Mexico - Great City of Chicomostoc-La Quemada

Built between 400 and 900 A.D., this ceremonial centre was fortified by means of slate (volcanic tuff) masonry walls. Remains of buildings of various sizes crown 50 large terraces. There are five levels in this site. The Hall of Columns, which measures 41 by 30 meters, is in the first level, which is also the one that has been explored more extensively. The Ball Court is 70 metres long, and is therefore one of the longest in northern Mexico. The Votive Pyramid, which is 12 metres high, is the site's best-known structure. Its two great staircases lead from the first to the second level, from where the largest terraces of the ceremonial centre were built. These terraces cover the whole La Quemada hill, all the way to the northern city limit, where there is a great wall that also surrounds the ceremonial centre's observatory. This archaeological site spreads over 250 hectares.