English
Archaeologists in Mexico have uncovered a 2,500-year-old structure believed to have served as a solar observatory, offering new insight into the astronomical knowledge of ancient Mesoamerican civilizations. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced the discovery at the pre-Hispanic site of Teteles de Ávila Castillo, located in the Sierra Norte de Puebla mountain region.
A Site With Deep Historical Roots
INAH researchers have been excavating the Teteles de Ávila Castillo archaeological site since 2015. According to Alberto Diez Barroso Repizo, the site’s archaeological project director, Teteles flourished during the Middle Preclassic period, roughly between 900 BC and 600 BC. However, the settlement declined around AD 100, possibly because the nearby city of Cantona expanded and overshadowed it.
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Diez also noted that archaeologists found green obsidian beads at the site. This discovery suggests Teteles had trade connections to Teotihuacan, one of the largest cities in ancient Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan controlled the quarry where that type of obsidian originated, and Teteles sat along an established trade route.
An Observatory Built Around the Sun
The newly identified structure shows that Teteles’s builders had a sophisticated understanding of astronomy. According to INAH, the observatory was designed to track two key moments in the Mesoamerican calendar. These were the start of the calendar year in February and the harvest season in October.
One of the project’s researchers found that the eastern base of the complex functions as a solar calendar. During the equinoxes and solstices, the sun’s path aligns directly with the front of the structure. This alignment strongly supports the idea that ancient inhabitants deliberately oriented the building to observe and record celestial events.
Plans to Open the Site to the Public
Diez told the Art Newspaper that INAH plans to open Teteles de Ávila Castillo to visitors in the future. Officials also intend to eventually build a museum at the site to help the public engage with its history.
Mexico’s Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, described the discovery as an important expansion of the country’s historical understanding. “The architecture of Teteles de Ávila Castillo tells us about societies that developed astronomical knowledge and incorporated it into the organization of their ceremonial spaces,” she said. The ancient Mesoamerican observatory at Teteles, she added, reflects the depth and sophistication of the civilizations that once thrived in the region.
