Cuernavaca- Xochicalco, Brady Museum, Modern Art Museum

In the morning we went to a modern art exhibit for local artists. I was particularly fond of the elaborate bird cages. There was another shaped like a giant 6 ft tall hamster wheel ,but the picture didn't turn out. 

A couple of us later went to the Brady Museum. He was an interesting lover of the arts. He was a gay man who later marriedish a famous African dancer Josephine Baker. Though, their relationship is thought to have been only platonic.

I liked this cougar mask, and this yellow sun in the bathroom.

I also loved this orange kitchen. Mostly because it is orange and blue.

In the afternoon, we went to see the pyramids of Xochicalco. These pyramids were built at the end of the classic period and the beginning of the post-classic period. This day was a free day, but the night before I had read up on these pyramids and really wanted to go. Prof. Turley arranged things with Charlie, and we were able to go in the afternoon.

Left: modern model of the ruins

Right: Anceint model of the ruins. Maybe used to plan the city, maybe used as a map.

Left: Park sign
Right: Park signs are in three language: Spanish, Nahautl, and English.

Left: pyramid corner
Right; Sauna= heated volcanic rock placed inside a small confined room and then water dripped over it. Used for sanctification for rituals.

Left: Line of trees next to ball court. You can tell by how it makes a perfect line and descends down the hill at a perfect slant that there are ruins under them. It is thought there was a grand staircase next to the ball court.
Right: ball court. Thought to have been used to determine what the Gods were saying. A very complicated sport and point system. Teams of ball players were brought back to Spain. Before then, team sports were not practiced in Europe.

Left: Pillar in the middle of an old plaza. They know that plays and other community interests were preformed on these platforms. Some old Aztec plays still exist. The pillar has two carvings each signifies the passing of 52 years. The moment when the two Aztec calendars aligned perfectly and began a new cycle.
On the night before the day of alignment. All the fires were put out and everyone waited to see of the sun would rise with a new cycle. Sacrifices were also offered to the Gods.
Right: pyramid that people were sacrificed on top of.

These next two pictures are of the path of animals. It was a path that depicted native american animals of many types. Every stone was carved with a different animal.

Left: Chalie told us that there are several different ruin sites that surround this main site but that they can't be excavated because there is not enough government money to protect ruins, and they are afraid of looters. In the right picture you can see a perfectly straight line of tree which is proof that there are ruins beneath them.
Right: An old house?, This is from the classic period. In the classic period they hadn't yet learned how to use pillars and sometime up to half the space in the house was taken up by walls.

This is an altar. What is unique about it is the turquoise paint. This turquoise paint fades after 6 months of exposure to the sun. These temples were once painted in vibrant reds, whites, and turquoise colors.

These pictures are of the God Quetzalcoatl's temple. The quetzal is a beautiful green bird with long tail-feathers and the coatl is a serpent. The rocks on the right are pieces of the temple that don't yet have a place.

Can you find the iguana?

Something beautiful and unique was the water conservation programs in the city. This is one of the water pools. All rain water was directed to gutters and the conserved in a pool such as this one. It was then dammed off and used by the nobles who lived the highest up the hill. When there was excess water the dam was opened and water was let down to the next level of the city where the middle class lived. and then they chose how much the lower class received. In drought conditions, the nobles always had the first source of water.