Teotenango

[1][3] At its height, the city was densely population with a main road about 1,400 meters long, pyramidal platforms, palaces, a ballgame court, formidable defenses, drainage and water delivery systems.[3][4] Tetepetl Hill is a sharp rise from the Valley of the Matlatzinco running along the west side of the modern town of Tenango de Arista in the State of Mexico.It forms an elongated mesa, with steep slopes on the north and east sides, varying in height from 70 to 250 meters that serve as natural defenses.[1] With the exception of this corner of the mesa, the entire hill is covered by a layer of dark gray solidified lava, the result of a volcanic eruption that occurred approximately 10,000 years ago.From early pre-Hispanic times, this valley was an important settlement area for a number of ethnic groups, whose economic and cultural development was strongly influenced by the natural resources that existed here.Trade routes through the valley brought valued commodities such as salt, tropical fruits, semiprecious stones and ocean products such as shells.[2] The site experienced five periods of occupation and development, extending over 1,000 years and ending when the Spanish forced the resettlement of the population to the valley floor below.show simultaneous occupation of both the Ojo de Agua site and the northern edge of Tetepetl Hill, by the same ethnic group.She contacted the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) center for the region, at the time directed by Román Piña Chan, who decided to convert Tomasi's idea into a state project to gain finance and support from then-governor Carlos Hank Gonzalez.[2] Another area that was left unexcavated was the initial Teotenanca settlement, Ojo de Agua, on the valley floor on the north side of Tetepetl Hill.The name of the plaza and the building come from a sculpted stone found at the northeast corner of the Serpent Base, formed in the shape of a snake's head.This museum offers a general overview of the cultural development of the highlands of Mexico, from the first human settlements to the highly stratified societies which characterized the post-classic period, with special emphasis on Teotenango.The museum is operated by the Instituto Mexiquense de Cultura (Mexico State Institute of Culture) and is located in Tenango del Valle at the entrance to the archeological site.[6] The museum's largest collection is of pieces from the era after the Matlatzinca conquest, including copper utensils, stone tools and sculptures.Lastly, it contains some pieces from other sites, such as stone tools, clay figures and animal-shaped jars from Tlatilco, a small, very early settlement in the Valley of Mexico.[5] One of the famous finds during excavation of the site was the "panhuehuetl" or musical drum of Teotenango, made of wood and decorated with a buzzard fighting an eagle, representing the struggle between the Teotenancas-Matlatzincas and the Aztecs for dominance in the area.Second, a series of constitutional reforms since that time has sought to encourage more direct participation of state and local authorities in the preservation and management of archeological sites and other monuments to Mexico's culture and history.However, as the reforms passed, INAH issued warnings about the Teotenango site's vulnerability to encroachment due to the urban development taking place in Tenango del Valle.