Juxtlahuaca Spanish pronunciation: [xuʃtɬaˈwaka] is a cave and archaeological site in the Mexican state of Guerrero containing murals linked to the Olmec motifs and iconography. Along with the nearby Oxtotitlán cave, Juxtlahuaca walls contain the earliest sophisticated painted art known in Mesoamerica , and only known example of non- Maya deep cave art in Mesoamerica.
22-416: The Juxtlahuaca site is located some 45 km southeast of the state capital Chilpancingo in what is now a National Park. The entire cave system is slightly over 5 km. The caves, also called Grutas de Juxtlahuaca ("Grottos of Juxtlahuaca"), are a favorite destination of spelunkers . The caves are open to the public, but a local guide is required. The site's paintings have been estimated to be over
44-413: A kilometre down a long cavern: descent times are roughly two hours and some passages are partially filled with water. The most well-known of the cave art is Painting 1, which features a large bearded man with a black cloak, a striped tunic, and an elaborate headpiece. The arms and legs are covered with jaguar fur, and a small jaguar tail is even visible dangling down. The man is brandishing a trident at
66-558: A magnitude of 5.6 was centered near Chilpancingo. On 6 October 2024, mayor Alejandro Arcos was beheaded just six days after taking office, allegedly by drug cartels. His murder came three days after Francisco Tapia, the city government's secretary, was shot to death. In 1869, the Autonomous University of Guerrero was established in Chilpancingo; it still plays a considerable role in the local economy. The city
88-470: A much smaller figure crouched to his side and is carrying a long snake or snakelike object. This 2 meter (6 foot) tall painting is one of the rare Olmec-style portrayals of human-on-human dominance, which some researchers interpret as a scene of human sacrifice . Also of note in Juxtlahuaca is a painting of a red Feathered Serpent with green plumes, near a red jaguar whose large ears and eyes give it
110-526: A strategic place for the sides in the debate. Battles took place in the vicinity in the 1910s, in which Emiliano Zapata defeated federal forces of Porfirio Díaz , Francisco I. Madero , Victoriano Huerta and Venustiano Carranza . A major defeat of Huerta's southern forces took place here in March-April 1914; the Zapatistas took the town until after the 1917 Constitutional Convention . In 1960,
132-484: A youthful cast. A design that has provisionally been interpreted as a temple was found on a stalagmite. The cave paintings have been known since at least the 1920s, but were first professionally documented in the early 1960s by Gillett Griffin of Princeton University and Carlo T. E. Gay, an Italian businessman. Archaeologist Michael D. Coe has estimated that the paintings "might probably be Early Preclassic (1200-900 BC, uncalibrated)" in date. Juxtalhuaca is, so far as
154-626: Is a cave and archaeological site in the Mexican state of Guerrero containing murals linked to the Olmec motifs and iconography. Along with the nearby Oxtotitlán cave, Juxtlahuaca walls contain the earliest sophisticated painted art known in Mesoamerica , and only known example of non- Maya deep cave art in Mesoamerica. The Juxtlahuaca site is located some 45 km southeast of
176-554: Is a producer of processed foods and alcoholic beverages, and is a market for maize, sugarcane, bananas, livestock, and lumber produced in the region. Pezuapan is an archaeological site located in the city of Chilpancingo. It sits on the eastern slope of the Chilpancingo valley. The archaeological vestiges found at the site cover the total area of 4000 m². The dates are from 650 AD to 1150 AD. Other archaeological sites found in this area of Guerrero are: Juxtlahuaca Juxtlahuaca Spanish pronunciation: [xuʃtɬaˈwaka]
198-475: Is known, unassociated with any large town of that period. It is also not known how Olmec-influenced art came to be painted hundreds of kilometres (or miles) from the Olmec heartland . Caves are prominent on many Olmec-style monuments: several Olmec " altars " depict priests or rulers emerging from caves, and monuments and reliefs at the archaeological site of Chalcatzingo , to the north of Juxtlahuaca, also feature cave motifs . A dozen skeletons have been found in
220-441: Is one of the rare Olmec-style portrayals of human-on-human dominance, which some researchers interpret as a scene of human sacrifice . Also of note in Juxtlahuaca is a painting of a red Feathered Serpent with green plumes, near a red jaguar whose large ears and eyes give it a youthful cast. A design that has provisionally been interpreted as a temple was found on a stalagmite. The cave paintings have been known since at least
242-586: Is served by Chilpancingo National Airport , which is one of the five airports in the state. In pre-Columbian times, the area was occupied by the Olmecs , who built an extensive tunnel network through the mountains, and left the cave paintings in the caverns of Juxtlahuaca . The city of Chilpancingo was founded on 1 November 1591 by the Spanish conquistadores , its name meaning "Place of Wasps" in Nahuatl. During
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#1732765807540264-529: Is the capital and second-largest city of the Mexican state of Guerrero . In 2010 it had a population of 187,251 people. The municipality has an area of 2,338.4 km (902.9 sq mi) in the south-central part of the state, situated in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, on the bank of the Huacapa River . The city is on Federal Highway 95 , which connects Acapulco to Mexico City . It
286-499: The Olmec heartland . Caves are prominent on many Olmec-style monuments: several Olmec " altars " depict priests or rulers emerging from caves, and monuments and reliefs at the archaeological site of Chalcatzingo , to the north of Juxtlahuaca, also feature cave motifs . A dozen skeletons have been found in the so-called Hall of the Dead, located midway between the entrance and the paintings. From their positions, some extended and some in
308-596: The War of Independence , Chilpancingo was crucial to the insurgent cause as its population participated actively and decisively in their favor, and it became a strategic point for military action in the south. Chilpancingo was very important to Mexican history because it was here where the National Congress met under José María Morelos y Pavón in 1813 during the War of Independence. General Nicolás Catalán , husband of
330-490: The 1920s, but were first professionally documented in the early 1960s by Gillett Griffin of Princeton University and Carlo T. E. Gay, an Italian businessman. Archaeologist Michael D. Coe has estimated that the paintings "might probably be Early Preclassic (1200-900 BC, uncalibrated)" in date. Juxtalhuaca is, so far as is known, unassociated with any large town of that period. It is also not known how Olmec-influenced art came to be painted hundreds of kilometres (or miles) from
352-400: The cave art is Painting 1, which features a large bearded man with a black cloak, a striped tunic, and an elaborate headpiece. The arms and legs are covered with jaguar fur, and a small jaguar tail is even visible dangling down. The man is brandishing a trident at a much smaller figure crouched to his side and is carrying a long snake or snakelike object. This 2 meter (6 foot) tall painting
374-408: The cave. The purpose of this canal is not known. 17°26′21.36″N 99°9′34.03″W / 17.4392667°N 99.1594528°W / 17.4392667; -99.1594528 Chilpancingo Chilpancingo de los Bravo (commonly shortened to Chilpancingo ; Spanish pronunciation: [tʃilpanˈsiŋɡo] ; Nahuatl : Chilpantzinco ( pronounced [t͡ʃiɬpanˈt͡siŋko] ))
396-409: The city entered a severe social crisis with the start of a student popular movement at the Autonomous University of Guerrero , protests which led to a general strike at the institution and later swarmed to various forces and social sectors of the city and the state. The main objective was to diminish the power of the state government and seek autonomy for the college. On 27 April 2009 an earthquake with
418-424: The independence war heroine Antonia Nava de Catalán , was made commander of the state of Guerrero on 24 January 1828. The family settled in Chilpancingo, where both Nicolás and Antonia later died. In 1853, Chilpancingo was declared the provisional capital of the state, due to an epidemic that struck the then capital of Tixtla , and regional ecclesiastical organizational changes were made at the same time. In 1870 it
440-417: The so-called Hall of the Dead, located midway between the entrance and the paintings. From their positions, some extended and some in a fetal position, and their condition, covered with a stalactite crust, the skeletons are assumed to be ancient interments. Some have been partially buried as a result of a cave-in. Just before the paintings, a 250-foot (80 m) artificial canal was cut into the red clay floor of
462-499: The state capital Chilpancingo in what is now a National Park. The entire cave system is slightly over 5 km. The caves, also called Grutas de Juxtlahuaca ("Grottos of Juxtlahuaca"), are a favorite destination of spelunkers . The caves are open to the public, but a local guide is required. The site's paintings have been estimated to be over a kilometre down a long cavern: descent times are roughly two hours and some passages are partially filled with water. The most well-known of
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#1732765807540484-490: Was again declared capital by Governor Francisco O. Arce, due to the opposition led by General Jiménez, who was in possession of the official seat of government at Tixtla. It was not until 1871, when the state legislature agreed to a change of venue, that the capital was moved again from Chilpancingo. During the Mexican Revolution , Chilpancingo was deeply troubled and had political and administrative importance as
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