Mexico has pyramids made with volcanic rocks and a natural adhesive from pear cactus
What comes to your mind when you hear of the term pyramids? Egypt, isn’t it? After all, most famous pyramids still stand in this African country. But did you know other parts of the world have their unique pyramids too? The Nubian Pyramids of Sudan, El Castillo in Belize, Ziggurat of Ur in Iraq and Pyramids of Tikal in Guatemala are some of the best examples. However, it is Mexico that harbours the maximum number of pyramids outside Africa, their original home. Some of Mexico’s notable pyramids are The Great Pyramid of Cholula and the Pyramids of Teotihuacan. But not many know that this country also has a few unexplored pyramids too, such as the ones located in the Virgin’s Glen (or Cañada de La Virgen), 30 miles outside the city of San Miguel de Allende. Curious to know more about these unknown and perhaps anonymous structures? Keep reading.
Discovery of the three pyramids
Mexico’s Virgin’s Glen was lost in history, until it was excavated by archaeologists in 1995. At the arid and abandoned site, three pyramids made up of volcanic rocks (from the extinct volcano Iztaccihuati) dating back to 1500 years ago were also discovered. While the largest one is known as The House of the Thirteen Heavens, the comparatively smaller pyramids are called The House of the Wind and The House of the Longest Night.
Though made by ancient native masons, these pyramids look like a gift from Mother Nature. Experts believe they are still not ruined, thanks to the sticky juice of the adjacent prickly pear cactus, used for their construction. How amazing is that! Natives in the region believe that the pyramids have their ancestors buried, while others believe there are hidden treasures in the site. However, so far, archaeologists haven’t been able to discover the traces of any. Interestingly, the site has been open to tourists since 2011.
How were the pyramids built?
These pyramids were hand-built. At first, the indigenous people mined the rough tufa rocks that were composed of solidified volcanic ash and then put them in position in such a way that one piece helped the other stay in place and vice versa. This technique is called ‘hueso.’ The exterior of the pyramids was constructed with polished red limestone that they brought from far away. Interestingly, they used a natural adhesive called nopal derived out of the local pear cacti leaves to hold the rocks together.
The House of the Thirteen Heavens
The House of the Thirteen Heavens, called Complex A, is believed to have been built around 540 BC by ancient Mexican tribes such as the Aztecs, Otomis and the Mayans. This particular pyramid has a staircase of identical steps leading up to its flat platform at the top with a height of 15 metres. It is completely preserved and well-etched into the rocks nearby. It also has a rectangular base, with sloping sides and a sunken patio.
From what is known so far, The House of the Thirteen Heavens was dedicated to 13 gods and goddesses (especially the Sun and the Moon) who helped the ancient Mexicans to keep track of time and seasons in absence of clocks and calendars. After all, back in those days, people used to figure out the passage of time by looking at the positions of the celestial bodies!
Also, experts also believe that this particular temple pyramid was made into a cylindrical structure as a prototype of sun on Earth and keep track of its movement all through the year. The natives even used it to figure out the vital dates, such as the ones relevant to their harvest.
So far, what archaeologists have unearthed about these civilisations is that they were serious timekeepers, who were interested in astronomy, agriculture and the art of construction as revealed from the artefacts found at the site. In fact, they believe these prehistoric people were pagan in nature and worshipped the concept of space, time, creation and destruction of the universe. In fact, if you look at their architectural design carefully, you will release that the ancient people imitated the creation of the world as they knew it. They also believed that there were four corners in the world (north, south, east and west) and the sun moves through all of them, one by one. This is why, they created the temple as the world’s replica.
The smaller pyramids
The smaller structures do not look well-preserved like their bigger cousin. Historians believe they were carved out of the same rock and may have even been a single structure originally.
While The House of the Thirteen Heavens had four corresponding corners, The House of the Wind corresponds to two most important agricultural dates according to the native Mexicans, 4th March or the date of planting and 9th October, the date of harvest. In contrast, The House of the Longest Night, as the name suggests, represented the winter solstice, or 21st December. What’s interesting is that if you stand in front of the pyramids, you can see the sun perfectly syncing with the corresponding corners.