Calixtlahuaca
Calixtlahuaca (from the Nahuatl, where calli means "building", and ixtlahuatl means "prairie" or "plains", hence the translation would be "buildings on the plains"; Otomi: Ndähni, windy town, original Matlatzinca name: Pintanbati) is a Postclassic period Mesoamerican archaeological site, located near the present-day city of Toluca in the State of Mexico.
Known originally as "Matlatzinco", this urban settlement was a powerful capital whose kings controlled a large territory in the Toluca Valley.
Archaeologist José García Payón excavated the monumental architecture at Calixtlahuaca in the 1930s and restored a number of temples and other buildings.
These projects included drainage requirements, leveling of some areas, signaling, site regulations, and protection against urban growth.
In 1998, archeologist Jorge Villanueva Villalpando restored the south wall of the eastern facade of Building III, which was damaged by constant and strong storms.
This project was sponsored by Arizona State University and the National Science Foundation, and fieldwork began in 2006 with a full-coverage intensive survey of the site.
Lázaro Manuel Muñoz (over 200 years ago), stated that the Matlatzincas, or their nomad ancestors, visited this site at least 640 BCE (a theory appears consistent with Lorenzo Boturini) and that Otomi hunter-gatherer groups were present 3,000 years ago at the now dried up lake, which was fed by melting water from Nevado de Toluca.
In 1510, the Matlatzinca tried to end the Aztec tutelage and Moctezuma II immediately ordered the city destroyed and the inhabitants fled west towards Michoacán.
The Matlatzinca lands were considered a corn producing region, and this may have been the main reason for the continued invasions from the epiclassical period, first by the Toltecs and subsequently by Chālcah (confederacies) in the 12th century.
Later, the Aztecs returned with their Tollocan allies and fought against Matlatzinca in 1474, taking 11,070 prisoners to be sacrificed in Tenochtitlan, thus preventing further uprisings in the region, as well as resettling Nahua families to Calixtlahuaca.
The last rebellion attempt occurred in 1510, and the Aztec Tlatoani Montezuma II, ordered the destruction of the area, which led to the emigration of its inhabitants to Michoacán.
[1] Also called the Pantheon, approximately 50 human burials were found here with offerings (gold, ceramic, rocks of obsidian, and arrowheads.)
Comprises remains of a large basement, about 85 meters wide by 100 long, García Payon found an engraved round stone with a hole in the center, similar to those embedded at ballgame courts, he assumed it was one, there has not been any further exploration, it is located approximately 500 North of Temple 3, within the urban area.
[1] This area can be subdivided into two sub-areas, divided (east and west) by the adobe wall, it is believed to have been built during the last Mexica occupation, in the late postclassical period.
[1] This basement has a ceremonial plaza characteristics, has three stairways to access the top, divided by smooth slopped wall sections (alfardas).
The presences of these materials confirm the importance of trade practices within these regions, during the Classical and Postclassical periods (Smith y Lind 2005).
De-fibers are common in Postclassical period burials in the Toluca Valley (Carbajal Correa and Gonzalez Miranda 2003;) Ohi 1975; Zúñiga Bárcenas 2001).
Other Calixtlahuaca copper objects exist in the United States, for example, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
Most are rattles, and their forms resemble objects cast in bronze at the Postclassical period in the West and the Center of Mexico (Hosler 1994).
[1] Calixtlahuaca is also known for the discovery of a ceramic dubbed the "Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca head" uncovered during García Payón's excavations in the 1930s and purported to be from Ancient Rome.
