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  • INAH- Zona Arqueológica de Huapalcalco
    INAH- Zona Arqueológica de Huapalcalco
  • INAH- Zona Arqueológica de Huapalcalco
    INAH- Zona Arqueológica de Huapalcalco
Huapalcalco
Place of the wooden house
The earliest archeological site in Hidalgo, with remains of cave paintings and a dramatic backdrop formed by sheer rock faces.
About the site

The site of Huapalcalco, the most important archeological zone in the valley of Tulancingo, had five stages of inhabitation. The earliest dates back to prehistoric times, and specifically to the early Neolithic period. Important finds include the Meserve-type projectile points and a hand-axe dated to around 7000 BC, as well as cave paintings on the outcrops of the Mesa and Tecolote hills.

The second phase of occupation can be seen in a group of houses dated to the Late Preclassic, while the third consists of a settlement represented by Structure VI, with similar architecture to that found in Teotihuacan. The monuments and ceramic artefacts from the Epiclassic period (650 to 900 AD) could represent the forerunners of the Toltec culture. Here we can glimpse the first historical indications of Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, the celebrated priest of the “Plumed Serpent” god, who was to become the most powerful ruler of Tula, the Toltec capital.

The site’s importance is clearly evident given the extraction of obsidian from the El Pizarrín mountain range and also because it was a regional center that functioned as a waypoint between the Valley of Mexico and the highland Huasteca region.

The fourth phase of inhabitation corresponds to the Late Postclassic, a time characterized by the use ceramic materials of the third and fourth Aztec periods in the Valley of Mexico. Some of the most interesting objects found at the site include yokes of Totonac origin and a sculpture of the Old God of Fire.

307236
INAH-FN
10,000 a.C. - 900

Preclásico a Clásico Tardío
700 - 900

Clásico Tardío

Did you know...
  • Brigitte Boehm de Lamieras, a researcher who has studied the origin of the State in Mesoamerica, has proposed that the origins of the Toltec state can be traced back to Huapalcalco.
  • The culture of those who built Huapalcalco has not been definitively confirmed, but the period has been identified as coming after Teotihuacan and before the Toltec civilization.
An expert point of view
Carlos Hernández Reyes
Carlos Hernández Reyes
Centro INAH Hidalgo
Archeological site
Huapalcalco
Practical information
Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00 hrs.

Free entry


  • No Smoking
  • No entry with food
  • Pets not allowed
Se localiza al norte de Tulancingo, Hidalgo.

From the city of Pachuca, take Federal Highway 130 towards Tulancingo; 2 km before reaching this town, take the turn off to the north. Continue for 3 km until you reach the new junction that leads to the town of Huapalcalco.

Services
  • Visitas guiadas
  • +52 (771) 714 39 89; +52 (771) 714 35 20
  • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Director del Centro Inah de Hidalgo
Héctor Alvarez Santiago
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+52 (771) 714 35 20, ext. 228013
1734
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INAH- Zona Arqueológica de Huapalcalco
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INAH- Zona Arqueológica de Huapalcalco
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Altiplano Central
Se encuentra en la comunidad de Huapalcalco, aproximadamente a 8 kilómetros al norte del municipio de Tulancingo de Bravo.
Sobre la ladera poniente del cerro El Tecolote, encontramos un conjunto de monumentos piramidales con marcada influencia teotihuacana y una plaza con una estela y un altar discoidal. En este sitio fueron hallados yugos totonacas que manifiestan la influencia de las culturas de la costa del Golfo de México, así como el descubrimiento de una escultura del dios del fuego teotihuacano.
El joven guerrero y artista Ce Acatl Topiltzin construyó aquí su Huapalcalli (casa de madera); posteriormente se trasladó a Tollan y ahí fue jefe y sacerdote del pueblo tolteca.
The earliest archeological site in Hidalgo, with remains of cave paintings and a dramatic backdrop formed by sheer rock faces.
Lugar de la casa de madera
Place of the wooden house

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