El Arbolillo, Archaeological site in Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico.
El Arbolillo is an archaeological site in Tlalnepantla de Baz showing the remains of an early farming settlement on what was once the shores of Lake Texcoco. Excavations have uncovered foundation stones and building structures that reveal how people organized their homes and villages.
The settlement was founded around 900 BCE as one of the earliest farming communities in the Basin of Mexico, marking the beginning of permanent habitation in the area. This early period shows when people started to rely on agriculture and build lasting villages instead of moving seasonally.
The recovered items reveal how residents exchanged goods and ideas with surrounding communities, integrating into a wider network of settlements across the valley. These connections shaped how people built their homes and organized their daily routines.
The site is located on the outskirts of Tlalnepantla de Baz and can be reached by local pathways, best visited during daylight hours. Wearing sturdy shoes is helpful since the terrain is uneven and some areas remain undeveloped.
The site contains the earliest evidence of organized farming in the region, with cultivation methods that proved successful over generations. These pioneering techniques laid the foundation for the more complex societies that developed in the valley centuries later.
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