A decade of explorations and studies meet in the book Cuahilama. Research and conservation of an archaeological site in the Xochimilco World Heritage Zone, archaeological dissemination material that exposes several areas of study around the archaeological site of Santa Cruz Actalpixca, known as Cuahilama, located in the upper part of the City Hall Xochimilco.
The book was coordinated by the archaeologist of INAH Juan Carlos Campos Varela, who has also headed the exploration and analysis works in the Cuahilama area. The researcher explains to El Universal that the book is a compilation of various studies, including the analysis of cave paintings on the site, of archaeological vestiges such as mounds and terraces, and of the society that inhabited that area in the late postclassic period (1200-1521).
“Acalpixca is the central area of these investigations, however, the book also addresses the importance of the Cerros de Xochimilco area, and some regional proposals of this high zone, because we consider that it is a region that served significantly in the trade routes and exchange of the areas of Morelos and Puebla,” explains Varela Campos.
According to the investigations, adds the archaeologist, Cuahilama means “the place where canoes are stored”, so the evidence suggests that this area was a commercial passage area to reach other villages such as Culhuacán and Santa Catarina, in addition, of course, of reaching Mexico-Tenochtitlan.
He adds that, unfortunately, when they got to work in the area, some petrographs and paintings had been vandalized, so a part of different restoration and conservation processes was included in the book.
“The site does not have the safety and custody conditions that archaeological areas have, and that is why the book seeks to strengthen this area being declared as an archaeological zone, once we manage to support the technical files to achieve this declaration, and that is important to highlight: that the site is within the World Heritage Zone of Xochimilco,” he emphasizes.
The book will be presented this Thursday at 4:00 p.m. by Valera Campos and other researchers, at the Xochimilco Archaeological Museum, located in Santa Cruz Acalpixca.
