Circular Stepped Pyramids of Guachimontones |
CIRCLE 2 |
BALLGAME COURT |
CIRCLE 3 |
Los Guachimontones (alternatively Huachimontones) is a prehispanic archaeological site near the Mexican town of Teuchitlán in the state of Jalisco about an hour west of Guadalajara. It is the major site of the so-called Teuchitlán tradition, a complex society that existed from as early as 300 BCE until perhaps 900 CE. The word Teuchitlán is derived from Teotzitlán or Teutzitlán interpreted as ‘place dedicated to the divine’, ‘place of the God Tenoch’ or ‘place dedicated to the revered God’. Possibly the city foundation goes back to the Aztecs, which erected it on a hill called Huachimontón, north of its current location. It was founded by members of Nahuatlacas groups that developed central Mexico during the postclassical period, however it is known that buildings at Teuchitlán were built prior to such development. The creative culture that constructed ‘Guachimontones’ is called Teuchitlán tradition, its apogee was between 200 and 400 CE, disappearing in about 900 CE, possibly before the arrival of the Anahuaca colonists. |
LOCATION Located near the Mexican town of Teuchitlán in the state of Jalisco about an hour west of Guadalajara, Mexico. |