Guiengola

Guiengola is a pre-Columbian fortress and ritual site of the Zapotec at 420 m altitude on a mountain spur, around 15 km north-west of the modern town of Tehuantepec projects in the valley. It dates from the late fifteenth or the beginning of the sixteenth century. There, according to Spanish colonial times reports there has been a battle with an Aztec Expeditionary Force, which was unsuccessful for the Aztecs. With the Spanish conquest, the fort was abandoned.

History of Research

The first scientific commission of Guiengola was made ​​in 1896 by Eduard Seler, after Aureliano Estrada had reported in 1892 on the ruins. Modern research has been conducted in the 1970s by David Andres Peterson, larger excavations and restorations have not yet taken place (2010).

Ceremonial

The center of Guiengloa is formed by the Zeremonialanlage which 200 m is located on a north artificially extended flat area of ​​150 × between two rocky hills. From the north, through a narrow valley, was the original entrance. Seler describes to be encountered there on fortifications. The planar surface forms an irregular square, where there are three buildings: the Western pyramid eastern pyramid and to the south of the ball court.

East Pyramid

This building was clearly the most important: the actual pyramid is a slightly sunken courtyard of 30 × 40 m upstream of internal dimensions. The perimeter of the courtyard is formed by a 2 m wide and 60 cm high wall to the west by a broad staircase leads up. From the perimeter lead at several points down large and small stairs to the courtyard, from where you can climb the actual pyramid on an outgoing from the courtyard level staircase. The Ostpyramide consists of three upward -smaller steps, the staircase is without stringers and slightly recessed into the building. In addition, two small steps present on the two sides. The actual shrine is likely an existing design from river gravel on the surface of the pyramid, near its eastern wall, have been, the whole surface was covered over with stucco.

West Pyramid

Unlike the pyramid just described, this does not have an upstream yard, but is directly accessible from the site. Also, it consists of three stages, their staircase is not settled, but preceded and provided with wide stair stringers. Here, too, on the narrow side stairs. The top of the stair stringers running from vertical. On the upper surface the remains of a building from Adobe can be seen, which had two rooms of just under 13 meters in length at a time.

Playground for ball games

The ball court has the typical post- classic form: The game road runs between two oblique reflection surfaces emanating from massive plinths, leading up to the small stairs. The game has lane at both ends of a rectangular extension to three times, this is framed by a wall socket. From the North lead on this plinth two small podium on the playing surface.

Palace

The palace is about 200 meters southeast of the Zeremonialzone and was probably the residence of the ruler Cocijo-eza. It consisted of 64 rooms and other structures on a surface of 11.000 sqm, arranged heavily nested and irregular because of the very rocky terrain. The only access is from the south; because of the considerable differences in altitude are numerous large and small flights of steps necessary. In the middle of the complex there is a small, irregular courtyard ( Patio 11), which is interpreted due to the limited access ( via a narrow staircase from the south, perhaps serving as a guard houses between two constructions starts ) as the actual residence area. The central building is a temple with Three staged rooms that had the typical doorways with two columns.

Noteworthy is the so-called Mirador, a lookout point, which was built on a circular ledge in the east of the palace and offers a magnificent panoramic view of the plain.

Digger

Two graves have been robbed in the 19th century. The first is next to the Umfassungswall the patio of Ostpyramide. An access from the west leads to a 9 m long and 2 m wide grave chamber. From the entrance go from two small lateral chambers. The second grave is located palace area below a small temple with a pillared entrance. The grave is smaller and has three parallel chambers, the side chambers depart from this type of access. After colonial temporal information, the large middle chamber was in the tombs of the sanctuary, while the burials the side chambers were used repeatedly.