| Object Name: | Map of the Olmec site of Chalcatzingo |
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| Culture: | Olmec | |
| Site: | Chalcatzingo | |
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| Image source: | © Dr. Manuel Aguilar | |
| Original map made by Dr. Manuel Aguilar Chalcatzingo, situated about 120 kilometers southeast of Mexico City is one of the most impressive sites in all Mesoamerica. Chalcatzingo is a Nahuatl name that can be explained as follows: Chalca: Indigenous people of the town of Chalco in the Valley of Mexico. Tzintli: Expression denoting reverence Co: Location, place So that, the meaning of Chalcatzingo would be "the revered or appreciated place of the Chalcas". Also, because the word Chalco derives from the Nauhatl word for green stone or jade (chalchihuitl), a term also synonymous with "precious" water which is symbolized by jade, then Chalcatzingo may mean also " the revered place of sacred water". This idea is clarified when we analyze the relief "El Rey". In any case, the site had a powerful, magic and religious meaning that passed from people to people throughout time. | ||
