El Cerrito (archaeological site)

El Cerrito is an archaeological zone in the central Mexican state of Querétaro. It is located in the municipality of Corregidora on the outskirts of the state capital, Santiago de Querétaro. As a place of worship, it was venerated by local cultures (Chupícuaro) as well as Teotihuacanos, Toltecs, Chichimeca, Otomi and Purépecha, as late as 1632. The first human settlements in Querétaro are related to the Chupícuaro culture, which originated in the margins of the Lerma River, in the current Acámbaro, Guanajuato. This presence is more noticeable and early in San Juan del Río and Querétaro. Chupícuaro culture had a simple low platform architecture, very elaborate funeral rites, and very elaborate pottery decoration. Material evidence of this culture has been registered on sites located in the skirts of the Cimatario Hill on the banks of the Pueblito River. Magdalena to the west and La Griega, to the east are further evidence of this culture in the Valley of Querétaro. The earliest settlements in Querétaro were related and contemporary to the Chupícuaro culture in the mesoamerican preclassical period. From the social, political and territorial structure of Chupícuaro, inhabitants of the Querétaro region developed their own cultural expressions within the context of the Mesoamerican civilization.