Tamtoc, Archaeological site in Tamuín, Mexico.
Tamtoc is an archaeological site along the Tampaón River, covering a large area with over 70 structures dating back centuries. The buildings include ceremonial plazas, residential areas, and other constructions that show how this ancient community was organized.
Tamtoc was occupied in three phases: from about 600 BC, then between AD 600 and 900, when a new cultural current redesigned the city and consolidated its regional leadership, and finally between 900 and 1350, marked by population growth and intense construction. At the end of that period the site lost its hegemony and was abandoned for reasons still unknown. Archaeologist Estela Martínez Mora has led research since 2000.
The settlement reflects a strong presence of women, as roughly 90 percent of the burials discovered were female, shown through many clay and ceramic figurines. These objects suggest women held important roles in this ancient community.
Of more than seventy recorded structures, thirty lie within the area open to visitors, including the Main Plaza and the East Structure. The site opened to the public on 11 May 2006. There is no on-site museum: ceramics, masks and burial remains are held in INAH storage and are not on display. Ground is flat grassland along the Tampaón River.
Monument 32, called La Sacerdotisa, is a carved stone linked to the site's early dating: its style led archaeologists to place Tamtoc's flourishing around AD 600 rather than 900–1100. The figure depicts a priestess, matching the site's predominantly female burials.
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