El Tajín
El Tajín is an archaeological site located in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, recognized as the principal civic-ceremonial center of the Classic Veracruz civilization. This significant site showcases a blend of various Mesoamerican cultures, particularly those of the Huastec, Totonac, and Otomi peoples. Its development occurred from the Middle Classic period (300-600 CE) through the Late Classic (600-900 CE) and into the Postclassic period (c. 1200 CE), heavily influenced by the trade in obsidian with regions such as Teotihuacán and the Maya. Notable for its unique architectural features, El Tajín is especially famous for the Pyramid of the Niches, which highlights Classic Veracruz design elements, including masonry entablatures and everted cornices. The site also includes intricately carved stucco and rock panels, as well as a variety of ball courts, underscoring its cultural and economic ties to other prominent Mesoamerican sites. El Tajín's rich historical and cultural significance makes it a vital subject of interest for those exploring ancient Mesoamerican civilizations.
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Subject Terms
El Tajín
Related civilizations: Huastec, Totonac.
Date: 200-700 c.e.
Locale: Veracruz, Mexico
El Tajín
El Tajín (ehl tah-HEEN) was the principal civic-ceremonial center of the Classic Veracruz civilization of the north-central Gulf coast of Mesoamerica. Culturally, the site represents an amalgamation of Mesoamerican cultures that occupied that area later identified with the Huastec, Totonac, and Otomi. The site’s development, which spans the whole of the Middle (300-600 c.e.) and Late Classic (600-900 c.e.) periods and culminates in the Postclassic (c. 1200 c.e.), was dependent on the obsidian trade between Teotihuacán, Puebla, and the Gulf coast and Maya regions. As such, El Tajín’s architecture and culture reflect Teotihuacán, Nuiñe, Maya, Zapotec, and coastal Guatemalan influences.
Though initial developments at this site were heavily influenced by central highland civilization, El Tajín rose to distinguish itself as the paramount center of a Veracruz-based obsidian procurement network. The site’s distinctive architecture, particularly the Pyramid of the Niches, incorporates a number of Classic Veracruz traits, including masonry entablatures, niches, and everted cornice elements. Other features include elaborately carved stucco and rock panels and a diverse array of ball courts and ball court paraphernalia pointing to cultural and economic interactions with the sites of Copán, Teotihuacán, Xochicalco, Cotzumalhuapa, Monte Albán, and Palenque.
Bibliography
Brüggemann, Juergen, Sara Ladrón de Guevara, and Juan Sánchez Bonilla. Tajín. Mexico City: El Equilibrista, 1992.
Kelly, Joyce. The Complete Visitor’s Guide to Mesoamerican Ruins. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1982.