Despite its grandeur, the ancient city of Acozac eludes travelers

With a history spanning 2.5 millennia, Acozac is one of the oldest surviving archaeological sites in the valley of Mexico. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Since the 5th century BCE, the ancient city of Acozac was an important settlement for several Nahuatl-speaking peoples, including the Tepanec, Acolhua, and Chichimeca.

The city was also known as Ixtapaluca — which is often translated as “the place of stones” or “where the salt gets wet” — and serves today as the name of the municipality in which the site is located in Mexico State.

A residential complex with a large temple dedicated to the wind deity Ehécatl. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

A contemporary of Teotihuacan, and located at the opposite end of the lake of Texcoco, it is likely that Acozac served as a satellite city-state and line of defense to ward off possible invasions.

Map of Acozac in the municipality of Ixtapaluca, Mexico State. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

But Acozac really seems to have come into its own as a power in itself during the time of the foundation of the Aztec empire in the 12th century CE.

A closeup of the partially restored stairway of Acozac’s largest pyramid. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Given its location surrounded by some of the most densely populated areas in all of Mexico, it is hard to say with any certainty exactly how big Acozac really was during its heyday. But given its extremely long period of occupation and surviving architecture, it is not unreasonable to assume it would have been quite the regional power.

In recent years, Acozac has also been closely associated with Techotlalatzin, mentioned in the Xólotl codex, along with other powerful city-states such as Tenayuca.

Locals tour the site and walk their dogs among the ruins of the ancient city of Acozac in Mexico State. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Acozac was first investigated by the INAH in the 1970s during an urban expansion project and the construction of a golf club. As a result, six structures of varying sizes and all part of the same plaza were restored.

That being said, large mounds can be seen in virtually all directions, hinting at the true size of this impressive sight.

Because Acozac is not walled off and basically serves as a park, several of the structures have been vandalized, though the damage seems to be mostly limited to spray paint. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Another of the characteristics of the site, likely resulting from its extremely long period of occupation, is a large number of ceramic pieces littering the area.

As tempting as it is, it is best not to remove ceramics from Prehispanic sites. Doing so robs them of important archaeological context. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Given that no caretakers appear to be on duty at Acozac, the large construction vehicles visible in the area are extremely troubling. Mexico State does not have a particularly good reputation when it comes to caring for its archaeological heritage.

Construction crews have been seen moving a large amount of soil at the archaeological site, which in turn risks further damaging subjacent structures and artifacts. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

At the northern end of the site, it’s possible to observe a pyramidal structure displaying both Aztec and Teotihuacan features, which also happens to be the largest surviving edification at Acozac.

When viewed from the south, Acozac’s largest pyramid appears to be not much more than a mound of earth, but upon closer inspection, this is clearly not the case. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

This particular structure has only been partially restored, and several smaller unrestored mounds can be seen adjacent to it on all but its southern side.

Yours truly posing for a photo on Acozac’s largest surviving pyramid. Photo: Yesica Benitez Chan / Yucatán Magazine

From the pyramid, whose name remains unknown, it is possible to see the remains of a plaza with four structures flanking its southern end.

Staircase inside a large residential complex in Acozac, Mexico State. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht

Given the construction patterns of Mesoamerican peoples, it is extremely unlikely that this row of structures would have existed in isolation, which suggests at least an equally impressive series of buildings would have stood on its opposite side to complete the plaza.

At the far end of the surviving plaza, it is possible to make out a rounded platform which, from its features, was almost certainly dedicated to the wind deity Ehécatl.

Temples dedicated to Ehécatl are a hallmark of Aztec architecture and can be found across the region at sites like Tlatelolco and the Templo Mayor. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

The deity Ehécatl likely finds its origin in Mexica mythology and is often associated with Quetzalcóatl, known in the Maya world as Kukulkán.

The north-facing view of the temple of Ehécatl in Acozac, Mexico State. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Just to the north of the temple of Ehécatl is what appears to be a large multi-roomed elite residence complete with several niches and staircases.

Though this construction is usually referred to as being habitational, it also was likely used for civic and religious purposes. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Aside from its exquisite state of preservation on the whole, one of the most notable features of this structure is its virtually intact stucco floor, which may have been protected from the elements for centuries by low-lying vegetation — and plenty of help from INAH archaeologists.

During antiquity, this elite residence would have almost surely been covered entirely in stucco and painted bright red. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Other surviving/restored structures at Acozac are made up primarily of ceremonial platforms and elevated foundations.

The larger platforms were likely either used for ceremonial purposes or were topped with homes made from perishable materials which have not survived the ravages of time. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Given its location in a particularly arid region of Mexico State, it is no surprise that Acozac is full of man-made water reservoirs lined with bricks and stucco.

The design of water reservoirs across Mesoamerica varies a good deal, but aside from settlements near rivers or cenotes are a constant in urban planning for reasons which are easy to understand. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht

If you go

Because Acozac is hardly ever visited by tourists and acts mostly as a local park, there are no organized tours to the site.

Map of the Mesoamerican city of Acozac in the municipality of Ixtapaluca in Mexico State. Image: Google Maps

To visit, the best course of action is to hire a driver in Mexico City and perhaps also hit some other relatively nearby sites such as Los Reyes de Acaquilpan and Chilmalhuacán.

Though the area is dry, it is still possible to spot local fauna, including interesting birds and lizards. Photo: Carlos Rosado van der Gracht / Yucatán Magazine

Public transport to this part of Mexico State is available from Mexico City, but these routes are known for being particularly dangerous as they are near several slums with tremendously high crime rates. Best to play it safe and hire a trustworthy driver.