While the famed Riviera Maya region near Cancun are well known for Mayan ruins, did you know that Riviera Nayarit is also home to some significant archaeological sites as well? Many people are probably not familiar with the fact that Banderas Bay has several important archaeological sites that are estimated to have prospered during the years 200 to 900 AC. Read below to learn more about these lesser known ruins that are scattered around the Banderas Bay area.
Pre-Hispanic Cultures and Ancient Civilization
Many years ago in Punta Mita which is located in the state of Riviera Nayarit, an archaeological feature known as a “tumbo de tiro” was discovered. Known as shooting tombs in English, the site included human remains, ceramics and utensils of the Classic period that were discovered at the site. These discoveries helped to identify the time frame of inhabitation between the years from 200 to 900 AC. As a result, it is believed that around 100 thousand people lived in the Banderas Bay region that developed a great ancient civilization well before the arrival of the Spanish. Today, a modern and luxury hotel Four Seasons is constructed in the same area in Punta Mita that these important artifacts were uncovered.
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Shooting Tombs Details
The term “shooting tombs” refer to a set of interconnected cultural features that have been discovered in several Mexican states including Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima, Michoacán, Sinaloa and Zacatecas. According to historians and archaeologists, shooting tombs sites are believed to be traditional burial grounds of pre-Hispanic cultures that inhabited Western Mexico. In general, they consist of a well that measures between 2 to 20 meters deep and is either circular or rectangular in form. As you reach a certain depth, one or more burial chambers that contain the corpse and its offerings are dug off to either side. In addition, multiple burial chambers are inter-connected to one other via small tunnels in which ceremonial elements that were likely used during the burial were found. After the burial ceremony was complete, the ground shot would be filled with dirt so that no trace of the tombs remained. Variations between the tombs was likely due to both the quality of the soil, and the social category of the person who was buried. Carbon dating of similar shooting tombs show that they were used as early as 200 to 300 BC.
111 Archaeological Sites in Banderas Bay
In addition to the site found in Punta Mita, another area in the state of Jalisco was discovered that also had interesting ancient remains. Archaeologist Joseph B. Muntjoy has been exploring and excavating sites in the Banderas Bay region since the 1980’s, and states that there are at least 111 archaeological sites along the coast of Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit. So far, the most important discovery was a complex that included a ball game court and a 10 meter high pyramid. These ruins are actually buried underneath a school and a soccer field in the Ixtapa area which is about 5 minutes inland from the coast. Local writer and archaeologist Gustavo Espinal from San Juan de Abajo has also been studying the area and hopes to build a community museum in his hometown to display the many artifacts that have been collected over the years. Espinal stated that “Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit have a large amount of cultural and historical resources because of the large amount of pre-Hispanic vestiges that abound in the region.” There is an opportunity for tourism in the area that has not been taken advantage of, partly due to the fact that the majority of the sites are in areas that are now developed, unlike archaeological sites in the Riviera Maya that are usually isolated and away from tourist activity. While sites in the Banderas Bay area have been overtaken by modern buildings and developments, there is still a chance of working with the community to preserve the rich cultural history of the area. Both Gustavo and Muntjay hope that the local government will soon recognize the importance of protecting the abundant archaeological wealth in the region. Until the authorities issue proper protection for these ancient remains, the risk exists that looters will extract these priceless artifacts to sell on the black market.
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Did you know that there were important archaeological ruins in the Banderas Bay area? How can you help to protect these hidden cultural gems?