are 10.5 hectareas of unexplored structures.
The main plaza has a phallic sculpture representing fertility.
Phallic
Phallus
A phallus is an erect penis, a penis-shaped object such as a dildo, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. Any object that symbolically resembles a penis may also be referred to as a phallus; however, such objects are more often referred to as being phallic...
figurines were found, of the type known as “San Jose de Acateno”, representing a dual personage, fertility and re-birth worship, manifested by cycles of constant life renovation, which culminates with the triumph of the sun over darkness of the underworld.
In this area, there are several archaeological sites not yet explored, including “Piedra Blanca” on the left bank of the river; “Vega de la Peña”, an ancient town, 3 km below; "La Colorada" on the road to Martínez de la Torre, and "El Relicario". This site was opened to the public in 1994.
Structures
It is estimated that there are over 500 structures, with height ranging from 6 and 80 metros.The Main plaza has 10 important side buildings and the main temple, there are other smaller plazas.
The site is laid out and aligned with three axes south-north, separated by well laid mounds that confine plazas of approximately 400 meters long by 80 meters wide with central altars. The main plaza is bordered on the north side by a ball game court.
Ball game
As part of the main plaza is the ballgame courtMesoamerican ballgame
The Mesoamerican ballgame or Tlatchtli in Náhuatl was a sport with ritual associations played since 1,000 B.C. by the pre-Columbian peoples of Ancient Mexico and Central America...
, which enclose the central plaza to the north, the wall have stucco plaster remains. A feline sculpture with a spike for embedding and offering pots, possibly representing Tezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca
Tezcatlipoca was a central deity in Aztec religion. One of the four sons of Ometeotl, he is associated with a wide range of concepts, including the night sky, the night winds, hurricanes, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, jaguars, sorcery, beauty,...
.
The ballgame court, built on the river bank, is aligned northwest-southeast, adapted to the physiographical conditions imposed by the Bobos River, whose flow is towards the west.
The place have five building complexes, that for INAH reasons have been named in agreement with the cardinal position in which they are located; e.g., west, center, south and southeastern complex.
The ballgame courts evidences a large El Tajín style influence and conserves stucco plaster remains on its walls.
Tlaltecuhtli altar
This altar was named “TlaltecuhtliTlaltecuhtli
Tlaltecuhtli, Tlaltecutli is a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican deity figure, identified from sculpture and iconography dating to the Late Postclassic period of Mesoamerican chronology , primarily among the Mexica and other Nahuatl-speaking cultures...
”, represents a frog, carved from a single stone piece, displays on the sides a possible “Chalchihuitlxóchitl” or “divine flower”, as well as a mutilated face.
Geoglyphs
About a kilometer to the north, what are believed to be astronomical markers known as “Teos” or GeoglyphGeoglyph
A geoglyph is a large design or motif produced on the ground and typically formed by clastic rocks or similarly durable elements of the geography, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth...
s were found, protruding about a meter from the ground, made from volcanic rock, with engraved figures and spirals indicating the site distribution, believed to have been markers for pilgrims.
Water spring temple
The "Templo del Manatial", is located at the top, shows remains of a double room. In the corner a water spring is located, it appears to have been used for ceremonial purposes.Vega de la Peña
Another close by site is “Vega de la Peña”, about 4 km north of El Cuajilote. This place was inhabited between 900 and 1500 AD, when their inhabitants constructed the “Fretwork Temple”, thus called because its facade exhibits a decorative strip that alludes to Xicalcoliuhqui or fire serpent.External links
- Portal Veracruz Government (Spanish)
- Tlapacoyan Municipal Government (Spanish)
- Atzalan, Veracruz Municipalities. (Spanish)
- "El Cuajilote" Filobobos archaeological site, Stone and Water path.
- Ruins on the bank of Filobobos River (Spanish)
- "El Cuajilote", Veracruz Portal (Spanish)
- ATZALAN POSEEDOR DE UNA INMENSA RIQUEZA TURÍSTICA (Spanish)
Further reading
- Cuajilote photographs (Spanish)
- Turismo en Veracruz, Tlapacoyan (Spanish)