Travels and journeys through the photographic lens.
Travels and journeys through the photographic lens.
Mexico is home to seven major ancient civilizations and cultures, including: The Maya, Toltec, Aztec, Teotihuacan, Olmec, Zapotec, and Mixtec. They are referred to as “Mesoamerica,” and shared similar systems including writing, a calendar, building temples on “pyramids” or platforms, agriculture and playing ball games.
There are over 180 archaeological ruin sites you can visit in Mexico that are open to the public. These 180 sites are only a very small portion of the 29,000 total archaeological ancient sites in Mexico. Many of these sites are designated UNESCO World Patrimony Sites, because they are considered to provide insight into mankind’s origins and evolution.
The sites represented here symbolize some of the largest, most impressive sites in the country, and stand out from the rest in their sheer size and magnificence. Other important archaeological ruin sites that you can visit in Mexico, include: Calakmul, Ek Balam, Yaxchilan, Bonampak, Coba, Edzna, Chicanna, El Rey, Chacchoben, El Tajin, Xochicalco, Mitla, Tula, Templo Mayor, and Labna.
Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, Chichen Itza thrived between 600-1200 AD. It served as the northern capital city and major economic power for the Mayans.
Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, Chichen Itza thrived between 600-1200 AD. It served as the northern capital city and major economic power for the Mayans.
The monumental stone sculptural human form known as a “Chacmool” first appeared suddenly in Mesoamerica, probably around the 9th century in the Yucatan at Chichen Itza. Always a male figure, he effortlessly holds a unique and challenging pose resting recumbent on his back, legs drawn up, knees bent, and feet flat on the ground, with his upper torso elevated.
Unlike many other Mayan cities that were designed using geometry, Uxmal was designed using astronomy. The Pyramid of the Magician is the most impressive structure at Uxmal. It stands 35-meters high and was built in five stages between 500-900 A.D.
Monte Albán was founded in the 6th Century B.C. overlooking the city of Oaxaca. It was a Zapotec capital for 13 centuries between 500 B.C. and 800 A.D., and is one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica.
The Plaza de las Tres Culturas (“Square of the Three Cultures”) represents the architectural legacy of three cultural facets: the Aztec pyramids of Tlatelolco, the 17th-century Spanish Templo de Santiago and the modern tower that houses the Centro Cultural Universitario.
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