• Journey Mexico : Experiences : Archeology

Archeology

The archeological ruins that scatter the Mexican landscape speak to the diverse and powerful ancient civilizations that once called this land home.  The earliest Mexican culture found along the Gulf coast can be traced back to the Olmecs, the first Mesoamericans, known for the giant stone heads that they left behind.  No less impressive are the Zapotecas who built the first urban center of Mesoamerica in 500 BC near the modern city of Oaxaca.  Another great Mesoamerican city can be found right outside of the bustling metropolis of Mexico City.  A mere 25 miles from this contemporary capital lies the remarkable site of Teotihuacan, built around 200 BC which housed almost 200,000 “Teotihuacanos” at the city’s peak.  The decline of Teotihuacan was followed by the rise of the Toltec Civilization north of Mexico City.  The best known Central Mexican civilization were the Aztecs who dominated the region in the 12th Centry until the arrival of the Spaniards in the 1500s.  In Southern Mexico, the Maya Civilization dominated and spread through Central America as early as 1,000BC.  While there is much speculation about the fall of the great Maya cities and religious sites, its culture and descendants live on in modern day Mexico.  The many archeological ruins of these great empires through out Mexico offer modern travelers the opportunity to step back in time and trace the rise and fall of those that came before us.

Below is a video from a recent Archeological Mayan Journey Trip in the Yucatan Peninsula. The video contains clips from the archeological sites of Chichen Itza and Uxmal.