Xochitecatl
Nativitas, Mexico
Xochitecatl is a ceremonial centre on the summit of an extinct volcano in the state of Tlaxcala, begun around 800 BC,…
1 ticket or tour
Country
Oldest ancient sites in Mexico
Mexico's dates here mark the earliest occupation found at each site, usually centuries before the pyramids that stand today. Xochitecatl in Tlaxcala, next to Cacaxtla, leads at about 800 BC, and Dainzú and Monte Alban in the valley of Oaxaca follow, Monte Alban founded about 500 BC as the Zapotec capital. Then come Maya cities of the south-east: Edzna in Campeche, Ichkabal near Bacalar, opened to visitors only recently, and Muyil, Balamku, Chicanná and Dzibanche. Guachimontones in Jalisco, with its circular stepped pyramids, closes the ten.
| # | Site | Country | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xochitecatl | Mexico | 800 BC |
| 2 | Dainzu | Mexico | 650 BC |
| 3 | Monte Alban | Mexico | 500 BC |
| 4 | Edzna | Mexico | 400 BC |
| 5 | Ichkabal | Mexico | 400 BC |
| 6 | Muyil | Mexico | 350 BC |
| 7 | Balamku | Mexico | 300 BC |
| 8 | Chicanna | Mexico | 300 BC |
| 9 | Dzibanche | Mexico | 300 BC |
| 10 | Guachimontones | Mexico | 300 BC |
Dainzu
Oaxaca, Mexico
Dainzu is a Zapotec town on a hillside in the Tlacolula valley, about 20 km south-east of Oaxaca city, at its height…
2 tickets & tours
Monte Alban
Oaxaca, Mexico
Monte Alban is the hilltop capital of the Zapotecs above Oaxaca City in southern Mexico, founded around 500 BC on an…
32 tickets & tours
Edzna
Campeche, Mexico
Edzna is a Maya city in the valley south-east of Campeche, about an hour's drive from the walled port.
3 tickets & tours
Ichkabal
Bacalar, Mexico
Ichkabal is a vast Maya city in the forest west of Bacalar, in southern Quintana Roo, opened to visitors only recently.
3 tickets & tours
Muyil
Tulum, Mexico
Muyil is a quiet Maya site in the forest about 20 km south of Tulum, on the edge of the Sian Ka'an reserve in…
8 tickets & tours
Balamku
Calakmul, Mexico
Balamku is a small Maya site in the forest of southern Campeche, about 50 km north of Calakmul, discovered only in…
No online ticket
Chicanna
Xpujil, Mexico
Chicanna is a small Maya site in southern Campeche, famous for a temple whose doorway is carved as the gaping mouth of…
No online ticket
Dzibanche
Bacalar, Mexico
Dzibanche is a Maya city in the forest of southern Quintana Roo, west of Bacalar, that was the first capital of the…
3 tickets & tours
Guachimontones
Teuchitlan, Mexico
Guachimontones is the largest site of the Teuchitlan culture, on a hillside above Teuchitlan about an hour west of…
6 tickets & tours