Chimalhuacán (archaeological site)

Chimalhuacán (Spanish: [tʃimalwaˈkan] ) is an archeological site located in the city and municipality of Chimalhuacán Atenco in the eastern part of Mexico State, Mexico. It lies just outside the northeast border of the Federal District (Distrito Federal). The name derives from the Nahuatl words “chimalli” (shield), hua (possession particle) and can (place), this would mean "Place of Shields".The ancient name of the city by its founders was “Chimalhuacantoyac”.The word Atenco, is also Nahuatl; A, “water”; tentli, “lip” and co, “place”, hence would mean “at the water side”. The Chimalhuacán glyph appears on the Quinatzin codex, symbolizing a round shield on a hill, has an alternative interpretation, the name Chimalltepetl = "Hill shields" or "shields site"; most probably referring to the "Chimalhuache" hill, mountain located within the municipality and near the site. It is considered one of the cradles of Mesoamerican civilization due to the finding in 1984, of the "Chimalhuacán Man", whose remains are some 12,000 old.