Tlapacoya

Tlapacoya is an archaeological complex with a pyramidal base structure, multiple platforms, and two mounds connected by a central plaza at the summit. The structures reveal how people organized settlements and built monumental spaces at this location.

This site emerged around 9000 years ago when people were transitioning from hunting to early farming in this region. Excavations in the 1950s uncovered three burials with human remains accompanied by shells, obsidian tools, jade ornaments, and pottery.

The settlement here relied on farming beans, corn, chili, squash, and other crops while also hunting animals from the forest and lake. This balance between agriculture and hunting shaped daily life at the site.

The site is located on a hilltop, so visitors should be prepared for uneven terrain and varying conditions depending on the season. Planning your visit time and bringing appropriate footwear will help you explore the structures comfortably.

Elephant Hill within the zone contains remains dating to 7000 BCE, representing some of the earliest human presence in Mexico Valley. These early artifacts show how people inhabited this region thousands of years before later civilizations emerged.