Xochipala Region — Olmec Figurine Caves
Formative (1000–500 BCE) & Classic (500–700 CE) Xochipala·Olmec / Mezcala·🇲🇽 Guerrero, Mexico
About
About Xochipala Region — Olmec Figurine Caves
Xochipala Region — Olmec Figurine Caves in Guerrero, Mexico is a Formative (1000–500 BCE) & Classic (500–700 CE) Xochipala rock_art attributed to Olmec / Mezcala. Organized cave shrines with elaborate elongated Xochipala figurines and Mezcala temples. Xochipala figures with amethyst inlay, region with temple platforms on ridges above Tlaxmalac.
Why it mattersKey Olmec / Mezcala compound illustrating Teotihuacan urban organization
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Urban craft specialization
- 02Mural iconography interpretation
Theories
- 01Multi-ethnic barrio model
- 02Theocratic palace administration
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. 1000–500 BCE figurines; Classic architecture 550 CE
- Period
- Formative (1000–500 BCE) & Classic (500–700 CE) Xochipala
- Culture
- Olmec / Mezcala
- Purpose
- Organized cave shrines with elaborate elongated Xochipala figurines and Mezcala temples
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 1000–500 BCE figurines; Classic architecture 550 CE
Initial construction
c. 1960 CE
Modern INAH excavation
On the ground
Structures & features
17.8000° N · 99.6400° W · 1000 m · 3 mapped features
Xochipala Region — Olmec Figurine Caves — Cave Entrance Shrine
shrineCave mouth shrine
17.8002° N · 99.6399° WXochipala Region — Olmec Figurine Caves — Figurine Cache
cacheFigurine deposit inside cave
17.7998° N · 99.6398° WXochipala Region — Olmec Figurine Caves — Hilltop Temple Platform
platformTemple platform above caves
17.8005° N · 99.6403° W