Altavista o Chalchihuites, Mexico
Information
The name of this archaeological site comes from its discovery in the grounds of a former ranch called Alta Vista or Buena Vista, near the mining town Chalchihuites, which acquired its second name. In turn, the latter word is a word of Nahuatl origin Chalchihuitl which means green stone.Cultural Significance This prehispanic city was a ceremonial center and astronomical Chalchihuites culture, same that extended from the years 200 to 1100 AD, by northwest of Zacatecas and southern Durango, on the surrounding valleys on the eastern flank of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Los-astronomical tonnage on the site, studies indicate that the location of Alta Vista-Chalchihuites is associated with its proximity to the Tropic of Cancer; Likewise it has been found that the city was designed and built by a precise triangulation in the landscape, from the Sierra de Chalchihuites: the summit of Picacho Pelon 11 km east; the Chapin Hill 7 km southwest of Stony Hill and located 5 km., northeast, thus allowing to observe the annual movement of the sun and thus anticipate the changing seasons during the agricultural cycle. At the top of Cerro petroglyphs Chapin are two circles-crosses very similar to those found in the metropolis of Teotihuacán and around calendrical accounts.
Must Know
Hours Monday through Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00 hours.
Zacatecas INAH Center 01 (492) 9 22 50 85.
Get There
It is accessed via Highway No. 45 to Sombrerete. From this population the state road leading to Teúl Jimenez (50 kilometers) must be followed; it thus comes to the population of Chalchihuites.From this point you need to move a dirt road heading west for six kilometers to go through the town of El Refugio, moving on to cross the Colorado River. The site is located one kilometer later.