The burning is one of the most mysterious sites in Mexico. And their fire craters continue to baffle archaeologists

Mexico is a archaeological treasure And, although the Yucatan Peninsula be the one that usually monopolizes All eyes due to Mayan ruins and initiatives such as Mayan train for enhance tourismthe central area of Mesoamerica It is home to other relevant archaeological sites. One is the burned one, which is said to be the original place of The Aztecsand, although there are several mysteries associated with the place, a study He has focused on analyzing the enigmatic fire pits.

It is not known if it is where the Mexicans were born, but they have discovered when they lit and ventured to decipher for what they served.

Chicomóztoc. Located in a privileged central area of ​​Mexico, it seems clear that, due to its location, natural resources were abundant, being able to be a strategic area for nomadic peoples to supply. At some point in 300 AD A town settled in the placewhere what would later know as “the burned one” was founded. The site reached its peak towards the 800 AD, when it began to fortify strongly to compete against nearby locations, and took place until 1200 AD

It is estimated that it was then when a progressive abandonment and, When the Spaniards arrivedthey found ruins with numerous fire traces. Legend has it that, because of this, they baptized the site as “The burned”And it was Francisco Javier Clavijeroin 1780, who associated the site with the mythological original place of the Mexica: Chicomóztoc.

Part of the citadel and pyramid

The patio of columns

Archaeological zone. Located on a hill, the burned one has numerous architectural remains. Using mortar, stone and vegetable fiber, its inhabitants built a series of buildings whose purpose does not differ from that of many others Archaeological sites from Mexico. Thus, we have defensive structures such as a wall of four meters wide and up to six high, or one 70 -meter long ball courtbeing of the Longer Mexico.

Also ceremonial buildingslike the votive pyramid About 12 meters high, the Hall of Columns or an Observatory that would serve to monitor and that could also have had astronomical functions. The function of the different elements is more or less clear, but there is something that has confined archaeologists for a long time: huge holes.

The holes. The inhabitants of the burned were built in phases about the old structures, but something that stands out is that the recent analysis performed by archaeologists points out that the holes were used at all times. There are several, but they focused on five of them called from LQ1 to LQ5 and, through the Archeomagnetism techniqueThey have been able to identify when they were active.

This technique is like reading a fossil compass that allows you to know how many years a clay or stone material has been very heated. When this occurs, internal minerals are oriented according to the Earth’s magnetic field At that time, being “recorded” the orientation forever. It is something that allows the rocks to be dated and find out when it was the last time that element was heated.

Thus, they identified that the LQ4 and LQ5 holes were used in the apogee era, between 675 AD and 903 of the LQ1 was lit between 927 AD and 1101 AD and the LQ2 showed more confusing data, but they estimate that it can be the oldest. And from LQ3 no data were obtained.

Mystery. Several theories have been established on their use, some pointing to harvesting ceremoniesothers linked to change of stations and also those that suggest that they were torches for night ceremonies. This mystery will be difficult to solve, but as we read in The green compassLQ1 is the one that has caught the attention of researchers. “Its date coincides with the collapse of the site, so perhaps the rituals persisted until the end, as a symbolic farewell,” they say. In addition, it is the closest to the votive pyramid.

The different dates of use of the holes, however, reinforce that theory that abandonment was gradual and that, even in the last moments, “the fire could be a way to keep the memory of the place alive.” As we say, it will be difficult to clarify What kind of ceremonies were celebrated In them, but the next step of the project is to study the rest of holes that have not yet been excavated.

Images | Google Maps, Tianiser, Javierdo

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