Huapalcalco

The earliest cave paintings in the area are located at the Huiztle hill and Huapalcalco plateau; these cave paintings transmit testimony of primitive groups’ life experiences in representations of men, schematic outlines, and astronomical figures dating back to 9,000 BCE.[5]

A lizard and men are portrayed. A man is depicted in the act of throwing a prehistoric version of the atlátl spear, a javelin-like weapon used with an arm extension, with a type of large spoon dart in the end, it was used mainly to hunt ducks that must have existed by the thousands in the lagoon located west of the site.[5]

These were hunter-gatherer men that did not have animals in captivity but knew how to hunt and use fire to cook.[5]

The Huapalcalco (or Coapalcallico) City was punished by the Gods, the punishment was imposed because their people were not able to defend it against invaders and were conquered by other civilizations, they constructed buildings over their structures.[6]

The Gods were angry by such a situation, hence they completely buried the city, a city that was very expansive, covering an area about 10 km², which would include the area of what today is from Huapalcalco up to Abra, Santiago and Acatlán.[6]

There was only one solution to remove the curse, the Gods said to the Shamans, the curse could only be removed on June 24 at midnight, at such exact time a bridge would appear between both Coapalcallico hills, over the Main Pyramid.[6]

And only at that instant, a man, woman, boy or girl with the purest and bravest soul could cross it and pull on a gold chain that would appear in the other side of the bridge and after pulling on the chain, the city, buried by the curse of the Gods would reappear.[6]

The mid-classical period ended in Northern Mesoamerica with the decline of Teotihuacan ca 700 CE. This allowed regional centers of power to flourish and compete for control of trade routes and the exploitation of natural resources. In this way the late Classic era commenced. As stated above, this was a time of political fragmentation during which no city had complete hegemony. Various population movements occurred during this period, caused by the incursion of groups from Aridoamerica and other northern regions, who pushed the older populations of Mesoamerica toward the south. Among these new groups were the Nahua, who would found the cities of Tula and Tenochtitlan, the two most important capitals of the Postclassical era. In addition to the migrations from the north, southern peoples finally established themselves in the center of Mexico. Among these were the Olmec-Xicalanca, who came from the Yucatán Peninsula and founded Cacaxtla and Xochicalco.

The term Olmec-Xicalancas refers to a particular culture (not to be confused with the pre-classical Olmec civilization), whom occupied and influenced the nearby areas. A unique difference between the Olmec-Xicalancas groups [and other Mesoamerican cities] were that each group (city-state) would have been governed by a tahualz, a King or ruler, independent of each other. In reality, they had two tahualz for each city-state.

They had a writing system that at least included 10 signs, pictograms of the Sun, the Moon, a tree, a field harvest, a person, etc. Religion would have been polytheistic. The most important was the Sun God called different in both villages.

Other Olmec-Xicalanca Sites:

• Cantona (Mesoamerican site)
• Cacaxtla
• Cholula (Mesoamerican site)
• Xochicalco

The northwestern sector, perhaps the most important, was explored in 1954 by archaeologist Florencia Jacobs Müller and Cesar Lizardi Ramos. After nine expeditions, concluding in 1959, they discovered a pyramidal monument complex with evident Teotihuacán influence and a plaza with a Stele (Mayan influence), Totonac yokes and a round altar.[1]

The remarkable finding of Totonac yokes shows the influence of the Gulf of Mexico coastal cultures, as well as the discovery of a sculpture of the Teotihuacan God of fire.[1]

An important finding was achieved when excavating the deepest part of one of the buildings, it consisted of arrowheads meserve type, that correspond to a pre-ceramic culture 7,000 BCE., and whose chronology matches a hand axe found of prehistoric type in the remains of a burnt cave in cliffs of "el Tecolote" hill, where also were found cave paintings of geometric human character predominating the red color, demonstrating the presence of Paleolithic man (approximately 10,000 BCE) in Huapalcalco.[1]

A recent finding on the highest part of "El Tecolote" hill, located at the south-eastern corner, consisting of a pyramid foundation built with stone slabs and stucco finishing. A symmetrical monument, not yet explored, is located at the north-east corner, at the other side of the ravine, natives know the place as "iglesias viejas".[1]

Huapalcalco has a 39 hectares extension, where more than 55 families currently live; within this area is the Archaeological Site in an enclosed 4 hectares perimeter.[3]

Topographic map of Huapalcalco.

Huapalcalco is a Nahuatl word, huapalli, "board or small beam "; calli, "house", y co, location proposition. Means "place of the wooden house ".[1]

The Huapalcalco Glyph represents a battlement building, with three doors, apparently made from wood, different from the common calli glyph, is the graphical idea of huapalcalli [vapalcalli], which means "tent or house of tables." Huapal calli, is composed of calli, house, and huapalli or huapalitl, board or small beam: Huapal cal co, "in the house of boards, "or the wooden building".[4]

The site features a Teotihuacan influenced three-sided pyramid, 12 meters base by 8 meters high, with an altar that possibly was used for sacrificial offerings.[3]

There are approximately 28 knolls: small pyramids buried, in which no archaeological work has been made.

The hill slope is divided by a ravine that divides the two sectors, this place is where Friar Bernardino de Sahagún passed and described it saying that it "has crystalline water cascades, at the foot stones, women were washing clothes while children swam and plunged into water".[3]

Over the ravine stones are the cave paintings, which are difficult to see, these are dispersed over the "Cerro La Mesa" behind the pyramid. It is sad that graffiti has reached them, making them in some points confusing. Also white crosses are painted in the stone by current inhabitants of the place, namely to scare away witches and nahuales.[3]

On the slope, between rocky crags, the walls sink shaping the well-known caves of the place; villagers usually place altars to honor their dead. In front of the "Tecolote" Cave, the remains of a prehistoric man was found, according to carbon 14 tests made, this man lived here 10 thousand years ago. The remains are kept in the National Museum of Anthropology and History of Mexico City, in the Prehistoric Room.[3]

Vandals destroyed the Huapalcalco archaeological zone, considered one of Tulancingo cultural patrimonies.[9]

Stones originating from the pre-Hispanic ruins of the Huapalcalco archaeological zone, in the municipality of Tulancingo, have been used for the construction of houses by people living around the site. This happened due to the evident negligence on the part of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) state delegation.[10]

The archaeological site appeared to be forgotten and neglected without regular maintenance.[11] This contributed to signs of vandalism in the area, putting the Huapalcalco cave paintings (more than 10 thousand years old) in danger from graffiti, bonfire soot, acts of vandalism and employee neglect.[11]

Arriving to the site was difficult. On a side of the federal highway to Tuxpan, that crosses the city of Tulancingo, there is a deviation to Huapalcalco, where a rusty signboard welcomes people to the archaeological zone and cave paintings. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) logo was barely visible.[11]

As of a visit in January, 2014, the road to the site is marked visibly with blue INAH signs and there are staff onsite to assist visitors.