Huamango
Archeological site
Huamango
This important Otomi settlement was built in the upper part of the plateau of San Miguel which was a perfect site for monitoring movements in the valley of Acambay, or Los Espejos, in the State of Mexico.
The ancient inhabitants of Huamango confronted a terrain that was difficult to build on. This difficulty was skillfully handled by means of artificial leveling and the preparation of wide terraces, over which the people built plinths, pyramids and residential platforms. The site is principally arranged with defensive needs in mind. This was the reason why setback walls were built, which in certain sections reached a height approaching seven feet.
In general terms the site covered an area close to 15 acres. It is divided into two architectural complexes located in the far west (A) and east (B) of the plateau. Complex A has a plinth with two volumes overlain with a stairway, known as The Palace. Complex B consists of a plinth for a temple with three superimposed volumes. The structure is known as the Temple of the Warrior. In front of this building there is a small altar, while in the surrounding area there were several platforms for residential use.
The research into this archeological site has led to the tentative dating of two periods of occupation, from 900 to 1100 AD and from 1200 to 1300 AD. In terms of the first, there are similarities with the site of Tula (incense burners, braziers and pots which were used for burial offerings), while the second period correlates to the sites of Teotenango and Calixtlahuaca.
Up to the present the excavation of Huamango has focused on the civic-ceremonial center made up of religious and residential structures with an area of 650 feet from north to south and 1,000 feet from east to west. We know that both the temples and the dwellings were roofed, with a structure of laths (morillos) over which a thick layer of mud was placed to create a perfect seal. Some of the monuments were also covered with small rectangular slabs. All covered spaces used to have stucco floors; fireplaces have also been found, which were used for the preparation of food and to warm the rooms.
The archeological material found in these excavations, including some incense burners was taken to the Antonio Ruiz Pérez Museum (opened in 1999) located in the municipal town of Acambay.
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Conjunto Oeste A
The Palace: It consists of two bodies that were covered with a wall of flagstones and with a central stairway to the west. On its east and north sides there is a 30 cm wide sidewalk.
Conjunto Oeste A
The Palace: It consists of two bodies that were covered with a wall of flagstones and with a central stairway to the west. On its east and north sides there is a 30 cm wide sidewalk. In the superior part of this basement there were found indications of the construction of a temple-habitation, composed of a corridor to the front with three clearings of entrance, separated by two wooden pilasters that gave access to a great space in whose interior there were two fireplaces or tlecuiles.
Altar: It is located to the west of the Palace, in the center of a square, which in turn is surrounded by foundations of houses on platforms. It has two stairways, one to the east and the other to the west.
Conjunto Este B
Housing platforms: On them was a residential complex formed by rooms around small patios. Among the elements found inside are pots, a fragment of a spoon, knives, scrapers and a hearth.
Conjunto Este B
Housing platforms: On them was a residential complex formed by rooms around small patios. Among the elements found inside are pots, a fragment of a spoon, knives, scrapers and a hearth.
Temple of the Warrior: It consists of three superimposed stepped bodies with stairway and alfarda to access by the west side. It was identified as a temple due to its shape and height, as well as the ceramics found and the human remains burned and deposited in vessels. Currently it serves as a base for a cross; the stones that were removed from the structure were used to build the adjacent Catholic chapel. Very close to this construction a tombstone with the representation of a warrior was found.
