Area A: North-West

State of Zacatecas

La Quemada (the Burnt One)  is one to two hours from the city of Zacatecas. If going by bus, it will drop you off at the end of a long road in the desert that leads for several kilometres to the ruins under hot sun.

History

Culture: Chalchihuites

La Quemada was settled around 300AD by the Chalchihuites culture and became part of a trading network, along with several neighbouring cities, linked to Teotihuacan. In its apogee after 700, it sought to break that network by seeking to establish its dominance over the region. It was also at that time that the rulers of La Quemada to built the city into a walled fortress, and it is these efforts that have remained most intact today.

It is thought the eventual sacking and fall of La Quemada came about in violent fashion according to arqueological evidence, but at this period there was also a general abandonment of the settlements of the north, so its demise may have occured after a long era of decline.

This site has also been attributed to being the lost Chicomostoc or "Place of the Seven Caves", which was one of the supposedly mythological sites along the Aztecs' route to Tenochtitlan.

For more about other Chalchihuites sites and history, see Cultural History.

Tour  (Scroll down to follow complete tour, or click on feature below and use your BACK key to return to the map)

After passing by the entrance house, we come upon the first set of ruins before the hill of La Quemada, the most impressive of which being the Hall of Columns.

    Hall of Columns

This is an enclosure with eleven monumental columns that once held up a roof. Excavations revealed that this building probably had a connection with human sacrifice. It was destroyed by fire.

Making our way to the east side of the hill, we come across the ball court.

Ball Court   

This is 233 ft long. Originally the sides were higher.

At the north end of the ball court we find the Pyramid of the Offerings.

    Pyramid of the Offerings

This is a small but striking structure. The sides of the 33 ft high pyramid are unclimbably steep, although a stairway that originally led to the top is still in evidence.

The stairway to the upper levels of the city was constructed after the main stairway on the southern side was partially destroyed for reasons of defence (this older stairway is still out of use now). It was apparently built in two stages.

    Stairway   

On the first level, half-way up the stairs can be found these remains of buildings.

    First Level Buildings

More buildings can be found on the next level, and were probably dwelling places grouped around the pyramid and altar plaza towards the right of this panorama.

Panorama from Upper Level

The highest level of La Quemada opens out on to a path that leads around the west side of the hill towards the Citadel, surrounded by this impressively long wall that reminds one of British Iron Age hill forts.

This restored central altar and the ruins of buildings are all that remains of the Citadel, which was the last part of the site to have been built. This clearly shows that in La Quemada's final phase, the struggle for defence was paramount; a struggle that finally proved in vain when the city was over-run and burnt by unknown invaders.

    The Citadel

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