In a cave nestled between two volcanic hills in Mexico, red glyphs painted onto rock may point to an ancient Mesoamerican writing system. Located near the archaeological site of Chalcatzingo, the cliffside cave was once accessed by people from Teotihuacan, the largest city in the Americas for much of the first millennium. The symbols these people painted, along with evidence that they had burned fires in the cave, could suggest that they made pilgrimages to Chalcatzingo to carry out rituals.
A new study published in Antiquity examined three glyphs at the cave near Chalcatzingo; the glyphs include depictions of a stylized mountain; a beaded necklace, cloak, and pointed dart; and a large rectangular frame adorned by a series of five-pointed stars. These glyphs, according to the study authors, could represent a distinct writing system used by the Teotihuacan culture and may designate the cave as a place where deceased warriors were commemorated with fire rituals.
Relics of Teotihuacan
The archaeological site of Chalcatzingo, around 56 miles southeast of Mexico City, is known for its architecture, monuments, and rock art from the Middle to Late Formative period in Mesoamerican history (around 900 B.C.E. to 500 B.C.E.). More than 50 rock art panels carved in an Olmec style have been documented at Chalcatzingo, often displaying a close connection to local geography and agriculture.
Explore All OptionsDifferent societies continued to occupy Chalcatzingo throughout Mesoamerican history; during the Classic period (350 C.E. to 550 C.E.), people from the Teotihuacan culture dwelled at the site and traversed surrounding hills, leaving behind ceramics and the glyphs examined in the new study.
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Inspecting Cave Glyphs
The three glyphs examined in the new study are located in a rock shelter known as Cave 19, located 0.2 miles from the center of Chalcatzingo. The people who created these glyphs used a dark red pigment, likely painted on rock with a brush.
Researchers traveled to Cave 19 in 2022 to document the three glyphs, taking photographs and later enhancing them to reveal hidden features.
The first glyph shows two identical mountain signs, with one surrounded by two large scrolls emanating from an open mouth, denoting a connection to speech. The researchers believe that there was also once a third mountain sign that has faded.
This “tri-mountain” sign and the depiction of scrolls, according to the researchers, could signify a place name meaning “Singing Mountain,” which was also a local name for a hill near Cave 19. Murals in the city of Teotihuacan also record the name “Singing Mountain,” which could mean that people traveled from Teotihuacan to the hill on pilgrimages.
The second glyph depicts multiple items; a large, beaded necklace lies at the center, draped over what appears to be a cloak. An upright dart is also positioned as if stabbing through the necklace. Since these items were all part of warrior attire in the Teotihuacan culture, the researchers surmise that this glyph pertains to a warrior title.
Finally, the third glyph shows a rectangular frame with a star motif; the glyph is centered on a bedrock shelf where some sort of burning took place, as indicated by blackening of the cave's back wall and ceiling.
Writings Made for Rituals
These three glyphs were more than just emblematic symbols; they also represent the Teotihuacan writing system. While the researchers note that there has been debate in the past on whether Teotihuacan symbols could be considered writing, recent research has confirmed that the symbols contain elements of expression similar to hieroglyphic scripts of other Mesoamerican cultures like the Maya and Aztec.
In addition, the glyph with the necklace, cloak, and dart indicates that people likely visited Cave 19 to cremate funerary bundles associated with a warrior order in Teotihuacan. While the third glyph doesn't have any clear ties to Teotihuacan script compared to the other two, the blackened back wall and ceiling above the glyph further support the idea that people performed rituals involving fire in the cave.
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Article Sources
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- This article references information from a study published in Antiquity: Painted Teotihuacan glyphs of Cave 19, Chalcatzingo, Morelos, Mexico
