Tenayuca

Welcome to the archaeological zone of Tenayuca, situated at the base of the Cerro del Tenayo in the municipality of Tlalnepantla, just northwest of the historical center of Mexico City. As you arrive at this site, you are…

As we approach the base of the great pyramid, the true scale and the complex history of its construction become apparent. Mesoamerican pyramids were rarely built in a single, continuous effort. …

We now arrive at the most iconic and visually arresting feature of Tenayuca: the Coatepantli, or the Wall of Serpents. Extending around the base of the pyramid on three sides, this is an extraordinary sculptural installation…

Positioned at the base of the pyramid, prominently flanking the northern and southern edges of the main structure, are two highly specific and fascinating architectural elements: the altars of the Xiuhcóatl, or the Fire Serpents.…

Standing back to take in the full, towering profile of the pyramid, we must visualize what once stood at its flat summit. Although the structures have long since been destroyed, archaeological research confirms that the basement…

Adjacent to the great pyramid is the Xolotl Site Museum, a vital repository that contextualizes the massive stone structure we have just explored. Inaugurated in 1985 and operated by the National Institute of Anthropology and…

Just south of the archaeological zone, sharing the same immediate physical space, stands the Temple of San Bartolomé. This colonial church represents the abrupt and violent end of the indigenous era and the beginning of the…

Our exploration of Tenayuca brings us to a close here, at the base of the great pyramid, surrounded by the quiet intensity of the 138 stone serpents. We have traced the history of a site that served as the pivotal transition…