Ruins of Tamohi

Before we checked out of Ciudad Valles Hotel, Hermana Jordan went to the local store and bought a pair of jeans and a blouse to wear today while we walked around the ruins.  We aren't quite sure if these photos can be used as blackmail or not.

We drove a few miles past the city of Tamuin to the ruins of Tamohi.   Jordans and Watkins had been here before and knew the caretaker of the place but at first he wasn't to be found though his motorcycle was there.  So we walked up to the site and Hno. Watkins who is a former football coach used his loud whistle and before long, the man arrived.  He was kind as he began his tour but mentioned in passing that all National Monuments are closed on Monday including this one.

We were told this ceremonial altar was open to the public at one point and people would sit on this shrine and eat their lunch but now they are trying to preserve it.  We had been to the Metropolitan Museum in Tampico where they have a similar shrine and exhibits.  We were surprised to learn that none of the others had been to see it yet.  

 This city was built on a plateau overlooking a beautiful river scene and much of their communication was done via the river.   The settlement (ruins) was started about 600 b.c. 

This was interesting to us.  This circle is a calendar and as the sun sets, the shadow cast from the corner down to the circle would keep track of their different seasons.

These are the foundations to the buildings.  The upper part of their buildings were built of less substantial material and disintegrated many years ago.  

 

We asked how the ruins were built and they said they carried in dirt and then surrounded the dirt with smooth rocks from the riverbed.  President Jordan spoke to our guide about the ruins and told him why we have a great interest in them and before we left, he had the guide's name and address and had agreed to have missionaries bring a Libro de Mormon to his home in Tamuin.

The guide used a very worn edition of the Mexican Archealogy guide (#79 from June 2006 - Los Huasteca) as the basis for much of what he told us  http://www.arqueomex.com/S11N3ANTERIORES.html (order a copy /see other topics)