Palenque Ancient Jungle Ruins

 

Dating to 200 BCE, Palenque, in the state of Chiapas, was at its strongest between 500-700 CE before eventually succumbing to conflicts one to two centuries later. Today, steamy Palenque is rising from the jungle as more ancient buildings are discovered. Where howler monkeys scream for territory in the dense tropical canopy, archaeologists estimate that only 10% of the original city has been revealed.

Oaxaca

Archeologists have found evidence of humans dating to 11,000 BCE, nomadic peoples to 5000 BCE, and agriculture established by 2000 BCE. Ruins at Monte Alban and Mitla sites reveal one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica as the center of the Zapotec 500 BCE to 1000 CE. Sophisticated building, writing, calendar and agricultural irrigation led to an elite society and growing urban population. The skull with the turquoise mosaic came from Monte Alban, a rare ritual object representing the lord of the underworld. 

Later the Mixtec, Aztecs and the Spanish invaders and missionaries all came to the area over time. Its colonial buildings combined with its ancient and Mexican history (two Presidents came from this area), innovative textiles and handicrafts, and gastronomy such as mole negro have led to its global popularity. Large friendly skeleton figures and colorful buildings decorate the old town not only on the popular Mexican holiday of "El Dia de los Muertos" but throughout the year.



Puebla

Puebla was founded in 1532 as a Spanish settlement and became an important part of what was then "New Spain". At over 7,000 ft in elevation, it occupied a strategic trading location between Mexico City and the Port of Veracruz in the Gulf of Mexico. The most important historic building is the Catedral de Puebla completed in 1649. 

Puebla had a role in printing and distributing Mexico's plan for independence from Spain which Mexico won in 1821 after 11 years of bloodshed. In 1836, rebellious Texas declared its independence from Mexico (after Mexico abolished slavery). Texas was admitted to USA ten years later, precipitating the US-Mexico War. The USA, intent on Manifest Destiny, won the war with Mexico which resulted in their ceding half their entire land territory to USA including state of California and the southwest. (This set the stage for US Civil War over whether the new territories would become slave states.) 

In 1862, the victorious Battle of Puebla against the French became a symbol for the Mexican resistance of foreign domination, and is celebrated today as Cinco de Mayo.

Today, industrialized Puebla is Mexico's fourth largest city and a Unesco World Heritage site with an exciting culinary scene.  The world's largest Volkswagen factory outside Germany is also located in the metropolitan area along with many auto suppliers.

Teotihuacán

Teotihuacán, an hour outside Mexico City, was one of the largest ancient cities in the pre-Hispanic Americas, with a population, at one point, of over 150,000 people. Most likely, the site was built in the first century CE and eventually included different indigenous groups who migrated here. 

The Pyramids of the Moon and Sun and other elite palaces and apartments rise from the high altitude plateau with the long Avenue of the Dead the main boulevard. 

By 650 CE the city was deserted perhaps due to drought, famine, ethnic division, and ultimately revolution. Did geographic forces like a volcano or earthquake precipitate changes? Many mysteries remain. 

Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City

 

The largest in Mexico and one of the best worldwide, the Anthropology museum has twelve galleries, organized by region with El Paraguas installation (the Umbrella) in the center courtyard. A visit here sets the stage for understanding the complex pre-Columbian civilizations throughout the Mexican region including the history of the various groups and roles of astrology, the calendar, mathematics and even human sacrifice. Above right is the massive Aztec sun stone carved in the early 1500s by the Mexica group before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.