Chalchihuites Municipality

Chalchihuites,^[1] is a municipality in the Mexican state of Zacatecas and Durango, in the northwest of Mexico. The archaeological site of Altavista, at Chalchihuites, is located 137 miles to the northwest of the city of Zacatecas and 102 miles southeast of the city of Durango. Located to the west of Sombrerete in the northwestern corner of the Zacatecas state, it is believed that the site was a cultural oasis that was occupied more or less continuously from AD 100 to AD 1400.

History

It was a Teotihuacano ceremonial center lying on the Tropic of Cancer. It has a number of important features, including petroglyphs, a processional walkway and the Hall of Columns. It has some of the best evidence for astronomical alignments at an archaeological site but remains poorly known.

The archaeologist Manuel Gamio referred to Chalchihuites as a “culture of transition” between the Mesoamerican civilizations and the so-called Chichimeca hunter-gatherers who lived in the arid plateau of central Mexico. Chalchihuites and La Quemada were both outposts of Mesoamerican settlement in an ecological and cultural frontier area. However, in this transition zone, climatic changes caused continual shifts in the available resource base, discouraging most attempts at creating permanent settlements.

It is also known for a its large church that is located in its colonial center.

Climate

The climate is very hot during the summer months and cold in the winter. The site sits lonely in the badlands about four miles east of the town of Chalchihuites. It is also close to the colonial town of Zacatecas, which has a distinctive cathedral.

Notable residents

• Ricardo Moreno, a former boxer in the Super Featherweight division^[2] and ranked #76 on the The Ring's list of 100 All time Greatest Punchers.^[3][4]
• Luis Moya Regis, a General of Francisco I. Madero during the Revolución Mexicana.
• Roberto Guadarrama, A band member of Los Bukis.^[5]
• Los Buchis De Chalchihuites, Zacatecas, a Mexican polka band.^[6]

Coordinates: 23°28′34″N 103°52′50″W / 23.4761111211°N 103.880555566°W

References

1. Valdez, Rubén (2010-06-18). "La Purisima de Los "Rodriguez"". El Sol de Zacatecas. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
2. Dorian, Lilia (2008-06-01). "Ricardo Moreno's Video Biography". Televisa Deportes. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
3. Luevanos, Fernando (2008-10-04). "Ricardo Moreno is one of the All time Greatest Punchers". Boxrec. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
4. Hernández, Carlos; Jorge Sepúlveda Marin (2008-06-26). "Ricardo El Pajarito Moreno". Jornada. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
5. Mulei, Alessandro (2006-08-26). "Members of Los Bukis". La Purísima. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
6. Escobedo, Juan; Thomas Escobedo. "San Juan de Los Mier". Myxer. Retrieved 2010-06-23.