Mexico

Angamuco

Purépecha urban ruins, 10th–14th century

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Historical Context

About

Angamuco is the name given to a major urban settlement of the Purépecha civilization, (Tarascan) now in ruins hidden under vegetation, in the Lake Pátzcuaro Basin of Michoacán, Mexico, and discovered in 2007. In 2012, using LiDAR technology, archaeologist Christopher Fisher and team detected an estimated 39,000 buildings at the site, roughly the same as Manhattan, on a territory of approximately 25 square kilometres (9.7 sq mi) (less than half of Manhattan's 59 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Fisher believes the settlement was founded around 900 CE and reached peak importance from around 1000 to around 1350 CE with a population of over 100,000 – making it the most populous city in western Mexico at the time, and spanning a wider area than the Purépecha capital, Tzintzuntzan.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

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Founding

c. 900 CE

Peak occupation

c. 1000–1350 CE

Modern discovery

2007

LiDAR survey

2012

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Domestic and Habitation Structures

CitiesHousesTowns
Knowledge Base

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Reference

Details

Country

Mexico

Coordinates

19.58° N, -101.49° E