Archaeological sites that you can visit in Mexico City

Did you know that there are several archaeological sites that you can visit in in Mexico City? Next, we leave you the list of the archaeological zones of Mexico City that are undoubtedly a great option to visit on your next visit.

Cerro de la Estrella

Historical sources indicate that the ancient inhabitants of the central highlands knew this place as Huizachtecatl, which means place of thorns. The site was very important because the New Fire ceremony was held there, which had a deep meaning for the inhabitants of the Altiplano and its surroundings. The area was located at the southeastern end of the great lake of Texcoco. Archaeological studies reveal that it was inhabited from the Middle Preclassic period (1000 BC) until the arrival of the Spanish.

Location	Costs and Services
​It is located in the southeast of Mexico City. Its access is through the Ermita-iztapalapa road; Before reaching Rojo Gómez Avenue, take the path that leads to El Calvario. Passage by vehicle is allowed only to the site museum. https://goo.gl/maps/hCMnxcoXpdvHJrp67	Free entry It has guided tours and toilets. Schedules Monday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Tlatelolco

Taltelolco was the most important commercial center of pre-Hispanic Mexico; Its name comes from the Nahuatl tlatelli, terrace or xaltilolli, sandy point. According to ethnohistorical sources, the Xochimilcas, Chalcas, Tepanecs, Culhuas, Tlahuicas, Tlaxcaltecas and the Mexicas were the groups that emigrated from Aztlán, the place of whiteness. These were looking for the land that their god Huitzilopochtli had promised them.

Location	Costs and Services
The archaeological zone is north of the Historic Center of Mexico City, in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, on the Av Lázaro Cárdenas https://goo.gl/maps/HupS8PeDT8cJFFbV8	cost: ​$80. It has medical assistance, wheelchair access, an information module, toilets, guided tours and a store. Schedules Monday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m

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Mixcoac

This important pre-Hispanic site has been investigated for more than a century. The first description of the vestiges was made in 1916, by the historian Francisco Fernández del Castillo, who named the site Mixcoac, when identifying the toponym of “The Cloud Serpent” on the Map of Uppsalao de Santa Cruz, drawn up in 1550. Later, in 1920, the archaeologist Eduardo Noguera, by appointment of Manuel Gamio, then director of Pre-Hispanic Monuments, led the first archaeological excavation to study the large mound that was visible in the area south of Tacubaya, and that was known as “the teocallide San Pedro de los Pinos”.

Location	Schedules
​Pirámide 7 esq. Av. San Antonio y Periférico Col. San Pedro de los Pinos CP 03800, Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México https://goo.gl/maps/NBhFDr6NGr5CH3sN7	​Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It has an introductory room. Free access.

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Cuicuilco

The site is located in the southwest of the basin of Mexico in an ancient river delta formed by the currents that came down from Zacatépetl and the current Tlalpan forest. It is stated that the development of the place, from an early period, is due to its strategic position, since the west of the basin connects with the entrance to the Toluca valley. Likewise, it is considered that the decline of Cuicuilco occurred between 100 BC-1 AD, and although there was a slight recovery during 1-150 AD, the presence of fire deities, and volcanic ash on the floors, suggests strong volcanic activity in the area. basin of Mexico. Despite the abandonment of Cuicuilco as a great ceremonial center, offerings continued to be made until the time the town was covered by the lava of Xitle, which occurred around the year 400 AD.

Location	Costs and Services
​Av. Insurgentes Sur 146 esq. Periférico Sur Col. La Joya CP 14030, Tlalpan, Ciudad de México https://goo.gl/maps/NR2Um8wshmAFhUcv8	​It has a site museum, restrooms, four esplanades open to the public, ecology area, educational services department, two parking lots. Schedules Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission.

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Templo de Ehécatl

It dates from the year 1400 to 1521 AD. and in its core, some offerings were detected, among which a sculpture known as “La little monkey” stands out. It is the representation of a monkey (ozomatli) polychrome in red and black, wearing a mouth mask of the wind god Ehécatl, as well as two snakes: one coiled at its base and another that becomes the tail of the primate.

The shrine has four construction stages, it has a circular base and the image of the deity must have been placed at the top. The temple of Ehécatl is one of the smallest archaeological sites in CDMX, and also one of the most visited, since it is located in the heart of the Pino Suárez Metro.

Officially it is not an Archaeological Zone, although it is protected by the INAH

Location	Schedules
​Se encuentra en la estación Pino Suarez de la Linea 2 del Sistema Colectivo Metro. Por las entradas de Línea 1 hacia el pasillo de correspondencia de Línea 2. https://goo.gl/maps/JgoxSWinKYuepNRVA	You can visit it 365 days a year, during metro operating hours.

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Sitio Arqueológico Cuahilama, Xochimilco

The archaeological site of Cuahilama was occupied by numerous preclassic peoples, including the groups of Cuicuilco, Copilco and Tlatilco.

The current site is most famous for petroglyphs on side and surrounding slopes. These express the worldview of the Xochimilcas and have been attributed to ceremonial functions and veneration of deities.

Location	Schedules
​C. 2 de Abril, Tetacalanco, Xochimilco, 16510 Ciudad de México, CDMX https://goo.gl/maps/hBehpfqiTiQz5UgQ7	Monday to Sunday free entry

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Templo Mayor

At the beginning of 1914, the archaeologist Manuel Gamio was carrying out excavations in a property adjacent to the Cathedral, and discovered the southeast corner of what was the Templo Mayor, which was the most important religious building of the Mexica.

Located in front of what is now the Historic Center Authority Building, the Templo Mayor was not fully explored until 1978, when CFE workers found a huge stone that turned out to be the Coyolxauhqui.

From this, an archaeological excavation began that required the demolition of 13 modern buildings and allowed us to rediscover what is today the most visited archaeological area in the city.

In addition, it has a museum that shows an important part of the pieces found at the site.

Location	Costs and Services
It is located on the east side of the Metropolitan Cathedral (in front of the Zócalo), in the Historic Center of Mexico City, bordering the streets of Guatemala and Donceles. https://goo.gl/maps/cs6d7ndMjc6guNMc8	​General admission with museum $95 It has a museum, cafeteria, guided tours and toilets. Schedules Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Fuentes:

https://www.viajabonito.mx/mexico/sitios-arqueologicos-cdmx/ https://sic.gob.mx/?table=zona_arqueologica&estado_id=9 https://www.viajerosenruta.com/las-zonas-arqueologicas-de-la-cdmx/ https://mxcity.mx/2019/03/cuahilama-algo-mas-trajineras-xochimilco/ https://mexicocity.cdmx.gob.mx/venues/cuahilama-archaological-site-xochimilco/?lang=es