New discoveries made during restoration work at Cholula Pyramid

MND Staff
February 8, 2023



Cholula pyramid site

New findings have been reported by archaeologists working on restoration at the Great Pyramid of Cholula. ( INAH / Cuartoscuro.com)

At the site of the world’s largest pyramid (by volume), the Great Pyramid of Cholula, Puebla, the remains of pre-Hispanic braziers and a sculpture of the god Tlaloc were discovered during restoration work, the according to a press bulletin from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).



Restoration work at Cholula pyramid
Workers at the “Escalinata del Pocito” on the Cholula pyramid site. (INAH)


The first discovery was an adobe core that would correspond to the filling of the fifth stage of the pyramid base, dated towards the end of the Classic period (100-600 AD).

According to the site coordinator Catalina Castilla Morales, and the archaeologist designated by the INAH to supervise the restoration, Mariana Toledo Mendieta, this nucleus is evidence of the construction process used by the ancient cholultecas (inhabitants of Cholula) to expand their monument.

The findings were made while working on the pyramid’s stairway, “Escalinata del Pocito”, which started in December under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture through INAH.

“Although we no longer have the façade or the plastering of the sixth stage of the pyramid, these nuclei hint at the shape the building would have had,” Toledo explained in a statement from INAH.

Pre-Hispanic braziers were also discovered in an area that is believed to be a break on the slope of the pyramid. According to Toledo, they still don’t know how old the remains are or if they were used as pyramid lights, or with ritual purpose. However, “it is clear that there was a sustained use of fire in the site and that when one of the braziers broke, instead of removing it, they placed another on top of it,” she said.

More:
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/culture/new-discoveries-made-during-restoration-work-at-cholula-pyramid/

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The Largest Pyramid in the World: The Great Pyramid of Cholula | Ancient Architects

Ancient Architects

Most people think the largest pyramid in the world is the Great Pyramid of Egypt, but not many know that this title claim belongs to another.

Known as The Great Pyramid of Cholula, this huge man-made complex in Puebla, Mexico is the largest archaeological site of a pyramid in the New World, as well as the largest pyramid known to exist in the world. In fact it is the largest monument ever constructed by man.

It stands at 180 feet above the surrounding plain and has an enormous footprint of 1,480 x 1,480 feet. The Great Pyramid of Egypt is taller at 481 feet but with a base of 756 feet square, its footprint is far smaller than the one in Mexico. The volume of the Cholula pyramid is 4.45 million cubic metres, whilst the Great Pyramid of Egypt is 2.5 million.

Through the dating of ceramics and figurines found in the original pyramid core through to the outer layers, the pyramid was built in four to six stages, starting in the 3rd century BC through to the 9th century AD, and traditionally, the experts say it was dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl.

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