in the shadow of the volcano popocatepetl in the mexican highlands chalcatzingo, an ancient regional center at i height om arnd 700 to 0 b.c. new speaker: chalcatzin is a unique site in the central mexican highlands. it's the only site in the highlands with bas-relief carvings in the olm style the ancient village of chalcatzingo, set on a terraced hillside-- these were large terraces, perhaps 100 by 100 meters each, at the largest. below the main terrace is a ge platformound. is a large ctgular form, over 70 mers lon platrm mounds e ry speal features. unlike a pyramid, a platform can be considered to be a raised stage on which performances, rituals, were carried out that could be viewed by the entire population. a large stone slab carved with an earth monster face with a hollow mouth sat on the northern edge of that platform mound, again where it was visible to the houses on all the terraces below. i can almost imagine a ritual with people moving through that open mouth of that carving. obregon: higher up the volcanic ss is a relief sculpture at t local pple call "el y," the king. li

in the shadow of the volcano popocatepetl in the mexican highlands chalcatzingo, a ancient regional center at i height om arnd 700 to 0 b.c. new speaker: chalcatzin is a unique site in the central mexican highlands. it's the only site in the highlands with bas-relief carvings in the olm style the anent village of chalcatzingo, set on a terraced hillside-- these were large terraces, perhaps 100 by 100 meters each, at the largest. below the main terrace is a ge platformound. is a large rectgular plform, over 70 mers lon platrmounds e ry speal features. unlike a pyramid, a platform can be considered to be a raised stage on which performances, rituals, were carried out that could be viewed by the entire population. a large stone slab carved with an earth monster face with a hollow mouth sat on the northern edge of that platform mound, again where it was visible to the houses on all the terraces below. i can almost imagine a ritual with people moving through that open mouth of that carving. obregon: higher up the volcanic ss is a rief scpture that t local pple call "el re" the king. like the th