Hi good morning! I’m going to talk you about the archeological site of © Teopantecuanitlan. Did you know? ©x2 Its name comes from Nahuatl and is made up of © Teopan that means Sacred Temple © Tecuani that means Wild Animal © and Tlan that is the suffix for places. So, © Teopantecuanitlan means Place of the Temple of the © Jaguar. Teopantecuanitlan © is located in the state of Guerrero, at the convergence of the Amacuzac and the Balsas rivers. It is situated at the foot of a sharp hill, which rises 200 meters above the site. Its location provided a great environment for trade and travel. The site © dates to the Early and Middle Formative Periods, between © 1400 to 500 Before the Common Era. Archaeological evidence indicates that some kind of © connection existed between Teopantecuanitlan and the Olmecs. The Teopantecuanitlan community was a part of an interregional trade network that linked the Gulf Coast with the highlands of Central Mexico. Teopantecuanitlan is notable for its monumental architecture art and agricultural terraces, in particular one of the first civil ceremonial structures in all of Mesoamerica, © El Recinto (The enclosure), also known as the Sunken Patio. We also can find there 4 large, nearly identical, monumental travertine blocks adorn the east and west sides of the Sunken Patio. These blocks are carved to look like jaguars. There are also residential areas. Many Olmec influenced ceramic wares and clay sculptures have been found at Teopantecuanitlan. Some © interesting facts: Teopantecuanitlan is home to the oldest known Mesoamerican dam, built whit rough uncut rocks that brought water to the agricultural land. This site is also the first known in Mesoamerica to utilize the corbelled vault. Teopantecuanitlan is also important, because it is the only settlement with monumental architecture of Olmec features that are known for the state of Guerrero.
