The lintel above the door of this structure is flat. © Joseph Sorrentino, 2021

Site of sacrifice rediscovered in Mexico City: On The Trail Of Xipe Tótec

I first met one of Xipe Tótec’s priests on March 30, 2018. I know the exact date because, happily, my Nikon records the date of every photo I shoot. Me, I’m not that good at keeping accurate records. Fortunately, I didn’t actually meet the priest because Xipe Tótec was the Mexica god of, among other […]

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Labná

The Maya civilization, cities of the Maya

The material splendor of the Maya culture is appreciated, more than in any other field, in the architecture and ornamentation of their cities. These city-states were the center of power for the king-priests who administered the obedience, the tribute and the manpower of the people who believed in them. Many Maya cities and ceremonial centres […]

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Colima dog

Dog with a human mask: The ceramic dogs from Colima

Mexicans love wearing masks. My favorite is a statue of a dog wearing a human mask created about 300 A.D, and found near Colima. Masks are part of the Christmas pastorelas, depicting the devil, the hermit and Sin, dressed in red satin. Masks are an integral part of many ritual dances (the Spanish word is danza for ceremonial dances.) […]

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The Mayan site of Coba (© Trevor Burton 2016)

The Ancient Maya – A Commercial Empire

The ancient Maya achieved compelling and impressive socio-economic complexity during pre-conquest period. Extraordinary ancient cities such as Tikal and Caracol are scattered through out eastern Mexico and Guatemala. These economic centers exemplify the economic might and wealth of the ancient civilization. How did the ancient Maya attain such great affluence? The development of an extensive […]

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From the plaza part way up the pyramid of the moon, the pyramid of the sun appears to take on the shape of the distant hill.

The pyramids of Teotihuacan – a photo gallery

Teotihuacan (pronounced teh-oh-tee-wah-KAHN or teh-oh-tee-WAH-kan — experts differ on which is correct) is an archaeological site some 50 kilometers north of downtown Mexico City but still in the Valle de Mexico (the bowl surrounded by mountains in which Mexico City is on the southwest side). To get here go to the northern bus station from […]

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Mitla Church

The Oaxaca Valley: A week’s adventures in a single day

Of all the thousands of possible day-trips from tourist centers in Mexico, perhaps none is as varied, educational, beautiful and just plain fun as that along the eastern part of the Valley of Oaxaca. One of the great attractions of this trip is that it is less than fifty kilometers drive along a good highway […]

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Palenque © Carson Brown

Ruins in the rain forest: An excursion to La Selva Lacandona

Many visitors in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, realize that the quaint mountain town, aside from being a destination in itself, is a perfect jumping-off point for dozens of side-trips. Surrounding indigenous villages, the Lagos de Montebello, and even Palenque, four hours away, are accessible for ambitious travelers. But not many tourists venture deeper […]

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Cronograma de la Civilización Maya

Basado en Mystery of the Maya PERSPECTIVA A.C. 1200-1000 Olmecas 1800-900 Maya Preclásico Antiguo 900-300 Maya Preclásico Medio 300 A.C. – D.C. 250 Maya Preclásico Tardío A.D. 250-600 Maya Clásico Antiguo 600-900 Maya Clásico Tardío 900-1500 Maya Postclásico 1521-1821 Período colonial 1821- hoy El México independiente CRONOGRAMA A.C. 11,000 Los primeros cazadores-recolectores se establecen en […]

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