Izapa, Chiapas, Mexico Tour Or Travel
Pictures And Photos

George And Audrey DeLange

Izapa: Located near the Guatemala border in the Mexican State of Chiapas. Take the road that leads out of the Chiapas town of Tapachula toward the Talisman Bridge near the Guatemala border town of El Carmen. If you get to Talisman Bridge, you have gone about 9km. too far. The entrance to Izapa will be on your left and it is located about eleven kilometers from Tapachula. The Izapa site is clearly marked with a small sign, so be alert for the sign. There is also a small museum located in Tapachula with artifacts from Izapa on display. When we visited the museum it was closed for remodeling and they had no idea as to when it might re-open. The museum is located in the town center by the Zocolo. Parking is permitted on the street. We visited the site of Izapa on January 29, 2004. Investigations by the New World Archaeological Foundation show that Izapa was inhabited throughout the Preclassic Period into the Postclassic Period. It had a estimated population of some 10,000 and its central area that consisted of a rigorously planned urban section covered some 200 hectares: it has 13 large plazas, interspersed between mounds and it is oriented towards the geography of the region, dominated by the volcano Tacaná. This would place the first human settlers in Izapa from about 1500 to 1250 B.C. These first village people lived off of simple agriculture, an abundance of wild fruits, and cocao. Izapa was the center of the Soconusco region, a fertile area which specialized in the production of cacao. It is thought that the center of the settlement was around Mound 30 located on the North side of Group B. An investigation of the ceramics found in the area shows that between about 100 to 850 B.C. there was an influence of the West Coast Olmec Culture Styles of first San Lorenzo and then later of La Venta into the area. This was probably due to the trade for cocao, whose seed was used as money. If you look carefully at the trees surrounding the ruins today, you will see many cocao trees growing right up to the edge of the Izapa ruins themselves. It is thought that the language of the early Izapa people was Mixe-Zoquean which was prevelent in the Olmec heartland. Therefor, Izapa was probably an outpost on the SouthEast edge of the Olmec Empire. Izapa changed from simple village life to geing a civic-religious center sometime about 850 to 300 B.C. Group B Complex still remained the center of the town, but at this time the large platform mounds rose around the plaza. Then the early stages of Group A and C were erected. Izapa's role as an outpost town became increasingly more important since to the east of town the early stages of the Mayan Civilization along the Pacific Coast of Guatemala and into Kaminaljuyu known today as Guatemala City began to show their influence into the area. It was at this time that La Venta's power began to collapse and the first large stone monuments at Izapa were carved. Izapa reached its highest power between 300 to 50 B.C. Contacts with the Olmec culture disappeared and Izapa rose in its own glory and power. Groups A, B, C, and D reached their present forms and the great stone monuments of Izapa were carved at this time. Izapa was the dominant civic center of the Soconusco region and evidence of Izapa's Long Lipped God shows its influence clear into Kaminaljuyu the early Maya city located under present day Guatemala City in Guatemala. Both the Long Count Calendar and a writing system have not yet been discovered at Izapa. Group F and the Izapa site is oriented 21° east of true north, which is the sight line to the peak of Tacaná volcano. Also this alignment is perpendicular to this main axis as sighted on the Winter Solstice Horizon. Research is now being done which may lead to the conclusion that the Long Count Calendar may have its roots from observations completed at Izapa. In about 50 B.C. Izapa's growth suddenly stops. There are signs of some building at Group F which appears to be the new civic religious center of the area. Ceremonial use of groups A, B, C and D stops. Ceramic evidence then shows a strong influence from Kaminaljuyu in Guatemala. Between 100 to 200 A.D. influence from the East seems to end. After 250 A.D. the ceramics then show a strong Soconusco style and the only group that seems to be inhabited is group F with the rest of the groups becoming garbage dumps. By about 1200 A.D. Izapa was abandoned. At the time of the Spanish conquest, the Aztecs had conquered the area and were using it to grow cocao trees. The area was called Xoconocheo until conquered by the spanish and it became a providence of New Spain. It is estimated that Izapa had a population of some 10,000 people at its peak of growth. Its central area consisted of a rigorously planned urban section covering about 200 hectares. Izapa has 13 large plazas, interspersed between several mounds and it is oriented towards the volcano Tacaná, which is 4,064 meters in height. When you visit Izapa the thick growth of cacao trees makes it difficult to see many of the buildings. It also is easy to mistake some of the mounds for the natural geography and plant growth surrounding the various access paths that lead to the nearby farmhouses. Only three sectors can be visited: Groups A, B and F, which are located on land whose owners “lend” the property to the National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH). This same land is also used for growing crops of cocao and as pasture ground. What the visitor sees is only about 1.5% of the total area of the ruins. We are including a few pictures on this page of Cocoa growing since there are few actual photos of growing Cocoa trees and seedlings on the internet. We are even showing the sprouting of some Cocoa seeds that we are attempting to grow. We doubt that we will have much success, but we will give it a try. Check back ever so often and we will show our progress in this attempt. When you visit the site you will pass through the front and back yards of the many farm houses that cover the area. Be sure to remember that you are a guest upon other peoples private property. Some of these people are having a hard time just to make enough money to get by. It would be appropriate to make a small donation to these people for parking upon their property as you feel fit to make. Perhaps the most controversal and important stele in the MesoAmerican World is located at Izapa. It is Stele 5. Stele 5 is located in Group A. We are including ample photographs and drawings of the stone on the Izapa Group A page for your examination. All of the photographs on this page are of Group F.