Amazing Mexico

When visiting Veracruz, Mexico, there is a Pre-Columbian archeological site attracting the masses that is situated close to the city of Papantla. El Tajin once served as the capital of the Totonac state, which was named after the awesome power of thunder and said to have taken its name from the Totonac god of thunder, lightning, and rain. Today, El Tajin serves as a tourist destination filled with an assortment of impressive monuments and a decent-sized museum.

As you venture into the northeastern section of Mexico, you will find the major point of interest called El Tajin. Throughout history, the site accomplished great feats in the past after the fall of the immense pyramid city located in the Antiplano took place in 750 AD. While the most known of features associated with this attraction is a niche pyramid, there are many notable stone carvings that stretch from the North to the South of the site. Thousands of visitors tote along their cameras just to capture the images of human sacrifice and other displays of culture indicative of the time period.

The majority of El Tajin is still untouched, although the site has suffered heavy looting over the years. It wasn’t until the 1930s that the Mexican government and archeologists began to take interest in protecting the area. At that point, the remarkable sculptures of Tajin were being sold in the markets of Papantla.

The art works of the site come from a long line of constructed ceremonial buildings that started to emerge during the 1st century. These early creations coming from El Tajin showed influences from Teotihuacan and Toltec views. Throughout the 13th century, the site saw continuing construction until the city was captured and burned until the direction of the Chichimecs. After the invasion, a small population lived in the area, but no new construction was added to the area. By the time the early part of the 16th century came, Spanish conquerors drove away the last citizens. From then on, the site was left neglected.

Eventually, the surrounding forest green took over the abandoned site. In the coming years, a variety of engineers and researchers visited the area and published their findings. The first archeological excavation of El Tajin took place from 1943 through 1963, followed by the restoration efforts of the Mexican Institute of Anthropology & History that took place since the 1980s.

El Tajin offers a plot of land that serves as the ceremonial center of the site. Extending beyond this point, there is a wealth of unexcavated building remains for which researchers can only dream of their contents. In the area, an assortment of palaces, temple-pyramids, and courts that allowed residents to play their version of ballgames can be found.

Numerous visitors from all over the world come to El Tajin to explore the ins and outs of the most famous building on the site – the Pyramid of the Niches. Here, a step pyramid was constructed offering the sight of six terraces. Standing about 60 feet tall, the architecture is one that provides an impressive visual treat. The precisely cut stone and the inviting staircase are just some of the additional features decorating the pyramid. The site of El Tajin is an extraordinary experience that anyone visiting the Veracruz area should add to his or her list of sights to see.

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