| Object Name: | Chalcatzingo |
|
|---|---|---|
| Creation Date: | 1000-200 b. C. | |
| Culture: | Olmec | |
| Site: | Chalcatzingo | |
| Material: | ||
| Repository: | ||
| Image source: | © Dr. Manuel Aguilar | |
| Even from a great distance, even among people accustomed to an urban scene and insensitive to natural landscapes, the Chalcatzingo mountain complex creates an impression of solemn monumentality. This might be why the area was considered a place of oracle and center of origin of mythical-religious concepts that were concentrated on the sacred mountain for groups whose beliefs were of a naturalistic character. Here in the eastern part of the state of Morelos, three great peaks rise from the nearly flat valley floor. These isolated, igneous intrusions rise over 300 m above the valley floor, and must have been considered sacred in ancient times, as they were by the Aztecs and even by the modern villagers. This place is called Chalcatzingo, a Nahuatl name that means "the revered or appreciated place of the Chalcas". | ||
