🇲🇽 Mexico · Archaeological wonder
La Joya
Classic Veracruz 100–1000 CE · Classic Veracruz (Remojadas-Early Gulf)
26-m earthen platform pyramid on Gulf coastal plain, 100–1000 CE.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Cantona
Epiclassic to Early Postclassic 600–1100 CE (peak 600–950 CE, Teotihuacan–Tula interstice) · Unclassified central Mexican (earlier linked to early Nahua/Chichimeca? distinctive not Teotihuacan nor Toltec)
Largest pre-Hispanic city on Mexican highlands by area and most elaborate urban fortification: 12 km² (1,215 ha) city on 500 m-wavy basaltic lava field (malpaís) with 7,500+ patios, 24 ballcourts…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán
Early Formative 1500–900 BCE (San Lorenzo phase, Olmec apogee 1500–1200) · Olmec (Olmeca, earliest Gulf Olmec capital)
Earliest Olmec capital (1500–900 BCE) on 50 ha artificial plateau (700 m long) raised 50 m above floodplain with surrounding ditch and berm modification of natural hill, controlling Coatzacoalcos…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Tamtoc (Tamuín) – Huastec Metropolis
Preclassic to Postclassic Huastec (600 BCE–1520 CE, Florescent 600–900) · Huastec (Tenek – Maya linguistic isolate)
Great Huastec city (600 BCE–1520 CE, peak 600–900 CE) on Tampaón River bend covering 50 sq ha with 70 mounds, artificial lagoons and plazas: 21×40 mound group, Stepped Pyramid of the Moon, Temple of…