Angamuco is the name given to a major urban settlement of the Purépecha civilization, (Tarascan) now in ruins hidden under vegetation, in the Lake Pátzcuaro Basin of Michoacán, Mexico, and discovered in 2007. In 2012, using LiDAR technology, archaeologist Christopher Fisher[1] and team detected more than 40,000 foundations at the site, roughly the same as Manhattan, on a territory of approximately 25 square kilometres (9.7 sq mi) (less than half of Manhattan's 59 square kilometres (23 sq mi).[2]
  Shown within Mexico | |
| Location |  Mexico |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 19°35′03″N 101°29′42″W / 19.5840293°N 101.4948909°W |
| History | |
| Founded | circa 900 CE |
| Cultures | Purépecha civilization |
Analyzing architectural data Fisher found 60 distinctive, standardized, and recurrent architectural forms throughout the site, including commoner and elite buildings, altars, pyramids, storage facilities, ball courts, and a hierarchical road system. The most common types of structures are living spaces for both commoners and elites, including small platforms for houses and rectangular and circular walled rooms. The second most common features are structures for public or ritual activities, such as pyramids, plazas, and a ball court. Finally, a small part are structures associated with agriculture activities such as patios or terraces. The diverse range of structures at Angamuco suggests a large, active, and organized population embedded within an extensive human modified landscape.[3]
Fisher believes the settlement was founded around 900 CE and reached peak importance from around 1000 to around 1350 CE with a population of over 100,000 – making it the most populous city in western Mexico at the time, and spanning a wider area than the Purépecha capital, Tzintzuntzan.[4][5]
References
edit- ^ "Chris Fisher, Professor - College of Liberal Arts | Colorado State University". College of Liberal Arts. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
- ^ "Angamuco, the lost city of Michoacán". El Universal. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ Fisher, Christopher T.; Cohen, Anna S.; Solinis-Casparius, Rodrigo; Pezzutti, Florencia L.; Bush, Jason; Forest, Marion; Torvinen, Andrea (2019-09-24). "A Typology of Ancient Purépecha (Tarascan) Architecture from Angamuco, Michoacán, Mexico". Latin American Antiquity. 30 (3): 510–528. doi:10.1017/laq.2019.50. ISSN 1045-6635 – via Cambridge University Press.
- ^ O'Reilly, Andrew (20 February 2018). "Ancient lost city in Mexico had as many buildings as Manhattan". News.com.au. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ Davis, Nicola (15 February 2018). "Laser scanning reveals 'lost' ancient Mexican city 'had as many buildings as Manhattan'". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
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