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Xochicalco
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Xochicalco, ancient city in Mexico Xochicalco Xochicalco
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Nahuatl:
“In the Place of the Flower House”
Related Topics:
Toltec
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Xochicalco, ancient city in Mexico
Xochicalco, ancient city in Mexico

Xochicalco

ancient city, Mexico
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History
Xochicalco
XochicalcoRuins of Xochicalco, an ancient fortified city near Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Xochicalco, ancient fortified city known for its impressive ruins. It is located atop a large hill and on parts of surrounding hills near Cuernavaca, Morelos state, Mexico.

Xochicalco was built after the fall of the great pre-Aztec city Teotihuacán, primarily during the 8th and 9th centuries ce. Its ruins reveal multicultural influence, including Aztec, Zapotec, and Olmec elements. Xochicalco soon became an important trading center, for its strategic location made it an entrepôt for goods from the Pacific coast, what are now Puebla and Tlaxcala states, and more-distant regions. The reason for the city’s decline is a matter of speculation.

Xochicalco
XochicalcoRuins at Xochicalco, near Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Excavations, begun in 1909, have revealed a number of structures, including the so-called Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent (Quetzalcóatl), two ball courts, and a variety of houses and plazas. The Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent displays a number of reliefs—such as plumed serpents and men with elaborate headdresses—indicating strong Mayan influence. Xochicalco was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Katie Angell.
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