Zona Arqueológica El Tajín

The great “City of Thunder”, the archaeological zone of El Tajin is the most important in the north of the State of Veracruz due to its extensive construction and wide cultural influence between the Cazones and Tecolutla rivers, the region where this mother culture flourished.

“Tajin” as a word has been given many meanings. In Totonac, it means “great smoke”, or “thunder” (manifested in different forms, one of which is síkulan, which is believed to be the discharge that strikes down trees, kills men, and precedes lightning). Currently, the archaeological zone is called kawi'aksahila s'chik taji'n: "the house of thunder".

Visiting Tajin is a unique experience because you can see its relevance as a Mesoamerican city. Its area of influence was from the Cazones and Tecolutla rivers until reaching what is now the Sierra Norte of the State of Puebla.

From an artistic and architectural point of view, the Totonacs gave priority to large open spaces delimited by slopes and temples. It has 168 discovered buildings, which have been analyzed for their iconography, different from other Mesoamerican cultures.

Much is unknown about the period of decadence of this Totonac city. When the Spanish troops arrived at what is now the municipality of Papantla, El Tajín was already uninhabited and that is why the city was not destroyed.

The city could have reached its best stage between the years 600 and 900 AD. (after Christ).

The first record of this city was in 1785 when the engineer Diego Ruiz, landowner of the area, was looking for illegal tobacco plantations, and a description of the ruins was made. However, the real work for the conservation of the area began during the 1920s, when oil companies explored and found Totonaca City.