Highway to Rancho Colorado–Chalchihuites–Zacatecas, Chalchihuites, Zacatecas, Mexico
Finest example of the Chalchihuite Culture. Possibly founded by priests emigrated from Teotihuacan to the plains of Zacatecas, the museum houses a rich collection of finely made instruments, jewellery, figures and offerings, including the symbol of the eagle and the serpent.
This archeological museum, opened in 2007, exhibits the remains of the pre-Hispanic culture of Chalchihuites, with around 350 archeological finds from the excavations. It provides a clear view of the daily life and beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of the region whose most important ceremonial center of the early period was Alta Vista. It has been established that this shrine was the result of external cultural development, founded by a group of priests from Teotihuacan. The research carried out on the site has also revealed very significant cosmological and astronomical aspects. It is known that the founders of this center managed to record the solstices and equinoxes precisely from different points of observation, and that they oriented their buildings to specific points of the compass.
The modern building complex has a large circular exhibition gallery. The displays feature 350 archeological pieces, found in the first instance by the archeologist J. Charles Kelley and his team from the Southern Illinois University in the United States, and subsequently in partnership with the archeologists of INAH Zacatecas.
The four main topics covered are: the broader context, everyday life, the apogee and the terminal period. The collection includes instruments worked in stone, ceramic items, wood skin and bone, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines, turquoise and malachite necklaces, pendants made from flint, malachite and quartz, and fragments of battlements. There is an important mortuary offering of earthenware pots bearing the symbol of the eagle subduing the serpent found in Structure 2B, also known as the Pyramid of the Sun, as well as a scoreboard for the ball game, squashes or gourds decorated with natural pigments, rings made from nut shells with turquoise and malachite inlay; small cups, a pot associated with the pulque cult and human remains which show signs of disease, or perforations and deformations of a ritual nature. Visits are complemented by a video on astronomy and Alta Vista’s relationship to the Mesoamerican world view.
This section provides context about the geographical area occupied by the Chalchihuites Culture, located in the western part of the state of Zacatecas and the southern part of Durango. It explains the possible processes behind the transition from a nomadic to a sedentary lifestyle.
This section showcases the productive and domestic activities of the Chalchihuites population. Remarkably, the artifacts are linked to specific activities, and these activities are in turn associated with individuals, highlighting their social roles.
This section begins with a video that introduces the visitor to Mesoamerican cosmogonic concepts.
The final section of the museum addresses the decline of the Chalchihuites culture. After its cultural and demographic peak, the site ceased to participate in trade networks, contributing to the ceremonial center’s downfall.
