Mexico

Suchilquitongo (archaeological site)

Zapotec hilltop ceremonial center, Oaxaca (Classical period)

Location

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Historical Context

About

Suchilquitongo is a Mesoamerican archaeological site located in Santiago Suchilquitongo municipality of San Pablo Huitzo in the Etla District of the Valles Centrales region of Oaxaca state in south-western Mexico, some 30 kilometers north of the Oaxaca City on Federal Highway 190. According to INAH, this archaeological site is locally called Cerro de la Campana, due to the popular belief that in one of its buildings or mounds a gold bell lies buried. Geographical charts assign the locality Cerro la Cantera since even today pink stone is extracted from quarry deposits. This quarry is of high quality and very useful to construct modern buildings. The site is also known by Huijazoo, which means "war fortress" in the Zapotec Language.

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

Historical Timeline

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Early settlement development

c. 1000 BCE

Regional polity formation

c. 300–400 CE

Tomb 5 construction (funerary phase)

650–900 CE

Tomb 5 discovery

1985

Human evidence at Barrio del Rosario

c. 2799 years ago

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

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Defensive Structures

FortressesDefensive Walls
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Public and Civic Structures

Plazas
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Burial and Funerary Structures

Tombs
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Industrial and Craft Structures

Mines
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Religious and Ritual Structures

Ceremonial PlatformsTemples
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Artistic and Decorative Features

MuralsReliefsBas-reliefs
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Domestic and Habitation Structures

PalacesTownsVillages
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Environmental and Natural Features

Artificial MoundsRock Shelters
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Astronomical and Timekeeping Structures

Observatories
Knowledge Base

Frequently Asked Questions

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Reference

Details

Country

Mexico

Coordinates

17.25° N, -96.88° E