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 News from Around Banderas Bay | April 2005 
Ixtapa in Danger of Losing Archaeological Treasures
 PVNN
| | Years of indifference from the municipal government have caused the archaeological sites in the Ixtapa area to slowly but surely deteriorate. |
Puerto Vallarta - Located just 12 miles north of Puerto Vallarta's hotels and beaches, the town of Ixtapa is regarded as one of the most important archaeological zones in Mexico. Though archaeological sites are strong tourist attractions in many other destinations in México, due to a lack of proper resources and knowledge, the archaeological treasures in this region are not only not being promoted - but are in danger of being lost.
One hundred and eleven archaeological sites have been discovered in this municipality, many of them in Tomatlán; however none are as important and vast as the sites located in the Ixtapa area. Over fifty hectares in Ixtapa have, or have had, traces of ancestral indigenous cultures, including the ruins of one of the biggest pyramids in the state of Jalisco.
Research began in the area in the 1960's, when many clay and ceramic figures were found among the remnants of the pyramids by archeologist from the University of North Carolina. According to carbon dating, the oldest relics date back from 200 to 800 BC, and the most recent date between 900 and 1200 AD. Other structures were discovered as well, including one for the game of pelota.
Archaeologist Joseph Mountjoy, in collaboration with the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico, has been studying this area since 1984, and over the years has examined a total of 106 sites. The professor kept records of different places where his studies were conducted in the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, and said that the primitive groups belonged to the Aztlán culture, present in states such as Jalisco, Colima, Sinaloa and Nayarit.
Unfortunately, years of indifference from the municipal government have caused the archaeological sites in the Ixtapa area to slowly but surely deteriorate. City authorities reportedly excavated earth and stones from the area around the Ixtapa pyramid when acquiring materials for the construction of the airport and other buildings before the site was declared a protected archeological zone in 1992.
At the Archaeological Zone of Ixtapa conference held in Puerto Vallarta last month, Mountjoy urged the city mayor to recognize the potential of this entire archaeological region. "As a foreigner," Mountjoy said, despite his being a nationalized citizen of Mexico, "it’s not my place to make decisions on how to proceed, but that of the Mexican community - but in my opinion, the only way to protect these findings is to consider them a tourist attraction." |
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