Talk to the gods: The best archaeological sites to visit in Mexico City

In convoluted CDMX, it is not uncommon to find archaeological sites close beside a Catholic cathedral. As devotees be their Sunday service, some section and planetary tourists sojourn the remains of immoderate of the top ceremonial complexes successful the Americas  — nary wonderment wherefore Mexico City dwellers support our Mesoamerican traditions alive.

If you’re bushed of trying (aimlessly) to ascent the Sun Pyramid successful Teotihuacán and are craving a chit-chat sesh with the Mexica gods, Mexico City has immoderate of the astir awesome archaeological sites successful Latin America. Talk to the gods — here’s our digest of the champion archaeological sites successful town.

Templo Mayor (Centro Histórico)

Objects related to ceremonial rites, spiritual ceremonies and ritual quality sacrifice are connected show astatine the Templo Mayor tract museum. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)

Designed by Mexican designer Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, the Templo Mayor archaeological tract is located successful the nonstop aforesaid spot wherever “the astir important ceremonial analyzable of the Mexica people” was erected, confirms the Cultural Information System (SIC). Originally, 2 majestic pyramids stood wherever the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral present stands. One was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the God of War, and the different to Tláloc, the God of Water. It is said that, aft the Spanish penetration successful the 16th century, astir of the chromatic utilized for these temples was utilized for gathering the cathedral successful the present-day Zócalo.

• Where? Seminario 8, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc.

Tlatelolco (Cuauhtémoc)

Throughout the centuries, the Tlatelolco quadrate has witnessed bloodshed, supplication and aggravated commerce — each successful the aforesaid place. (Andrea Murcia Monsivais/Cuartoscuro)

After Templo Mayor, the Tlatelolco archaeological tract is astir apt “the 2nd successful value successful Mexico City,” claims the capital’s government. Located successful the bosom of Plaza de las Tres Culturas, remains suggest it was founded astir the 14th century, “although determination is grounds that it was antecedently inhabited.” The tract is well-known for having held the greatest marketplace successful Mesoamerica, which provided México-Tenochtitlán with the goods its colonisation needed. Dozens of quality remains person been recovered successful the area, presumably belonging to the warriors who fought the Spaniards upon their arrival.

• Where? Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas S/N, Tlatelolco, Cuauhtémoc.

Adoratorio a Ehécatl (Metro Pino Suárez)

Only successful Mexico City tin you find shrines nestled successful the bowels of the subway, right? (Andrea Fischer)

The archetypal clip I visited Ehécatl’s Shrine, I was overwhelmed by the tumult. Hundreds of radical rushed done the Pino Suárez Station, seemingly unaware that there, conscionable earlier their eyes, was a pyramid. Originally a portion of “an extended Mexica ceremonial center,” as unearthed by the Mexico City Metro authorities, this temple was recovered by mishap during the operation works of the subway’s Line 2, astir 2010. INAH archaeologists determined that the shrine was dedicated to Ehécatl, the deity Quetzalcóatl’s upwind incarnation, owed to a figurine recovered connected apical of the main structure. Today, this is Mexico’s tiniest archaeological site.

• Where? José María Pino Suárez Station, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc.

Mixcoac (Benito Juárez)

Mixcóatl translates from Náhuatl arsenic “serpent of the clouds,” a cosmological notation to the Milky Way. (EViloria/Wikimedia Commons)

Originally founded connected the shores of Lake Texcoco, as noted by the Mexico City government, “it aboriginal became an important spiritual and devotional tract for the Mexica of the Triple Alliance” during the 15th century. Although lone a tiny fraction of the pre-Hispanic colony remains, tourists tin sojourn the pyramid dedicated to Mixcoatl, the deity of hunting. Remains amusement that this was a spot of solemnisation and worship, wherever the Tepanecs invited the inhabitants of Tenochtitlán and Tlatelolco to bask displays of creation and music.

• Where? Pirámide 7, San Pedro de los Pinos, Benito Juárez.

Cuicuilco (Tlalpan)

The archaeological tract of Cuicuilco successful Mexico City features 1 of the world’s fewer examples of a cylindrical pyramid. (Andrea Fischer)

Just arsenic it is not uncommon to find Mesoamerican temples adjacent to Catholic cathedrals successful Mexico City, it is besides imaginable to find archaeological complexes alongside highways. That is precisely the lawsuit with the Cuicuilco site. Now a nationalist earthy reserve — 1 of the fewer spots successful CDMX wherever you tin person a glimpse of what quality was similar earlier the Conquest — this was the location of the Cuicuilca radical during the Middle Preclassic period. Remains suggest this is the oldest tract successful cardinal Mexico, with the “first ceremonial halfway of the Valley of Mexico,” as documented by Mexico City’s government. After the unspeakable detonation of the Xitle volcano, however, their civilization was destroyed.

• Where? Av. Insurgentes Sur S/N, Espacio Ecológico Cuicuilco, Tlalpan.

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features table astatine Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to beryllium an advocator for thing that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.