In the dense, impenetrable jungles of the Mexican state of Veracruz, are the ruins of the ancient city of El Tahin. This place is not easy, too many unsolved mysteries are hidden in these ancient buildings.
Historians have suggested that El Tahin flourished during the decline of Teotihuacan and the rise of the Aztec empire, circa 800-1200 BC. The city held a special place on the entire Gulf Coast as an important cultural center.
The most impressive building left of El Tahin is the Pyramid of Niches.
It rises 20 meters, with seven stepped terraces that lead to the summit. Each of the four sides is composed of rows of small niches built of stone blocks. There are 365 blocks in total, which prompted researchers to think that the pyramid could be used as an astronomical calendar to track the days of the year.
Archaeologists and historians still cannot solve the mystery of the construction of the Pyramid of Niches and the city of El-Tahin itself.
According to one theory, this place was created by a lost civilization, the indigenous Huastec and Totonac peoples, whose descendants still live in the area. They settled in numerous settlements that are now covered in jungle.
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A stele discovered at El Tahin.
Archaeologists estimate that the city could have been home to up to 20,000 people. After the fall of Teotihuacan, El Tahin became the dominant trade center in Mesoamerica.
Traders transported locally produced goods such as obsidian stone for weapons, jade for decoration, foodstuffs such as vanilla, fruit, corn, and the sacred cocoa beans (which make chocolate). In fact, this civilization was the first to cultivate orchids for vanilla production.
Part of the statue found in El Tahin.
The city's monopoly in trade and the abundance of natural resources turned El Tahin into a major center, which ultimately led to its destruction.
The riches of El-Tahin could not fail to attract the Aztecs, whose empire had already recruited a powerful army by that time. By 1200, the city of El Tahin was completely sacked and abandoned. The surviving inhabitants of El-Tahin surrendered to the victors and turned into an enslaved people. The Aztec reign over the scattered descendants of El Tahin was so brutal that when the Spaniards arrived on the shores of Veracruz in 1421, the Totonac and Huastec peoples joined forces with the conquistadors to avenge their oppression.
It is surprising that the ruins of El Tahin remained unknown to the colonial authorities until 1785, when a Spanish official stumbled upon the site in search of illegal tobacco plantations. This is how this place became famous and popular among European travelers and explorers who have admired its sophistication for many years. Today, although considered a masterpiece of Mesoamerican architecture, El Taheen is one of the least visited and most mysterious archaeological sites in Mexico.