Tancama in Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro, Mexico — The Central Highlands (North America)
Buildings for the Elite
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, July 14, 2018
1. Buildings for the Elite Marker
Edificios para los élites
Los edificios llamados el Huasteco, de los Anzuelos y del Pasillo parecen de baja altura al ser vistos desde el interior de la plaza, pero al ser contemplados desde el exterior, por el oriente, la altura de los muros es mucho mayor, ya que va de los 5 a los 8 metros. Esto es una muestra de que los antiguos arquitectos de Tancama buscaban que estos edificios fueran un tanto inaccesibles para la población común que habitaba en los alrededores.
En este conjunto, destaca el edificio no. 8 llamado de los Anzuelos, mismo que presenta tres modificaciones, siendo la última la de mejor acabado. Ésta consiste en una fachada compuesta de bloques de piedra con cortes de my buena calidad que hoy sólo pueden verse en parte de este edificio y del llamado edificio del cuarto adosado.
Por la disposición del sitio, parece que esta plaza tormaba la parte más importante del área cívica ceremonial del asentamiento. Esto se confirma con los hallazgos realizados durante las excavaciones, pues en el edificio número 8 los arqueólogos recuperaron entierros con ofrendas compuestas de objetos suntuarios como
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Buildings for the Elite
The buildings known as the Huasteco, Anzuelos (Fishhooks) and the Hallway seem to be of low height when viewed from the inside of the plaza, but when viewed from the outside, on the east, the height of the walls is much greater, as they range from 5 to 8 meters. This is probably because the ancient architects of Tancama looked for these buildings to be somewhat inaccessible to the common population that lived in the area.
In this set of buildings, Building No. 8, also known as the Building of the Fishhooks is the most interesting. This building underwent three modifications, the last showing the best finishing of the stonework. The façade is composed of blocks of stone with high quality cuts that today can only be seen in part of this building and the so-called Building of the Attached Room.
Based on the arrangement of the site, it seems that this plaza was the most important part of the civic and ceremonial area of the settlement. This is confirmed by the findings made during the excavations, as in Building Number 8 where archaeologists recovered burials with offerings composed of luxury objects such as seashells and copper fishhooks.
Erected by Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia y el
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, July 14, 2018
2. Buildings for the Elite Marker
The marker is at the base of the Building of the Fishhooks mentioned in the marker text.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Architecture • Man-Made Features • Native Americans.
Location. 21° 9.594′ N, 99° 23.788′ W. Marker is in Tancama, Querétaro, in Jalpan de Serra. Marker can be reached from Jalpan de Serra - Xijitla Highway (Route 120), on the left when traveling east. The marker is at the base of the Building of the Fishhooks (No. 8) at the Tancama Archaeological Site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Tancama QUE 76347, Mexico. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Corporal Deformation (a few steps from this marker); The Copper Butterfly Building (within shouting distance of this marker); The Small Ballcourt (within shouting distance of this marker); Plaza Santiago (within shouting distance of this marker); The Building of the Attached Room (within shouting distance of this marker); The Four Huastecans (within shouting distance of this marker); Tancama (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Tribute to Benito Juárez (approx. 8.2 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tancama.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2018, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. This page has been viewed 62 times since then and 5 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 20, 2018, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.
