Overview

Chalcatzingo was an Olmec culture center in the Valley of Morelos, which is in the southern portion of the Central Highlands of Mexico. The Valley contained occupations over a long time span, but Chalcatzingo grew from 1100 BC, reaching its height between 500 BC and 700 BC. This places Chalcatzingo in the Middle Formative Period (900 BC - 600 BC) for most of its existence. The Olmec were an ancient people living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, roughly in what are the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. ...

The climate in Morelos is generally warmer and more humid than the rest of the Highlands. Chalcatzingo was located at a geographic crossroads. It connected trade routes between Guerrero, the Basin of Mexico, Oaxaca, and the Gulf Lowlands. It was situated in a fertile plain, at the base of a set of tall, steep hills. A spring at the base of those hills would have provided the necessary water for the population. At its height, Chalcatzingo reached a population of 500 to 1,000. By 500 BC the site went into decline.

Monuments and Carvings

Chalcatzingo provides some unique and interesting examples of Olmec art and architecture. The village contained a central plaza area, designated Terrace 1, and elite residences were located uphill from there. Terrace 25 is composed of a sunken patio of a style seen at Teopantecuanitlan. In the center of this sunken patio is a tabletop altar of the styles at La Venta and San Lorenzo, both other Olmec centers. La Venta is the name of a Pre-Columbian archaeological site of the Olmec civilization. ... San Lorenzo is Italian and Spanish for Saint Lawrence. ...

Structure 4 is Chalcatzingo’s largest structure, an almost square platform at 70 meters to a side. Burials of high-status individuals were excavated here, with jade ornaments and an iron ore mirror. Most of the village’s burials were located under the floors of houses, and individuals representing the whole variety of social statuses were buried this way.

Chalcatzingo contains what may be the earliest representation of a woman in Mesoamerican monumental art on Monument 21. The monument is a stela, and depicts a woman dressed in sandals, a skirt, and a head covering. She is holding a bundle tied with bands. This image possibly represents a woman with her marriage dowry. Stele is also a concept in plant biology. ...

Some of Chalcatzingo’s most famous and intriguing art specimens are actually bas-relief carvings on the nearby cliff faces. Drawings of these carvings have been made, but molds were taken of many of them before any drawings were taken. The process of making those molds tended to destroy fine lines and actually tore small portions of the stone out.

Monument 1, El Rey

Monument 1, also known as El Rey, “The King,” is a life-size carving of a figure seated inside a cave with a wide opening. The point of view is from the side, and the entire cave is actually represented as if the image is a cross-section, so the cave entrance is seen to the right of the figure. The cave entrance is as tall as the figure, and scroll volutes (stylized scrolls indicating speech) are issuing from it. Above the cave are a number of stylized objects. These objects have been interpreted as rain clouds. Indeed, stylized raindrops (what look like stubby cylinders pointing downward) appear to be falling from them. Alternatively, some researches have interpreted these cylinders as phallic symbols.

The cave in which the figure sits is equipped with an eye, and its general shape could suggest that of a mouth. The cave could be the mouth of an earth monster.

The seated figure is dressed ornately. He is seated on an elaborate stool and is holding a scepter-like object, possibly a symbol of his office. The figure is probably a representation of a ruler. The scene is possibly a representation of a leader using his power to bring water to the region. In fact, this carving sits right above the major drainage channel that would have supplied water to Chalcatzingo.

Monument 9 is a sculpture that may represent the cave in Monument 1 from a head-on point of view. The sculpture is flat and contains a large hole in the middle that would correspond to the shape of the cave entrance. Above that hole are two eyes, similar to the eye in Monument 1.

Other Carvings

The cliff faces at Chalcatzingo contain a variety of images. Several of these bas-reliefs consist of a saurian-like creature sitting atop speech scrolls underneath raindrops. A series of these stretches eastward from Monument 1, leading some researchers to suggest that they may be a pictorial sequence.

Monument 31 is a depiction of a feline ripping apart a human victim. Three raindrops, like those in El Rey, can be seen falling from above. Different interpretations of this scene range from the themes of bloodletting and human sacrifice, to the idea that raindrops falling on the jaguar comprises a fertility metaphor.

Monument 4 is a depiction of two humans being attacked by two jaguars. The human figures are apparently fleeing, arms raised in alarm. The jaguars have their fangs bared and claws extended towards the figures. On inspection, it can be seen that the jaguars are wearing headdresses and simple coats, leading to the interpretation that these are not actual jaguars attacking actual humans. In fact, the eyes of the jaguars contain the “X” motif, suggesting these might be jaguar gods, or that these jaguars are affiliated with the sun god.

Chalcatzingo’s Decline

Like the rest of the Olmec culture centers, Chalcatzingo eventually fell into decline and was abandoned. This decline was finished by about 500 BC, 400 years after San Lorenzo, and 100 years before La Venta. Chalcatzingo’s decline coincided with the development of widespread settlement clusters throughout the Morelos region, consisting mainly of small farming villages. Over 1000 years after Chalcatzingo’s abandonment, the Late Classic settlement Xochicalco reached its peak in Morelos between AD 700 – AD 900. Xochicalco is a Pre-Columbian archeological site in the western part of the Morelos, Mexico. ...

References

Evans, Susan Toby. "Ancient Mexico & Central America." Thames and Hudson, London. 2004.

"Studies in Olmec Archaeology" Contributions of the University of California Archaeological Research Facility Number 3, August 1967.