Mexico's Ancient Civilizations
The sites represented here symbolize some of the largest, most impressive sites in the country, and stand out from the rest in their sheer size and magnificence. Other important archaeological ruin sites that you can visit in Mexico, include: Calakmul, Ek Balam, Yaxchilan, Bonampak, Coba, Edzna, Chicanna, El Rey, Chacchoben, El Tajin, Xochicalco, Mitla, Tula, Templo Mayor, and Labna.
Chichen Itza, Yucatan - El Castillo Temple
Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, Chichen Itza thrived between 600-1200 AD. It served as the northern capital city and major economic power for the Mayans.
Mexico is home to seven major ancient civilizations and cultures, including: The Maya, Toltec, Aztec, Teotihuacan, Olmec, Zapotec, and Mixtec. They are referred to as “Mesoamerica,” and shared similar systems including writing, a calendar, building temples on “pyramids” or platforms, agriculture and playing ball games
There are over 180 archaeological ruin sites you can visit in Mexico that are open to the public. These 180 sites are only a very small portion of the 29,000 total archaeological ancient sites in Mexico. Many of these sites are designated UNESCO World Patrimony Sites, because they are considered to provide insight into mankind’s origins and evolution.
Chichen Itza, Yucatan
Located on the Yucatan Peninsula, Chichen Itza thrived between 600-1200 AD. It served as the northern capital city and major economic power for the Mayans.
Chichen Itza - Chac Mool Altar
The monumental stone sculptural human form known as a “Chacmool” first appeared suddenly in Mesoamerica, probably around the 9th century in the Yucatan at Chichen Itza. Always a male figure, he effortlessly holds a unique and challenging pose resting recumbent on his back, legs drawn up, knees bent, and feet flat on the ground, with his upper torso elevated.
Chichen Itza - Temple of Columns
Uxmal, Yucatan
Unlike many other Mayan cities that were designed using geometry, Uxmal was designed using astronomy. The Pyramid of the Magician is the most impressive structure at Uxmal. It stands 35-meters high and was built in five stages between 500-900 A.D.
Uxmal - Casa de las Monjas (House of Nuns)
Uxmal - Casa de las Monjas Quadrangle
Uxmal Temple
Palenque - Temple of 10 Steps
Palenque - Pyramid of Inscriptions
Palenque Courtyard Tower
Palenque Ruins
Qaxaca - Monte Alban Ruins
Monte Albán was founded in the 6th Century B.C. overlooking the city of Oaxaca. It was a Zapotec capital for 13 centuries between 500 B.C. and 800 A.D., and is one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica.
Cuernavaca - Ruins of Xochicalco Ball-Courts (Teotlachtli)
The city of Xochicalco was founded in about 650 A.D. by the Olmeca-Xicallanca, a Mayan group of traders.
Mexico City - Plaza de las Tres Culturas
The Plaza de las Tres Culturas (“Square of the Three Cultures”) represents the architectural legacy of three cultural facets: the Aztec pyramids of Tlatelolco, the 17th-century Spanish Templo de Santiago and the modern tower that houses the Centro Cultural Universitario.
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