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.