Mexico (AP) – It is hard to imagine the heart of a steady bruising of car horn in Mexico that Cuicuilco once had the hearts of thriving ancient civilization. However, on a round pyramid, now surrounded by buildings and mall, the god of Spain was respected.
“It’s incredible,” said Evangelina Báez, who recently spent Cuicuilco morning with his daughters. “Halfway through so much urbanization, there is still this peace refuge.”
Her visit was the part of the monthly travel program consisting of the National Institute for Anthropology and History, the Spanish initials known as Ina.
In addition to supervision in archaeological sites and museums in Mexico, the Institute protects the country’s cultural heritage, starting from the restoration of damaged monuments and artwork to construction projects to ensure that they do not harm the archaeological remains.
Its historians and archaeologists also conduct excursions such as Cuicuilco. Each academic expert chooses a place, offers a walking route to Inah and, once approved, is offered to the public about $ 260 ($ 15).
“I entered these excursions to share our live heritage,” said archaeologist Denissse Gómez, congratulating guests Cuicuilco. “Our content is always updated.”
According to the Mónica de alba, which oversees the tours, Inah’s excursions date back to 1957, when the archaeologist decided to share the institute’s research with colleagues and students.
“People start to understand how much the city can offer,” said De Alba and explained that in the center of Mexico alone, about 130 rounds a year are offering. “Even travel agents who pretend to be participants to copy our routes.”
The 77 -year -old María Luisa Maya often joins these tours as a solo visitor. Her favorite has been an archaeological place so far in the Southern Mexican state along the Pacific Ocean.
“I have been doing this for about eight years,” she said. “But that’s nothing. I met people who came 20 or 25”.
Traces of the forgotten city
Cuicuilco in Nahua means “a place where songs and dances are made”.
However, the exact name of its people is unknown, given that the city’s radiance dates back to the pre -classic era from 400 to 200 m.
“Nahas gave them the name that reveals that this area was never forgotten,” said archaeologist Pablo Martínez, who, along with Gómez, with Gómez. “It has always been remembered, and even after his downturn, Teotihuacan people came here to offer victims.”
The archaeological location is a quiet corner located between the two busiest ways of Mexican city. However, according to Martínez, the settlements crossed the surroundings, while Cuicuilco was 40,000.
“What we see today is only a small part of the city,” he said. “Only its pyramidal base”.
Now covered with grass and reminiscent of a shortened cone, the pyramid was used for ritual purposes. Information on ceremonies is unknown, but female figurines preserved at the site museum show that victims were related to fertility.
“We think they offered perishable items such as corn, flowers and seeds,” Gómez said. “They fed the gods.”
Echoes of life heritage
According to official records, the archaeological places of the Mexican visit are Teotihuacán and Chichén itzá. The first is against the city of Aztec to the northeast of the capital known for its monumental sun and moon pyramid. The latter is the main location of Mayan in the southeast, famous for its 12th century Kukulkán Temple.
Ina oversee both. However, her travels focus on the lighting of the gemstones hidden in Mexico.
During the excursion before Cuicuilco, visitors went through Ecatepeco’s neighborhood, on the outskirts of Mexico, where open -air markets, street food and religious festivals support local traditions alive. A few days ago, another round, which focused on La Merced Market, where flowers, prayers and music filled the aisles through the celebration of Our Lady of Mercy.
The October schedule takes into account the day of the dead tradition. However, there will be many places on travel, such as Xochimilco, where visitors can travel to the lunar -lit boat through their channels and chinamps, while the Templo Mayor, the main Aztec Empire’s religious and social center in ancient times Tenochtitlán.
“These excursions allow the general public to get closer to the distant and space society,” said historian Jesús López del Río, who will lead the upcoming tour of human sacrifices to the deities Mesoamérica.
“As you approach the preschool’s past, it is not just about how Maya used zero in her calculations or how Mexico built a city on the lake,” he added. “This is an understanding of how those society worked – their way to see and relate to the world.”
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