A New Type of Archaic Ruins in Chiapas, Mexico

This report outlines the discovery, in 1953, of ruins in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. In ground plan, architecture and construction these ruins, so far as I can determine, show no obvious relationship to old empire Maya ruins some 100 miles to the east. Neither do they exhibit easily identified similarities with the Valley of Mexico sites. The ruin most thoroughly studied consists of a 200 by 680 foot integrated rock complex of very squat structures inclosed by a low wall or rampart. No structures exceed 15 feet in height. The commanding elevation of the complex was obtained by building in on top of a great, field-rock mound, which in turn was built on an elongated natural hill. At the base the mound is approximately 700 feet long, with a varying width between 300 and 400 feet. In one place, on the south side where the hill was indented, the mound is approximately 70 feet high. Its average height is probably about 25 feet

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Empire · Excavation · Foot (prosody) · Geography · Maya · Plan (archaeology) · Pottery · Geology · History · Mexican Socioeconomic and Environmental Dynamics