El Cerrito

El Cerrito is an archaeological zone in the central Mexican state of Querétaro [1]. It is located in the municipality of Corregidora on the outskirts of the state capital, Santiago de Querétaro [1]. As a place of worship, it was venerated by local cultures as well as Teotihuacanos, Toltecs, Chichimeca, Otomi and Purépecha, as late as 1632 [1]. El Cerrito had a long history as a regional political and religious center, and was contemporary of Teotihuacan and Tula [1]. El Cerrito is one of the most important sites of the Toltec world [1]. Ceramic pieces found provide evidence of trade networks with remote regions, as far as Tajumulco in Guatemala to the south, and the Huasteca and Los Altos de Jalisco to the north [1]. El Cerrito would not regain the splendor reached with the Toltec, but its recognition as a sacred space open to prehispanic deities continued well into the 17th century [1]. El Cerrito Toltec monumental architecture integrated two architectural types of constructions, the sunken patios and palaces or rooms with columns [1].