

	Archaeology Tours in Mexico Check out our tour porortfolio if you are interested in exploring Mexico's archaeology. Mexico's archaeological history dates back to nearly 21,000 years. It is said that Mexico's first inhabitants came from Asia through the Bering strait, a trek that probably started around 70,000 years ago. These ancient people were animal and wild plant eaters. Usually they hunted small or medium sized animals. Mexico's first great ancient civilization were the Olmecs, who inhabited the region known today as Tabasco and Veracruz. Their importance relies in the fact that they provided artistical, technical and religious instructions for those civilizations that followed them. The olmec culture is particularly known for their stone carvings, with the massive stone heads as their main representations. These massive heads have negroid and mongoliod features, and some archeologists have suggested these features as a part of the olmec ethnic characteristics. Some of the lives of these ancient Mexicans are surrounded by mysteries. Consider for instance the Xochicalco Ruins in Morelos. This archeological area comprises nearly 1544 hectares, which include a palace, a ball court, a pyramid, and a network of caves and passageways. The ethnic identity of this site is still unknown, Mexico is full of these unusual glimpses of a long departed era. Montealbán, located close to Oaxaca city, is the oldest site of Post-Olmec culture. Archeologically speaking, the history of Montealbán is divided into 5 different periods, starting at approximately 300 B.C. until the spanish conquest in the XVIth century. The Zapotec, people who still live in the valley of Oaxaca until today, arrived to this site at the start of the second period. The Zapotect built the long, low "palaces" at Mitla. The geometrical patters suggest textile designs and resemble the Mayan stone latticework at Uxmal in the Yucatan. El Tajin, located in what is known today as the state of Veracruz, is another cultural site whose construction began during the latter part of the Olmec era. The first occupants were Huastecs, a branch of the Mayans but separated geographically from their cousins. It has been detirmined that the Mayans and the Huastecs who spoke the same language, split into two groups some 3200 years ago, which was around the time when the Olmec culture began. The Aztec culture emerged in central Mexico during the 1300 A.D. The religious center of Teotihuacan was already a ghost town by the time the ancient Aztecs arrived to this place. Regardless if it being in ruins, the Aztec people believed that the sun and the Moon were created in this place, and therefore called the site "The place of the gods". Quetzalcoatl's cult, who was the most important god of the mesoamerican culture developed in Teotihuacan; where the most important structure is dedicated to him. The Mayan equivalent to Quetzalcoatl is Kukulcan. Undoubtedly, the Mayas were among the World's best architechts and and artists. There is a sense of mystery in Mayan ruins. Some people attribute their culture to ancient egyptian or Isralite influence. For centuries after the Spanish conquest, people could not believe that simple Mayan farmers in the lowlands of the Yucatan or the highlands of Chiapas were the descendants of the creators of the Mayan culture. Mayan civilization reached its maximum height during the Classic period. In General, the buildings are of harmonious proportions, often beautifully decorated with stone carvings. The main sites are dominated by pyramids which sometimes contain burial Chambers like in Palenque. The domnant theme of Mayan civilisation was the passage of time. No other culture at that time had such an exact knowledge of the calendar. The Mayas calculated the solar years at 365.2422 days and the moon's period at 29.5209 days. Both figures are so accurate that it was only in the 20th century that scientists came up with slightly more exact figures. Ads Submit Articles - Free Website Content Need free content? Check out the library of copyright free articles at ArticleGeek.com.

Archaeology Tours in Mexico

Check out our tour porortfolio if you are interested in exploring Mexico's archaeology. Mexico's archaeological history dates back to nearly 21,000 years. It is said that Mexico's first inhabitants came from Asia through the Bering strait, a trek that probably started around 70,000 years ago. These ancient people were animal and wild plant eaters. Usually they hunted small or medium sized animals.

Mexico's first great ancient civilization were the Olmecs, who inhabited the region known today as Tabasco and Veracruz. Their importance relies in the fact that they provided artistical, technical and religious instructions for those civilizations that followed them. The olmec culture is particularly known for their stone carvings, with the massive stone heads as their main representations. These massive heads have negroid and mongoliod features, and some archeologists have suggested these features as a part of the olmec ethnic characteristics.

Some of the lives of these ancient Mexicans are surrounded by mysteries. Consider for instance the Xochicalco Ruins in Morelos. This archeological area comprises nearly 1544 hectares, which include a palace, a ball court, a pyramid, and a network of caves and passageways. The ethnic identity of this site is still unknown, Mexico is full of these unusual glimpses of a long departed era.

Montealbán, located close to Oaxaca city, is the oldest site of Post-Olmec culture. Archeologically speaking, the history of Montealbán is divided into 5 different periods, starting at approximately 300 B.C. until the spanish conquest in the XVIth century. The Zapotec, people who still live in the valley of Oaxaca until today, arrived to this site at the start of the second period. The Zapotect built the long, low "palaces" at Mitla. The geometrical patters suggest textile designs and resemble the Mayan stone latticework at Uxmal in the Yucatan.

El Tajin, located in what is known today as the state of Veracruz, is another cultural site whose construction began during the latter part of the Olmec era. The first occupants were Huastecs, a branch of the Mayans but separated geographically from their cousins. It has been detirmined that the Mayans and the Huastecs who spoke the same language, split into two groups some 3200 years ago, which was around the time when the Olmec culture began.

The Aztec culture emerged in central Mexico during the 1300 A.D. The religious center of Teotihuacan was already a ghost town by the time the ancient Aztecs arrived to this place. Regardless if it being in ruins, the Aztec people believed that the sun and the Moon were created in this place, and therefore called the site "The place of the gods". Quetzalcoatl's cult, who was the most important god of the mesoamerican culture developed in Teotihuacan; where the most important structure is dedicated to him.

The Mayan equivalent to Quetzalcoatl is Kukulcan. Undoubtedly, the Mayas were among the World's best architechts and and artists. There is a sense of mystery in Mayan ruins. Some people attribute their culture to ancient egyptian or Isralite influence. For centuries after the Spanish conquest, people could not believe that simple Mayan farmers in the lowlands of the Yucatan or the highlands of Chiapas were the descendants of the creators of the Mayan culture.

Mayan civilization reached its maximum height during the Classic period. In General, the buildings are of harmonious proportions, often beautifully decorated with stone carvings. The main sites are dominated by pyramids which sometimes contain burial Chambers like in Palenque. The domnant theme of Mayan civilisation was the passage of time. No other culture at that time had such an exact knowledge of the calendar. The Mayas calculated the solar years at 365.2422 days and the moon's period at 29.5209 days. Both figures are so accurate that it was only in the 20th century that scientists came up with slightly more exact figures.

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