El Tajín

El Tajín is a pre-Columbian archeological site in Veracruz, Mexico and is one of the largest and most important cities of the Classic era of Mesoamerica [1]. A part of the Classic Veracruz culture, El Tajín flourished from 600 to 1200 AD and during this time numerous temples, palaces, ballcourts, and pyramids were built [1]. In total there have been 20 ballcourts discovered at this site [1]. The site is located in Mexico in the highlands of the municipality of Papantla in modern-day Veracruz, not far from the city of Poza Rica [1]. The city is set in the low rolling mountains that lead from the Sierra Madre Oriental to the Gulf coast near the Tecolutla River [1]. The rapid rise of Tajin was due to its strategic position along the old Mesoamerican trade routes [1]. To date, only about fifty percent of the city's buildings has been excavated, revealing a series of plazas, palaces, and administrative buildings within a two-square-mile area [1].