Izapa



Izapa is one of the oldest Mayan sites in Mexico. It is located northeast of Tapachula in Chiapas, Mexico, near the Guatemala border.

History
Izapa was first settled around 1500 BC and was at its height from 800 BC to 100 BC, making it the oldest of the major Maya sites in Mexico. It started as a small village with an agrarian economy. The oldest structures at the site are on the north side of Group B on the site map around what is identified as Mound 30. The people of Izapa were thought to have engaged in trade with the Olmec civilizations to the north between 1250 - 850 BC, probably because the Olmec wanted cacao to satisfy their sweet tooth. From 850-300 BC, Izapa is thought to have been increasingly important as a religious center due to the construction of new platforms (Group A and Group C) near the city center. Around 300 BC, signs of trade and cooperation with the Olmec disappeared and Izapa continued to grow as an isolated city. For a few decades, Izapa was dominated by Mayan cities in nearby Guatemala, but the domination ended with the eruption of the nearby Tacana volcano, which also signified the beginning of an era of decline for Izapa. Although the city continued to be occupied, and many relics were found from the first millenium AD, by the year 1250 AD, the city was abandoned.

Archaeology
Izapa has been well explored and extensively excavated and documented. The site is well preserved and maintained by the INAH. The first major excavation took place in the 1930s by archaeologist Philip Drucker. Further digs took place in the 1940s and 1950s under the direction of Roman Pina Chan and other Mexican archaeologists. An exploration in 1961 produced the the site map and discovered dozens of stone monuments. No major explorations have taken place since 1982 and some of the previously cleared structures have been once again covered by foliage from the voracious jungle.

Landscape
The archaeological site is surrounded by jungle on the banks of the Rio de Izapa. The terrain is flat and cleared around several groups of structures.

Get in
The site is very easy to reach and explore. The site entrance is located 10 minutes by taxi northeast of Tapachula on federal highway MEX 200.

Fees and permits
Daily admission to the site is M$85, paid at the site entrance gate. There are also local site guardians who can be hired for a few hours to guide you around the site. Hiring them is a good idea because many parts of the site get overgrown by the jungle, and guardians have machetes and will help clear a path for you to see structures you might miss if you were just walking around on your own.

Get around
The archaeological site straddles the federal highway. As you approach the site from Tapachula, the main entrance (Group A and B) is on the right, about 1 km before the Rio de Izapa. Another parking lot and gate is at Group F close to the river.

From the main gate, you'll walk a cleared trail for about 500 meters to reach the ruins. Along the trail you'll pass several mounds that probably hide temples or other structures but have not been excavated. Take the trail that forks to the left to enter Group B. The temples in Group B once had stelae and sculptures in front of them, though they were removed and taken to the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Some sculptures remain at the site and are protected by thatch roofs and wire fencing to keep both visitors and animals from touching them (farmers living adjacent to the site are permitted to let goats graze in the site, serving as natural lawnmowers that keep the constantly encroaching vegetation at bay. The temples in Group B around Mound 30a are the oldest structures at the site, dating from about 800 BC.

Several stone sculptures were found that look like pillars with flattened balls. These are said to represent symbols of male and female fertility. Archaeologists do have strange imaginations! A number of carved stelae were found representing rulers and mythic tales. There were also altars and a throne.

Head back toward the parking lot and follow the dirt road past the small farmhouses to Group A. A plaza here is surrounded by four temples and a large structure identified as Mound 56. There are several sculptures and stelae under thatched roofs here. These are the best (most well defined) stelae at Izapa. The most famous is Stelae 5 which is called the tree of life because it centers on a fruit tree with humans and gods surrounding it. It's thought to represent the cycle of life. Additional stelae from this site are displayed in regional museums in Tapachula and Tuxtla Gutierrez. Several of the stelae at Izapa are thought to represent characters from Popul Vuh, the iconic myth of Mesoamerica that is the center of Maya religion.

Go back to the parking area. If you have a car, move it up the highway to Group F, otherwise hike the 1000 meters or so to Group F near the river.

Group F is the newest part of Iztapa, having been built in 50 BC and later. The structures here are in better condition and better maintained than in the older parts of the site. There are several platforms and pyramids. Structure 125 is a pyramid that was found to contain the graves of 61 burials as well as pottery and a number of sculptures that are thought to be offerings. The pottery items from this temple are displayed in the Tapachula museum. The ballcourt forms the north end of the plaza.

See
Relics from the site are in museums in Tapachula, Tuxtla Gutierrez, and in the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

Eat
A wide range of restaurants is available in Tapachula. There are a couple of restaurants adjacent to the archaeological zone.

Sleep
There is a large selection of lodging in the city of Tapachula with hotels, hostels, and rooms. Cabins are available within walking distance of the archaeological site at the Rincon de Hadas.

Stay safe
Bring your own bottled water, 2 liters is probably enough for the few hours you'll spend at the site. Also bring mosquito repellant containing DEET. Wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Keep an eye open for snakes, which like to hide behind or under rocks in the ruins.

Go next

 * Tapachula
 * Quetzaltenango