Restoration of pre-Hispanic archaeological sites decreased 66%

Ixtépete

In Jalisco, only three archaeological sites are open to the public: Ixtépete, Guachimontones and El Grillo

I Un1ón Andrés Zúñiga    01/01/2016 

The authorities of the Government of Jalisco have restored only three archaeological sites during the first nine months of 2015,  announced of the Ministry of Culture.

This figure represents only a third of the sites restored in each of the previous five years when  the authorities repaired nine archaeological sites.

Archaeological  centers that were repaired this year are located in the municipalities of Teuchitlá, Jalostotitlán and Etzatlán.

From 2010 to 2014 archaeological sites in Ahualulco Market, El Arenal, Etzatlán, Jalostotiltán, Puerto Vallarta received Teuchitlán budget to be rebuilt.

In Jalisco only three archaeological sites are open to the public, one of them is the Ixtépete located in Zapopan and another Guachimontones which is in the municipality of Teuchitlán.

The third is the archaeological site El Grillo located in Tabachines Fractionation in Zapopan, but this can only be visited with permission of the National Institute of Anthropology and History ( INAH ).

Ixtepete Pyramid - Guadalajara

The Ixtepete pyramid,  the only archaeological site within Guadalajara , remains unknown despite the amount of existing plans to excavate the ruins properly and build a museum on site before the Pan American Games.

The pre-Hispanic ruins dating from Epiclassic period, around the year 650, is located on Avenida Mariano Otero, on the ring road of the city, the site is open to the public free of charge, but only popular among visitors during the Spring Equinox.

In 2007, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced it would make available 52 million Mexican pesos to transform Ixtepete to be a major tourist attraction before the Pan American Games, but these plans never materialized.

A lone sign reveals the age of the ruins and provides basic information about how they were built, but the only sign of life in recent times is the visit of a group of local children who participate in a football team among the remains of the ancient pyramid.