Cuicuilco Circular Pyramid: Ancient Astronomical Observatory And Place Of Power

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Before being destroyed and abandoned in 50 B.C. by a volcanic eruption, Cuicuilco was an important ancient site on the southern shore of Lake Texcoco in the southeastern Valley of Mexico.

Today, an entire ancient city is buried beneath the ashes, but one structure survived -  the Cuicuilco circular pyramid.

What is left of the remains of Cuicuilco city is buried and preserved in the lava flow. But one pyramid, a circular pyramid showing designs of an agricultural system, was preserved, with the lava flow flowing around it. Image credit: Siebe, 2000

Cuicuilco's circular pyramid was an imposing sight. This ancient structure was nearly 20 meters high and more than 110 meters across. The pyramid was raised as a religious monument, crowned by a temple built on the terminal platform, and surrounded by tombs. The building of such a structure required a protracted and organized effort under the command of the priests.

It also served as an ancient astronomical observatory. Scientists discovered that at Cuicuilco, when observing the circular pyramid, the Sun rises on March 23 and September 20 above a mountain peak on the eastern horizon.

Cuicuilco was initially founded as a farming village at about the same time as Coapexco, about 1100 B.C. It had one of the earliest irrigation systems in the Central Mexican highlands. In time, the place grew larger and larger, and by 200 BC, Cuicuilco was one of the most important and larger centers in Central Mexico. It has been estimated that its area covered approximately 400 ha, with 20,000 people.

Mural depicting the Cuicuilco civilization in the past. Image credit: revistabuenviaje.com

According to ancient Nahuatl translations, Cuicuilco is interpreted as the 'Place of Power' or the 'Place of the Rainbow' and the 'place where they make songs and dances.

The circular pyramid was first discovered in 1920 by archaeologist Manuel Gamio. The first investigations at Cuicuilco were carried out by Byron Cumming, between 1923 and 1924. Cumming found the civic core of the site and the main pyramid.

In the 1990s, archeological digs at this site could shed even more light on the location of the buried city of Cuicuilco.

Archaeological excavations revealed that this place served as religious site. Stone offerings were found, and the use of ceramics as grave goods. The most significant find was charcoal samples found under the layer of lava.

The city grew around a large ceremonial center with pyramids and an associated urban area with plazas and avenues bordering a series of small, shallow pools.

The last eruption of the volcano Xitle took place in the 2nd century, and lava covered the site as far as 10 meters deep. The ancient city of Cuicuilco was destroyed; people left the area, leading to the spread of their culture.

The glory and power of Cuicuilco were buried beneath the ashes.

Volcano Xitle - Image credit: Wikipedia

Circular pyramids are not as unusual as they might seem. A great, ancient archaeological site, Guachimontones ('Los Guachimontones'), is located just outside the modest little town of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, 43 kilometers (26 miles) west of Guadalajara, Mexico.

At first, very little was known about who had built this remarkable place with rounded pyramids, several conical mounds or pyramids, terraced patios surrounded by circular ball games, a theater,  some terraces, buildings, and sophisticated ancient shaft tombs, dated to the first century AD.

The graves had small burial chambers at the bottom of vertical cuts up to 60 feet deep.

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

Updated on October 11, 2022

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