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Explora La Quemada: El sitio arqueológico más destacado de Zacatecas

Get to know one of the most important archaeological sites in Zacatecas

 

The archaeological site of La Quemada is located 35 miles south of the City of Zacatecas. It is the most representative settlement in northern central Mexico.

 

Its meaning refers to the burned remains found in the area when extracting stone for the construction of the hacienda.

 

The importance of the area goes back to when the ancient inhabitants of La Quemada settled in the Malpaso Valley, current territory of the Villanueva municipality in the southern-central State of Zacatecas.

 

In La Quemada you can see what is considered the most relevant monumental settlement in northern-central Mexico, due to its architecture. It features a large hall of columns with its main square, a large court for the traditional ball game in the typical “I” shape, and a pyramidal base called Votive.

 

It has a staircase, which could have worked as the main access to higher levels. We can also see la Muralla (the Wall), located in the northern part of La Ciudadela. El Cuartel (The Barracks) is a structure that originally had houses.

 

Experience a trip to the pastFurther on, you can see the Pyramid of Sacrifices, a structure and a terrace where human sacrifices were made to honor the gods. Research has been conducted at the site and it has revealed that it was part of the important Mesoamerican cultural development.With each step we take, we can find structures built with stone, slab and mud.

 

Within the area it is possible to enter the La Quemada Site Museum, whose architectural design was conceived in such a way that it could be integrated into the surroundings of the landscape and the archaeological site itself, by involving the use of the characteristic material and techniques of the buildings erected in the place (slab, stucco and levellings).

 

The site offers a unique experience called Sidereal Archaeology (Arquelogía Sideral) that consists of a night tour, guided and dramatized in which you can observe the stars.

 

In the museum you will find various informative elements, such as a model of the site and descriptive videos of the main prehispanic settlements in Zacatecas.
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