El Taijin
Ruins... I like "archeological site" better, for they are so impressive and in such amazing shape that to call them ruins does them a dis-service.
Off in the flatlands, muggy morning, we visit our first archeological site, el taijin. It's 10 square kilometers of city, buildings and ballcourts, pyramids and temples. Started by the Olmecs and finished by the Totonacs, it wasn't discovered until the early 20th century. They are still uncovering the site and several hills, remarkably pyramid shaped, stand covered in jungle and banana trees waiting for careful hands to remove the growth. The more recent excavations were the most interesting, still retaining detailed surfacing complete with bright paintings of gods and daily life. Every now and again we would round a corner and the inscribed stones would be intact, dramatic images of the gods, rituals, and dreams. One of the more dramatic images is on a ball court showing the ritual killing of the losers by the winning team. This ain't no superbowl! And El Taijin is only the beginning, when we get to the Yucatan we'll see many more sites and more complete ones. But this first one was pretty amazing and if anything only whet our appetite for more.
posted by Darby Watson @ 3:57 PM
2 Comments:
wish i could remember where the museo was with the huge olmec heads...do you have any pix of this place el taijin?...glad you got to los posas...no mention of any bird sighting though i know you must have seen some...any tucans? motmots?...
How do I say this in twenty-five words or less? About twenty years ago INAH "reconstructed or stabilized" Tajin and built the museum there. This happened at most of the "major" ruins in Mexico over the course of decades. We saw many of these ruins before and after this process, including Tajin in the process. "Reconstructing" is an interesting term, especially when starting with a pile of overgrown rock, and I think that with archeological experience, the teams did the best they could and be true to the original. However, I did like the "Disnification" they did. Parts were exquisitely reconstructed, as you can testify to, but they also included reconstructed unconstructed areas to give the effect that somehow you were looking at this untouched thousand year old building. Sort of an Indiana Jones thing. So it goes to prove that nothing is as it seems, including thousand year old ruins, politics, and food expiration dates
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