Las Ranas
Las Ranas ("the frogs") is a ruin site in the Mexican state of Querétaro, possibly belonging to the Teotihuacan - Toltec cultural area .
location
The site is on two narrow, connected ridges at an altitude of almost 2400 m above sea level. d. M. in the southern area of the Sierra Gorda approx. 1 km (as the crow flies) north of the small town of San Joaquín .
history
The place was inhabited from the 7th to the 11th century. There were several mine entrances in the vicinity, but so far there has been uncertainty about the minerals mined here at the time (probably cinnabar ). The ruins were first described, measured and photographed by North American mining engineers at the end of the 19th century. Archaeological investigations took place from 1980.
Ruin site
The ruins are fortified by side retaining walls and terraces. The preserved and partially restored buildings consist of numerous rectangular platforms for buildings made of perishable material as well as three ball playgrounds and some high pyramids as well as several circular wall circles. All masonry consists of natural stone slabs that have been installed without any special finishing. The location on hard-to-reach terrain indicates the need for protection against the threat of war. The basis of life was agriculture on the terraced fields laid out on the mountain slopes as well as the mining and bartering of minerals.
Others
There are numerous similarly located and developed ruins in the region; Only Toluquilla, approx. 12 km away, has been accessible and partially exposed .
See also
literature
- Margarita Velasco Mireles: El mundo de la Sierra Gorda . In: Arqueología Mexicana 77 (2006) pp. 28-37
- Elizabeth Mejía Pérez Campos, Alberto Herrera Muñoz: El sur de la Sierra Gorda . In: Arqueología Mexicana 77 (2006) pp. 38–43
Web links
- Las Ranas - Photos + Info (Spanish)
- Las Ranas - Info (INHA, Spanish)
- Las Ranas - Video (Spanish)
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 20 ° 55 ′ 33 " N , 99 ° 33 ′ 47.3" W.