Xochitecatl

Xochitecatl [ʃot͡ʃiˈtekat͡ɬ] is a pre-Columbian archaeological site located in the Mexican State of Tlaxcala, 18 km southwest of Tlaxcala city. The major architecture dates to the Middle Preclassic Period (1000–400 BC) but occupation continued, with one major interruption, until the Late Classic, when the site was abandoned. There is some evidence of ritual activity in the Postclassic and Colonial Periods. The ruins cover an area of 12 hectares on top of a volcanic dome. Xochitecatl, unlike other contemporary sites, appears to have been a purely ceremonial centre for a population dispersed through the surrounding countryside rather than the centre of an urban area.