In 1992, archaeologist Phil Weigand published sketches of several circular pyramids and a ball court he had found in the hills above Santa Rosalía, eight kilometers north of Etzatlán.
Ever since I came across his drawings, I had wanted to visit these ruins in the company of an archaeologist who might explain what I was seeing. Weigand noted that these ancient monuments are “in excellent condition” but also mentioned that the climb is very steep and that you’d better bring “water, food, and a telephone in case of emergency.”
On top of all that, I learned from the mayor of Etzatlán that one of the deepest shaft tombs ever discovered had been found in these same hills. Known as El Frijolar, this tomb measures 16 meters deep and has three large interconnected chambers at the bottom of a narrow shaft 1.5 meters in diameter. These burial chambers have been reproduced in fascinating detail at the Museo Oxiacar inside the Casa de Cultura in Etzatlán. The shaft tomb was dug by the same mysterious people of “the Teuchitlán Tradition” who—starting as far back as 2,300 years ago—built their trademark circular pyramids all over what is now western Mexico.
The head of tourism in Etzatlán arranged for a guide, Omar Preciado, to meet us in the plaza of Santa Rosalía. Upon meeting him, we asked about the road between Santa Rosalía and the foot of El Peñol. “It’s only three kilometers,” said Omar. “We’ve paved part of it with cobblestones, but you’ll need a high-clearance vehicle for the last kilometer and a half.”
So it was that all 13 of us somehow managed to squeeze—and I do mean squeeze—into two Jeeps, which then bumped their way along the road until we reached a clearing in a cornfield. A drizzle fell as we started walking up a narrow path. Along the way, archaeologists Rodrigo Orozco and Cyntia and Bruno Calgaro pointed out ancient walls and flattened areas, indicating that all of El Peñol was once beautifully terraced. “These were for both residence and agriculture,” they remarked.
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