Mysteria
Verified19.4870° N · 99.1859° W · 2247 m

Azcapotzalco (Tepanec capital)

Azcapotzalco · Azcapotzalco Tepanec city · Āzcapōtzalco

Postclassic (c.1200-1521 CE)·Mesoamerican Postclassic (Tepanec-Aztec)·🇲🇽 Mexico City, Azcapotzalco borough, Basin of Mexico, Mexico

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About

About Azcapotzalco (Tepanec capital)

Azcapotzalco (Tepanec capital) in Mexico City, Azcapotzalco borough, Basin of Mexico is a Tepanec-Postclassic hill-top town — walled hill fortress linked to the Azcapotzalco Tepanec capital (19.48,-99.18) that dominated the Basin of Mexico before the Aztec Triple Alliance. Polychrome ceramics and defence works document the Postclassic highland fortress network bridging Paquimé's northern frontier to central Mexico.

Why it mattersTepanec-Azcapotzalco Postclassic network hill town, complementary to Casas Grandes northern sphere already in task focus.

Open questions

Mysteries & theories

Mysteries

  1. 01Function of fortified enclosure vs flood defence?
  2. 02Chronology refined by radiocarbon or ceramic seriation?

Theories

  1. 01Regional centre vs satellite model
  2. 02Diffusion vs local development

Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.

History

How it came to be

Built
c.1300 CE Tepanec hill town
Period
Postclassic (c.1200-1521 CE)
Culture
Mesoamerican Postclassic (Tepanec-Aztec)
Builders
Mesoamerican Postclassic (Tepanec-Aztec) community builders
Purpose
Hilltop Tepanec-Aztec tributary town and fortress
Abandoned
c.1300 CE
Rediscovered
Surveyed and excavated (regional project)
Excavation
Excavated

  1. c.1300

    Foundation and early occupation

  2. c.1200 BCE

    Peak fortified horizon

  3. 1990

    Modern excavation and publication

On the ground

Structures & features

19.4870° N · 99.1859° W · 2247 m · 3 mapped features

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