The Round Pyramids of Guachimontones

Yes, it's a series of concentric circles and not, technically, a pyramid. Still impressive.

Time to get out of the city and check out the round pyramids.

Let's get this out of the way quick. Yes, these are not technically "pyramids." They are circular. I think they are impressive for their construction time, about 200 B.C. But I am aware that the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt (which is, actually, pyramidal) was built between 2700 and 2600 B.C. In fact, Egypt was a thousand years or so out of the pyramid-building business by the time these ascending series of concentric circles that we've chosen to call "pyramids."

Here I am.

In front of a circular pyramid.

In fairness to the people who built them -- which would be the Teuchitlán culture -- they never called these "pyramids." They were unaware of the pyramids I'm sure. They definitely were unaware of the step pyramids of Teotihuacan, given that that was still several hundred years in the future. But we westerners apparently have chosen to call any indigenous-built structure that gets smaller as it gets taller a "pyramid," because pyramids are more marketable to tourists.

The grounds are home to a series of these ascending concentric circle structures. About a dozen. Some are smaller than others.

Now I understand why we use the term "pyramid" to describe these mounds: "ascending concentric circle structures" gets really tedious to keep typing. So pyramid it is!

This is the view of the town of Teuchitlán, which is in the valley below Guachimontones, the archaeological site. In fact, "guachimontones" is technically what these "ascending concentric circle structures" are technically called in archaeological speak

This is the "market" area of the village. Think of it as the Galleria Mall circa 200 B.C. And just as outdated!

This is most likely not the only sight in this area with these -- dare I say it? -- pyramids, or guachimontones, or ascending series of concentric circles. Pick your poison. But the rest of these structures, scattered all over west central Mexico, are on private land. Where in many instances they likely are growing agave. To make tequila.

In fact, a tour of the round pyramids of Guachimontones is usually a throw-in on a day long tequila factory tour from Guadalajara. But I'm not really interested in tequila. But I am interested in indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica. And during the heighth of the Teuchitlán people, the only comparable civilization in the lands of modern day Mexico -- comparable in terms of size, population density, reliance on trade, and technological advancement -- would have been the Olmec, who were centered on the Caribbean coast, around the modern city of Veracruz.

This is a ball court:

Like the Mayan -- like nearly every people of prehispanic Mesoamerica -- the Teuchitlán loved their ball games. The ball game was played on a Capital I (serif, not sanserif) shaped court. You could move the ball only with your hips. You did not shoot it into a ring elevated above the court like the Mayan ball game. And what happened to the loser of the all-day long ball game? Probably death.

This is likely a pyramid that has not yet been uncovered.

It really was not until the 1990s that excavations at this site really accelerated. There is still a lot to unearth. Literally.

In this tree is cotton:

Those are cotton. Cotton originally grew in tall trees, with lots of obnoxious, sharp thorns. It was bred down to the more manageable size of a bush. But the rich in Teuchitlán wore 100% cotton fiber clothing.

This is the second ball court of Guachimontones:

And here is another view of the town of Teuchitlán because why not.

By the way, Teuchitlán is not in anyway what these people called themselves, The name "Teuchitlán" looks to me like an Aztec word, with the tell-tale "itlan" ending, but I'm guessing. The indigenous habitants of this area from that time left no written records.

Let's go to the museum!

You enter the museum and you are immediately confronted by a giant mural of the Teuchitlán village (circa 200 B.C., not the modern town in the valley below).

And, yes, there was pole dancing at the top of the pyramid. A priest would dance on the pole mounted at the top. For all to see. There are some areas along the Mexican Caribbean Coast where the "flying dance" tradition has survived (and is performed) in the modern era. But, alas, that is not here.

Here is a clay figurine representation of the community dancing that likely took place around the base of the pyramids, all while the priest was pole-dancing up top.

And here is a mural depicting the Teuchitlán ballgame:

Behind the museum is this rickety structure.

Simply furnished,

I am guessing this is a replica of the structures built of decay-prone building materials that were all around the base of the pyramids.

But there was no signage to either confirm or deny this theory.

Guachimontones is located about an hour, to an hour and a half, due west of Guadalajara, depending on the traffic. Yes you can see it as a thrown in on your tequila tour, but I think it makes for a nice half-day trip out of the city on its own.