The Three Cultures

The journey to Mexico was an individual trip planned from France. The idea was to look further into the three cultures, first Precolombian then Hispanic with the great cities in the north of Mexico City and also modern everyday life.

The tour was made in August 1984.

The report is in six tables. The general comments are given by the Mexico presentation.

Mexico City

Mexico city

Museo National

Teotihuacan

Tula

Approach: The Iberia flight caused us some worries. On the takeoff at the Madrid stopover, a tyre was damaged, requiring a detour to Miami to be repaired before landing at Mexico City. The tour organized from France was made by a rented car which we took the day after our arrival. It was a Datsun new car without number plate. Only a small poster fixed on the rear window indicated that it was a rented car. This characteristic caused difficulties at the end of the stay: The date mentioned was exceeded and caused some trouble with the police.

Mexico City: The city was the third most populated in the world after Tokyo and New York. The best and the worst can be found : music -Mariachis- and noise, pollution and planted parks, colonial palaces and shantytowns. The visit of this splendid city took several days. The administrative and worship buildings date back to the colonial time and are splendid. Our trips in Latin America showed the architectural Hispanic unit: In all cities, the Zocalo is the square of the administrative and commercial centre.

The Museo Nacional de Antropología is universally famous. It was inaugurated by André Malraux. We visited it at the beginning and the end of the stay. Some artefacts came to France at the time of the Mexican art exhibition.

Xochimilco: The visit of the channels is a must.

San Angel: This village has become a suburb of Mexico City, it is a synthesis of colonial houses, aristocratic residences and parks.

Tenochtitlan: The Aztec former capital was destroyed by Cortès in 1520.

Tepotzotlan: A suburb of Mexico City, it has the charm of old colonial cities.

Teotihuacán: The site dates back to before our era, it was a place of pilgrimage. From the Pyramid of the Moon in the north, the buildings are along the processional way: Calle of los Muertos. Behind the Citadel, the temple of Quetzalcóatl has kept remarkable sculptures in the round.

Tula: The site was visited at the end of the stay on the way back from Querétaro to Mexico City. The Toltec former capital still presents gigantic Atlantes.


Mexico City is a metropolis of 22 million inhabitants. In spite of its pollution, crazy automobile traffic, the city is pleasant, with exceptional places to visit and pleasant evenings with the spectacle of Mariachis.
During the classical period from 300 to 900 BC, Teotihuacán was the dominating and civilizing power in Mesoamerica. Its architectural and religious influence dominated all the people of the area until the year 1000.

The Aztecs

Approach: We left Mexico City southwards and towards the east coast to visit some Aztec sites.

Cholula: The site was occupied back to the old times before our era under the Olmec influence. The top of a hill is occupied by the Santuario of los Remedios, actually the hill is an old pyramid 17 ha large, the vastest in the world.

Puebla: 2,162 m high, the city is surrounded by mountains in a very fertile valley. It is famous as the most colourful colonial city: The cupolas of the churches are covered with polychrome enamelled earthenware.

Jalapa: The only interest of this city lies in the museum of the State de Veracruz, the most attractive after the anthropological museum of Mexico City. Centred on the Olmec civilization, it exhibits colossal heads as well as the practice of the deformation of children's skulls. One of the most captivating artefacts is the statue of God Jaguar.

Zempoala: Totonac archeological site in a luxuriant plain. Zempoala was the first city met by Cortès then ransacked.


Vera Cruz:
The only port on the Gulf of Mexico, its charm is due to the quite Mediterranean bustle of the Zocalo.
The site of the battle of Camerone is close to Tejeda Villa 71 km away from Vera Cruz.

Cholula

Jalapa

Vera Cruz


The Aztecs were nomads before they settled on the shore of lake Texcoco, in an inhospitable place, in 1345 and founded their capital Tenochtitlan. The tribe emerged from barbarian in 1345 and sank in 1521 under the blows of the conquistadores. The empire lasted only two hundred years, but it occupied the area of central Mexico between the two oceans.
As in other civilizations, the myth of the birth of the Gods and the history of the people are mixed. Its originality lies in the merging of myth and history, the identification of the Aztec tribe to Huitzilopochtli the god who conquered the darkness.

The Olmecs

Santiago de Tuxtla

La Venta

La Venta

Approach: On the way to Villahermosa, we crossed a ford in Santiago de Tuxtla which caused us some troubles.

Santiago de Tuxtla: The museum is note worthy. It is a good introduction to the Olmec civilization.


 

La Venta: The archaeological park, at the entrance of Villahermosa, is a didactic park with colossal heads, sacrificial altars and sculptures of Jaguars among the trees.
The museum of Tabasco exhibits mainly Olmec and Maya artefacts from the neighbouring archaeological sites, Yaxchilan and Bonampak, accessible by small aircraft.

 

 

 

 

Ciudad de Carmen: Fishing port opposite the island of Carmen, the continuation on the road required the use of a pontoon to cross over Rio Usumacinta whose banks are invaded by watery plants. The upstream river banks are occupied by many archaeological sites whose visit is possible only in expeditions in the tropical forest.


The Olmecs belong to the formative ages of Mexico before our era. Their influence was preponderant for the development of the area. The name Olmec imperfectly refers to a civilization called "Tenocelome", -those who have a Jaguar's mouth- by Jimèrez. The cultural contributions lie in the use of hard stones -jade- characteristic of the Olmec sculptures. The "baby faces", chubby figurines, influenced all later civilizations. They may have been precursors in the invention of writing and the calendar.

The Maya

Approach: Starting from Campeche, we entered the Maya area.

Campeche: The city on the seashore has the style of colonial cities. Its archaeological museum is worth the detour.

Edzna: The site dating back to 672 BC has two interesting buildings: the ceremonial centre and the main pyramid.

Sayil: The site is located in a thick maquis accessible by car. The main building has three stories with sculptures of God "Chac". The temple El Mirador can be reached by a path.

Xlapak: The site is in ruins. Yet, it presents a building with a beautiful frieze. Broken, it shows the methods of Maya construction.

Labna: It is characterized by the monument called the "Labna Arch" with complex geometrical decorations. The other buildings are El Palacio and El Mirador decorated with an openwork peak.

Kabah: The "Codz Poop" building is representative of the Puuc architecture with projecting sculptures with geometrical adornments.

Uxmal: It was a Maya capital. The monuments are among the purest of the Puuc style with geometrical embellishments and stylized masks. The most interesting buildings in this vast archaeological park are the Pyramid of the Magician, the Nunnery Complex, the Governor's Palace and the Ball Court.

Mérida: The city was founded in 1542. The archaeological museum shows some Maya beautiful artefacts: funerary statuettes, jade collars.

Izamal: A charming provincial city, it has a vast Franciscan monastery (1553-1561) surrounded by arcade galleries.

Chichen Itza: The large archaeological park shows some old monuments of two periods: before and after the Toltec invasion. The former is characterized by Puuc architecture, the latter by serpentine columns and the "Chacmool".
The most representative buildings are: The Pyramid of Kukulkan, the Ball Court, the temple of the Tigers and the Warriors. The "Caracol" was certainly an astronomical observatory.

Cancun: The city is a seaside resort in an exceptional site. We took one day of pleasant rest.

Tulum: The site on the seashore is surrounded by a strong wall on three sides and an abrupt cliff. The temple of the Frescoes is the most remarkable of this complex.

Coba: The old Maya city dates back to 623 BC as a stele attested it.

Kohunlich: The site, in a splendid natural reserve, has an attractive monument, the Pyramid of the Masks.

Xpuhil: The monuments overgrown with vegetation are amazing for their proportions and their verticalities showing the influence of Tikal in Guatemala.

Becan: The site hidden in the vegetation looks like Xpuhil.


Palenque:
The monuments are built on small hills leaning against a mountain in full tropical vegetation. The site is vast with many buildings. The most remarkable are: The temple of the Inscriptions, El Palacio with its sarcophagus dug in a monolithic tank.

Sayil

Labna

Kabah

Uxmal

Chichen Itza

Chacmool

Palenque


The Maya developed the most original culture if not the most advanced in Mesoamerica even in all Americas. They belong to the classical period from 300 to 900BC under the administrative and cultural rules of Teotihuacán. Unlike the other people of the area, they lived in State Cities which were not capitals but religious centres showing an architectural unity. The major contributions of the Maya lie in mathematics, the knowledge of the zero, and in the "computing" of time with a precision only exceeded in the 20th century by "atomic clocks".

The Zapotecs, Mixtecs

San Cristobal

Santa Maria de Tule

Mitla

Monte Alban

Approach: The trip from Palenque to San Cristobal was on a dirt road 207 km long which was rather difficult in that season. The charming village of Acosingo is close to the "Montebello Lagoons". This area was in a turmoil at the time of Chiapas' revolts from 1994 to 1997.

San Cristobal de Las Casas: Founded in 1528 2,113 m high, the city has kept its charm of provincial colonial city. Some beautiful aristocratic residences could be visited. The cathedral, the church Santo Doningo and the market offered moments of raptures.
The village of Zinacantán was the occasion to see a church where Catholicism and Indian animism are merged. It was kept by armed men. Already at that time, we were not welcome.

Tehuantepec: The city on the seashore of the Pacific Ocean was a stage as we arrived from San Cristobal after seven-hour drive. It is especially known by sailors in the whole world.

Santa Maria de Tule: A giant cypress close to the church is of a very rare species.

Tlacochahuaya: The church of the 16th century is preceded by an atrium.

Mitla: The archaeological park has monuments attributed to the Mixtec civilization. The group of monuments known as of that the Columns is the best preserved.

Dainzu: This small archaeological site dates back to the Monte Alban period.

Lambityeco: the small pyramidal sanctuary is dated back to the Monte Alban period.

Tlacolula: This Zapotec city has a market on Saturdays, the day of our passage, very colourful.

Yagul: The archaeological park consists of monuments of the Monte Alban period.

Oaxaca: At the time of our visit of this provincial city with old fashioned charm, we had in memory the tribulations of the "Consul" and his wife Yvonne of the novel "Under the volcano" by Malcolm Lowry. The city is still a large Zapotec artisanal centre.
The museums of the Oaxaca State and prehistoric art of Rufino Tamayo exhibit Zapotec artefacts.

Monte Alban: At the top of an eroded hill, 2,000 m high, the site consists of monuments of great sobriety which convey serenity.


The Zapotecs came under the Olmec influence at the formative period then under Teotihuacán at the classical time. Their originality consisted in burying their dead which explains the presence of tombs at Monte Alban.
The Mixtecs succeeded the Zapotecs, but they used Monte Alban only as a ceremonial centre. They have left splendid manuscripts and gold artefacts of great quality.

Colonial cities

Approach: Leaving Oaxaca, we took the road northwards to visit the Hispanic colonial cities.

Cuernavaca: The Precolombian city was called Cuauhnáhuac, it is located in an environment of forests, orchards and bougainvilleas. It is dominated by the imposing volcano Popocatépetl. When we visited the city, there too, we had reminiscences of the "Consul" and we looked for the "Bellavista"

Xachicalco: The site was occupied during the classical period. It is important because it is located at the crossroads of several civilizations.

Taxco: Colonial city, it was an important centre of silver mines in the 18th century. The Santa Prisca church has a baroque facade with more exuberant ornament.

Malinalco: The ceremonial centre of the site is built in terraces with ditches to drain rainwater. The main temple is surmounted with the eagle of God Sun.

 

 

Patzuaro: A quiet town on the edge of the eponymous lake 2,175 m high, it is famous for its landscapes and its delicious "pescado blanco".

 

Morelia: It was founded under the name of Valladolid. It is famous for its orchids and the pink colour of the main buildings.

Guadalajara: The second city of Mexico has an exceptional monumental complex, in particular the four squares surrounding the cathedral. The museum of Jalisco State has several archaeological sections as well as an art gallery where one can see murals. We attended cockfights in a place where we were led by police officers who caught me for speeding!

Guanajuato: Former mining city, it owes its fame to silver mines. Its originality lies in its localization in a narrow valley causing a town planning as tortuous as the streets are sinuous with an underground avenue!

Dolores de Hidalgo: It was a stopover to visit the parish church.

San Miguel Allende: The city has become the vacation resort of American and Mexican artists. The craft industry is one of the riches of this "historical heritage" classified city.

Queretaro: The history of the city is exciting. It was the cradle of the independence of Mexico starting from a literary club in 1808. The square of Independence is representative of colonial art and the policy of historical heritage preservation.

Cuernavaca

Taxco

Patzuaro

Morelia

Guanajuato


Visiting Mexico was the discovery of a people very hospitable quite willing to communicate with foreigners. The overview of the three cultures allowed to approach the cultural complexity of modern Mexico: It is necessary to put in prospect the three cultures, the ethnic and demographic developments without forgetting the eventful history of Independence. The synthesis gives Mexicans an extraordinary originality.
We had some experiences sometimes comic sometimes irritating such as the confiscation of my passport and my international driving licence by a police officer in Guadalajara intrigued by the lack of the number plate: Obviously he wanted "la mordida". At that time, police officers were equipped with adjustable open-end wrenches to dismount number plates: They had to be recovered at the police station by paying a fine.


The return to France was quieter than the outward journey

Neuilly, le 2004/02/29