Cacaxtla - The Murals Depicting Book of Mormon Scenes

Zoom in on the dates here for when Cacaxtla was founded and it looks like about 100 BC. (Story starts with previous blog "People of Ammon") Notice also that the starting date is 1800 BC with 600 BC being important. The people of Cacaxtla are considered a mix of the Olmecs (origin 1800 BC at the time of the Tower of Babel-Jaradites) and the Xicalancas.  This makes this ruin very important in the context of the Book of Mormon.




The font or bowl structure is at the base of a pyramid on the hill seen across the valley from Cacaxtla at the ruins known as Xochittecatl both near the town of Nativitas. One can only wonder why the font container that is hewn out of solid rock is at the foot of a temple pyramid ... my imaginations pictures it as a possible baptismal font originally even though later it could have been used in some other way later in a religious ceremony as priestcraft began to spread.

The last photo is Cacaxtla as seen from on top of the pyramid at Xochitecatl in the previous photo across the valley The enormity of the roof is hard to fully appreciate. This ruin and hill are more prominent and more strategic for local protection.

The Mural of the People of Ammon

This is an actual photo of the mural as it is found on the inside walls of the plaza in the central pyramid of Cacaxtla. The next photo is the re-creation of a mural displayed in the museum near the entrance to the pyramid. It shows the worship of the corn plant with human heads on each ear of corn.

A most amazing event:  Rosario took me to a ruin of which I had never heard and about 30 minutes from Puebla City in the neighboring State of Tlaxcala.  The Ruins Cacaxtla and are not listed in Dr Allen 1000 page book of “Exploring the Lands of the BoM”. The complex was only discovered in 1975 even though it is super huge. Because it has the most colorful murals in amazing good shape they build a super huge monolithic roof over the ruins. Time permits to tell only 4 interesting things. 1. In the museum there is this chart (zoom in to read dates) which shows that Cacaxtla began about 100 BC about the time of the mission of Ammon in Book of Mormon times.  2. The people of Cacaxtla were a mix of Olmecs who originated in 1800 BC (Jeridites) and the Xicalnacas.  Maybe this why they had son many people in such a short time.  3. At the base of neighboring pyramid is a pool, a large bowl, a font etched from solid rock…….. one wonders what was its original purpose since many pyramids were temples of worship!!!!   4. The main mural on the Plaza Wall of pyramid complex is still pretty much intact and is about 7 ft tall by 60 ft long.  It depicts a battle scene (hence the title The Warriors Mural or The Battle for Power Mural) of two peoples (different shields)….. one superior warrior with sword raised standing above another bleeding warrior on his knees. It is explained that it is a sacrifice of a brave warrior. But that doesn’t jive since throughout the history of man that there have been battles and sacrificial offerings.  Why dedicate such a large space on the mural in such a large pyramid to such common events. It has to be a special story or event to give space and significance. Before arriving to the mural a native LDS member who came with the purpose of seeing that portion of the mural expressed intense interest in it. It is noised among some church members here that mural is in fact the story of the people of Ammon who refused to take up arms to defend themselves after they had made an oath with their God to never again spill blood and would rather die while on their knees praising their God.  Many of the opposing warriors refused to continue the slaughter and were converted to their God...... a very significant event worthy of being told in mural form. In the mural is the symbol of Quetzalcoatl (the Christ) and of the Jaguar (the museum depicts them as dark people). It is believed here that they represent two peoples –the good and the bad or the light and the dark or the people of Christ and the opposition. ISN’T THAT AMAZING. Well, I find this place because of these facts 10 times more interesting than any of the other ruins I have seen or heard of. I will be going back to visit soon.

Puebla is Amazing - The City of the Angels

Beauty should be free but the first 3 photos are from the Internet and wished I could take credit. these 3 are of the same church on top of the world's largest pyramid in volume (probably not recognized as such because it is not tall and is covered with vegetation. Somehow the wonderful photography make Mt Popo look much closer as seen in my pics. The "Mujer Dormida" is pictured in the background of no. 4 with "mine" in the foreground.



Next (no. 5) from on top of the Cholula Pyramid (no. 6) looking out to Mt Popo in the distance. The Cholula Pyramid is covered with vegetation and a church Nuestra Señora de los Remedios on top No. 7 is in the colonial part of downtown. A night view below on the left (no.9) of the main and central cathedral in downtown Puebla and the next morning on the right (no. 8) from the hotel where we had our training that I mention below.

As it turns out we were invited by officials of the State of Puebla to include their State in our 2010 corn project. I made it known that if there were a project in Puebla I would of course have to take care of it! In record time of less than two weeks from initial talks I am here in Puebla having finished the first week of training and a day touring growing zones. What a coincidence to end up training in Puebla at the beginning of Spring Break!!! Yippee!!! If how well motivated the government officials appear and the agronomists and farmers are is any indication, it should be an excellent project. Things are happening so fast by comparison to other areas that it is really exciting. Of course I will put in extra effort and visit often!! (Not to be confused the city of Puebla is the capital of the State of Puebla.) Rosie actually lives on the edge of Cholula (30,000 pop) which borders Puebla City (a million plus). All life and shopping etc centers around Puebla the city. Cholula has the world’s largest pyramid in volume with the Catholic church built on top. Since it is not as tall as others and covered with dirt and vegetation it is not ever mentioned with the great pyramids of the world. Because Cholula had one of the largest populations when the Spaniards came they had to conqueror it and build Puebla next to it. Puebla is one of the oldest modern cities in Mexico being founded in about 1531 just a few years after the arrival of the conquistadors and less than 40 years from when Columbus discovered the Americas.

Our training was in the Historical section of Puebla. In the evening Rosie took Ernesto Miramontes I on walking tour. We ate some delicacies that are world famous as originating in Puebla. Some you might have heard of some foods that originate in Puebla: chile chipotle, chile poblano (poblano is nickname for anyone from Puebla), mole, Chile Enogado (Em do you remember right after we went to LA Temple with Jarom then to Newport Beach Temple we ate in that nice Mexican restaurant and I had a dish I had never heard of and was ecstatic about?) Chile Enogado is a stuffed poblano chile (larger than bell pepper but flavored like jalepeno but sweet) then covered sauce of fruit, nuts and some chile…….. it is super delicious and like nothing you would ever think of as Mexican food.

From on top of Rosie’s house you get these 3 views. The first is the Catholic church build on top of the Cholula pyramid, 2^nd is Mt Popo the active volocano with “La Mujer Dormida” (the sleeping lady) to the left. More later on these 2 mountains. The 3^rd is the “Pico de Orizaba” (Orizaba Peak) (note: included b/c cuss word bloger is a piece of junk) which is tallest in Mexico with Popo in 2^nd. Homework for my grandkids: Google Puebla/Cholula, Mt Popo & La Mujer Dormida.

Cuss word, cuss word cuss word no better yet 5 very bad cuss words in spanish!!!!! I can not get these danburn rotten no good lousey blog pics organized in order as I have explained. I have 3 choices get mad and leave (it automatically goes to draft where I just now found 5 other drafts started over the last 6 months..probably not finished for the this same reason......so this yet again will not be a good choice!) 2nd leave it how ever it falls and let you figure out which pic is which or 3rd continue for several hours more and figure it out!!