Among the dense undergrowth remains of massive walls that characterized the ancient pre-Hispanic town of Tepeticpac, in the state of Tlaxcala overlook. Dozens of workers are giving form to a complex of buildings that were part of this settlement whose nuclear area covers 98 acres and was one of four altepemeh (territorial units) where cultures that gave rise to the current Tlaxcala developed.
Located in the community of Santiago Tepeticpac, in the town of Totolac, the archaeological site is located on top of the Cuauhtzi, El Fuerte and Tlaxistlan hills more than 2000 450 meters above sea level. It has about 150 decks and 15 buildings housing both civic and administrative type and some temples.
The settlement had a first occupation between 600 and 900 AD, and was abandoned by 900 or 1000, he returned to live among the twelfth and thirteenth centuries chichimecas migrants who invaded territories in central Tlaxcala and established their leadership in this region, where four years ago the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) conducted archaeological research works.
In front of the Archaeological Project researchers Tepeticpac Aurelio Lopez and Ramon Corral Cano Santacruz, who conduct prospecting, excavation and restoration, as well as diagnosis and intervention condition of squares, terraces and structures of La Palma are set in the upper part of the settlement.
The constructions of the place said Dr. Aurelio López correspond to the Late Postclassic period, which covers the thirteenth century until the arrival of the Spaniards, and were inhabited until the mid-sixteenth century. The Conjunto La Palma had a character of high rank, with temples on top and some civic administrative units.
The specialist said Tlaxcala Centro INAH Tepeticpac is a site adapted to the topography of the region, so terracing systems in which various types of constructions were built up.
A work crew works diligently in the stabilization and restoration of the wall of the south facade of the Terrace 14 The materials used by ancient people are calcareous tuffs, which are basically rocks tepetate more consistently and, in some cases, basalt or andesites for the construction of high walls systems.
The consolidation of the walls, he said, requires a very specialized job, since they are not straight, but sometimes meander and some have substructures earliest dating from Epi (650 to 900 AD). The rocks are joined with lime, sand and tepetate.
López Corral said that some walls are very high, reaching more than five meters, as currently restored to the Terrace 5, where the architectural elements of the west and north sides are restored.
The researcher noted that it has been a priority to stabilize the site before doing other work. Also, the population density was Tepeticpac because there are many decks and think that each household could correspond to a group of five to seven people under investigation.
However, it has been found excavate all were unoccupied. One estimate indicates that at the top came to live about 500 or 600 people who were part of the elite, the ruling class, and lower or sideways was a major occupation.
In parallel, the sociopolitical aspects shaping the site are studied and has been establishing its chronology. Has not been determined what cultural group inhabited the site over the Epi, he said, when referring to found part of a stairway, a side slope of a building and other architectural features, the building material is similar to Cacaxtla, so we could think there was any connection between the two sites, or maybe it was the same cultural group, but still do not know for sure.
Later, during the Postclassic (AD 1200-1519) Chichimeca, who were known as texcaltecas Teochichimecas, tlaxcaltecas poyauhtecas or settled.
The pottery found has been the main indicator of the timing of the site, were found fragments of about 20 or 25 types of ceramic dinnerware features including Postclassic polychrome.
The inhabitants were primarily Tepeticpac deity Tezcatlipoca, Lord of heaven and earth, considered the patron of the Tlaxcalans. Camaxtli worshiped, the god of war and hunting, and Tezcatlipoca, some say it is the same, others argue that they were sisters deities. But polychrome pottery, iconography is associated mostly the latter as tutelary god.
Finally, Dr. Aurelio López said that Tepeticpac is considered an emblematic site in the history of the region, as it was one of the four founders of tlaxcaltecas altepemeh prehispanic Tlaxcallan along with Ocotelulco Tizatlán and Quiahuixtlan.
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