Cuicuilco - History

History

Cuicuilco was originally founded as a farming village, but presents evidence of early religious practices including stone offerings and the use of ceramics as grave goods. The city grew around a large ceremonial center with pyramids and an associated urban area that included plazas and avenues bordering a series of small, shallow pools. These pools were fed by runoff from the nearby hills of Zacayuca and Zacaltepetl. Population at the city's peak is estimated at 20,000 people. Site features include terraces, various buildings, fortifications, and irrigation ditches and canals. The main known structure is a pyramidal basement built about 800–600 BCE.

Although this site produced a new ceramic tradition (around 600–200 BCE), it is considered that the overall site area was developed by several generations inhabiting the place.

Archaeological evidence, ceramic and structures, indicate that Cuicuilco developed during the first millennium BCE, during the Preclassical, as a small settlement, its inhabitants interacted with other sites, in the Mexico basin as well as relatively distant regions, e.g. Chupicuaro to the West and Monte Albán Southeast.

Estimated Cuicuilco occupation periods, at best may be considered tentative. The earliest occupation is estimated in 1200 BCE, there were many farmers’ villages of similar configuration and space distribution. During the period 1000–800 BCE conical structures with oval base were built. The specialists call these sites regional capitals considering that had higher hierarchy and functioned as integration centers, eventually became larger regional capitals.

If the great pyramid of Cuicuilco is an expression of this increment, then this level of development was reached between 800–600 BC, when was built. If true, the proto-urban characteristics might have extended to the late Preclassical, the Cuicuilco weakening between 100 BCE and 1 CE. Time when development of Teotihuacan began, that became and important Classical period urban center.