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Xochicalco Part 1: "The Place of the House of Flowers"
The Great Pyramid of Xochicalco. This imposing structure looks directly south over the Plaza of the Two-Glyph Stela on the southern end of the ancient city. Visiting this World Heritage Site was a high...
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Xochicalco Part 2: Plaza of the Stela of the Two Glyphs
The plaza gained its name from the stela in the center of this altar. A stela is an upright stone on which images ("glyphs") are carved, painted, or sometimes formed using a stucco overlay. Stelae are...
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Xochicalco Part 3: The Plaza of Porticos & Staircases and the Temple of the...
Altar and sunken courtyard atop the Temple of the Three Stelae. The temple (also known as the Pyramid of the Stelae and the Palace of the Stars) is located in the southeast corner of the great...
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Xochicalco Part 4: Dwellings and artifacts of the elite
Stone bust of a member of Xochicalco's elite. When I snapped a quick shot of this sculpture, I thought it looked a bit odd, with its jowly face and unusual slanted eyes. Later, when I enlarged the...
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Xochicalco Part 5: The enigmatic Pirámide de Quetzalcoatl
Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent, named for the Creator God, Quetzalcoatl. The god gets the first part of his name from the Quetzal, a bird highly valued by the ancients for its colorful plumage and long...
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Xochicalco Part 6: The Acropolis' ceremonial areas
View of the ruler's palace called the Acropolis, looking southwest. The large grassy space in the lower left quadrant of the photo is part of the Plaza Principal. Archaeologists believe that the...
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Xochicalco Part 7: The ruler's residence within the Acropolis
Clay emblem of Tlaloc, the rain god. In addition to altars in temples, pyramids, and other ceremonial areas, each household had an altar. Images like the one above have been found around residential...
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Xochicalco Part 8: The North Ball Court ceremonial complex
The North Ball Court viewed from the east end. The ceremonial complex that includes the Juego de Pelota Norte (North Ball Court) lies along the base of the high wall that borders the north sides of the...
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Xochicalco Part 9 of 9: The East Ceremonial Complex and its Ball Court
The East Ball Court's Ceremonial Complex, looking northeast. The photo was taken from the top of the Temple of the Three Stelae. In the upper right is a rectangular pyramid overlooking a large grassy...
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The Sonajero & Chayacate dancers of Tuxpan's Candelaria Fiesta
Sonajero dancers enter the atrium of Tuxpan's church. Each colonia (neighborhood) fields its own troupe of dancers. The group above was one of many approaching from all parts of town as the Fiesta de...
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The Magic Pueblo of Tequisquiapan
Templo Santa María de la Asunción, seen through Plaza Hidalgo's arches. In April of this year, Carole and I set off to explore the area east of Mexico City and north of Puebla, about eight-hours by car...
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Teotihuacán's Great Citadel and its Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent
Plumed Serpent heads adorn the oldest pyramid within the Citadel, giving it a name. After stopping overnight in Tequisquiapan (see previous posting), Carole and I continued on to the famous ruins of...
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Teotihuacán: The Avenue of the Dead & the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon
View to the north, up the Avenue of the Dead. The Avenue ends at the Pyramid of the Moon, seen in the distance, with the mountain called Cerro Gordo in the background. The Pyramid of the Sun stands to...
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Teotihuacán: The elite living areas along the Avenue of the Dead
How the Teotihuacanos saw themselves. This greenstone funerary mask is one of many found at Teotihuacán. At one time, the eyes may have been filled with conch or abalone shell, giving the face an...
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Teotihuacan: Murals of the Palace of Tetitla
The Jade Goddess is one of the stunning murals decorating the walls of the Palace of Tetitla. Like all the murals here, this one is painted on a red background of specular hematite, a pigment that...
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Teotihuacan: The military academy at Palacio Atetelco
Mural of a "net-jaguar" consuming a human heart. This mysterious creature gets its name from the net-like lines on its body, which may suggest transparency, even magical invisibility. Net-jaguars are...
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Teotihuacan: Palacio Tepantitla, abode of the priests
A chanting Priest sows seeds as a fertility offering. Palacio Tepantitla is another example of the 2000+ apartment compounds that once made up Teotihuacán's urban area. Only a handful of these...
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Teotihuacán's master artisans
Almena showing a bird with water pouring from its beak. The image of a creature from the natural world with water pouring from its mouths is a recurrent theme at Teotihuacán. Architectural features...
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Tlaxcala Part 1: Small, beautiful, and full of history
This is one of several whimsical sculptures in Plaza de la Constitución. After our visit to the ancient ruins of Teotihuacán, we headed to Tlaxcala de Xicoténcatl, the capital of the State of...
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Tlaxcala Part 2: Parroquia San José, a splendid mix of Neo-Classic and Baroque
A king dances on a massive retablo in the main nave. He was one of a row of four royal figures, all in similar poses. Close examination has convinced me that he is San Luis, also known as King Louis IX...
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