This archaeological site was built on an artificially leveled plateau, and it is considered very important, for the Michoacán prehispanic history, it was an astronomical observatory and ceremonial center.

[4] The prehispanic settlement fully covers a low-lying plateau and kept a strategic location at the extreme west of the lake and other dominant sites as Tzintzuntzan.

[1] On 29 July 2024, one of the pyramids was heavily damaged from the effects of an unusually intense rainstorm, exacerbated by structural weaknesses resulting from prior conditions of drought and high temperatures.

[6] In prehispanic times there were a number of migration waves into the area including the Pirinda, Nahua, Huetamo, Colima, Purépecha and other peoples.

By the late 15th century, this state rivaled that of the Aztecs, expanding their territory over much of what is now Michoacán and into part of Colima, Nayarit, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Guerrero, and Jalisco.

[citation needed] The archaeological sites found in the state, have helped clarify the history of the birth and development of ethnic groups which provided the essence of the Michoacán culture, dating back to the formative or Preclassical period (1500 to 200 BCE), the classical (800 BCE to 800 CE), and Postclassical (800 to 1000 CE), among whose sites include El Opeño, Curutarán, la Villita, Tepalcatepec, Apatzingán, Zinapécuaro, Coalcomán, San Felipe de los Alzati, Tzintzuntzan, Tingambato, Pátzcuaro, Zacapu, Uruapan, Tzitzio, and many others.

In the region, in addition to the Tarascan or Purépecha language, Coacomeca, Xilotlazinca Colimote dialects, Pirinda, Mazahua, Sayulteco, Nahuatl, and Teca were spoken.

Early lithic evidence from before 2500 BCE like fluted points and stone utensils are found at some Megafauna kill sites.

[9] The Purépecha people dominated a large territory that included areas within the modern-day States of Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro, part of Jalisco, and Guerrero.

They were an indomitable race that resisted the onslaught of the Aztecs, who could never dominate them, but who, due to their astronomical predictions, voluntarily submitted to the Spanish dominion, willingly converting to Christianity.

[citation needed] From information in the Relación de Michoacan,[8] the place is also known by its Nahuatl name as Cuyacan or Cuyuacan (Coyoacan), and it is first mentioned when Tariácuri plans his attack on Tariaran.

In the late Mesoamerican classical period, at least two non Purépecha ethnic groups lived around Lake Pátzcuaro: Nahuatl speakers in Jarácuaro, and some Chichimecan cultures on the northern banks, with the Nahua population being the second largest.

Abundant food resources and other natural conditions were a determining factor in the formation and sustenance of the area's dense population.

By the time of the second stage, the Tarascan group took control of a vast territory, settling in the Pátzcuaro watershed and setting up a tributary system based on their overwhelming military strength.

[citation needed] According to archaeologist Efraín Cárdenas, from archaeological evidence, the first occupation is tentatively chronologically located at between 900 and 1200 CE, corresponding to Nahuatl speaking groups.

[1] The second occupation period, chronologically placed at between 1200 and 1530 CE, corresponds to Tarascan domain, of the Lake Pátzcuaro basin and almost all the northern part of the State of Michoacán.

The Relación de Michoacán mentions that upon the death of Tariácuri, the most outstanding character of narration, the political and religious power he had was divided into three lordships: Pátzcuaro, Ihuatzio and Tzintzuntzan.

[4] This transcendental event of Tarascan (Purépecha) military and political development was described by Jerónimo de Alcalá[19] testimony as follows:[4] ... at the break of dawn, before daylight, Tariácuri climbed a mound called Thiapu, he cleared a section and made three dirt piles, he placed atop each a stone and an arrow.

[4] Later, in 1855 friar Pedro Beaumont, in the Michoacán Chronicle, displays the first map of the Pátzcuaro Lake basin, with indication of the most important Tarascan establishments.

[4] In 1929, Marquina for the first time made a survey of the site surface, describing and making sketches of the rectangular base structures.

Hiripan spied on his enemies from the Tariacaherio hill, north of Ihuatzio, and there Curicaueri[22] appeared before him on a dream and warned him that he will be king.

Later, when they begin to organize the territory that has been conquered, they decide to construct in Cuyacan a house for the God Curicaueri and to keep treasures obtained in the conquests there.

When they went to war, the Cuyacan lord was the one who harangued the soldiers and when they chose a new cazonci,[24] he was one of the members of the group that met to discuss who would be the next king.

[18] The prehispanic settlement fully covers a low-lying plateau and keeps a strategic location at the extreme west of the lake and other dominant sites as Tzintzuntzan.

[18] This site contains the best preserved monuments of the Michoacán Kingdom civilization depicting its greatness: a pyramid which served the natives as the main square; remains of a tower or fortress that was built (according to an ancient tradition) by the founder of the city in prehispanic times; some yácatas or kings tombs which have, where idols, decorations, weapons and vessels were uncovered; a well-constructed street or road, called Querendaro that served to communicate with Tzintzuntzan to the north.

[4] The Plaza de Armas is a huge rectangular, graded area bordered on the north and south ends by structures called wall-causeways which were used as roads.

The area open to the public, consists of a large quadrangular space bordered by two elements called "uatziris" (or Huatziris) by local people.

These three yácatas face west, on the semicircular part of their bodies, precisely in front of one of the mentioned wall-roads and constitute the communication system between the main building groups and the access points to the site at prehispanic times.

It consists of a structure built with a system similar to that used in the rectangular buildings, namely, a rock and earth core covered by stone slabs.

From their shape and displayed distribution in the landscape and because of the spaces that are communicated, it is assumed that they served as walkways used to transport the "Cazonzi" (Purépecha or Tarascan name for the king) from the ceremonial center to different points of the site.