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The city El Tajín was the capital of the Totonac state. Tajín means lightning in the Totonac language, and was also the name of the Totonac rain god.

1 History of El Tajín

Construction of ceremonial buildings at El Tajín began about the 1st century. Early classic Tajín shows influence of Teotihuacan; early postclassic shows considerable Toltec influence. Construction continued to about the start of the 13th century, at which time the city was conquered and burned by Chichimec invaders. The site continued to be occupied after this by a smaller population, but no new large construction projects were initiated. The site was completely abandoned with the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores in the early 16th century.

The abandoned site was overgrown with forest. In 1785Events January 1st The first issue of the Daily Universal Register later known as The Times is published in London. January 7 Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries travel from Dover, England to Calais, France in a hydrogen gas balloon engineer Diego Ruiz visited the site and published the first description of the site. In the early 19th centuryAlternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical ( 18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801- 1900. Events The Little Ice Age ended it was visited by Guillermo Dupaix, Alexander von HumboldtFriedrich Heinrich Alexander, Baron von Humboldt ( September 14, 1769, Berlin May 6, 1859, Berlin), was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt. Introduction Brief description of, and Carlos Nebel , who published additional accounts.

The first archeological excavation of the site was made by Jose Garcia Payon from 1943 through 1963. The Mexican Institute of Anthropology & History has made additional restoration to buildings at the site since the 1980sMillennia: 1st millennium 2nd millennium 3rd millennium Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s Years: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Events and trends.

2 Monuments

The ceremonial center of the site is covers only about 1 km square, but there are mostly unexcavated remains of subsidiary buildings extending for a considerable distance beyond.

The ceremonial center has number of temple-pyramids, palaces, and several courts for playing the Mesoamerican ballgameGreat Ball Court at Chichen Itz The Ball Court. A Ball Court Goal, Chichen. Ball court marker From the Maya site of Chinkultic Dated to 591 The Mesoamerican ballgame was a sport with ritual associations played for over 3000 years by the peoples of Mesoame.

The site's most famous building is the Pyramid of the Niches. The step pyramid of 6 terraces is some 60 feet high. The size is only medium as MesoamericaMesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico south through the northwestern border of Costa Rica that gave rise to a group of stratified, culturally related agrarian civilizations spanning an approximately 3,000-year period before the Europeann pyramids go, but the architecture is creates a striking and visually pleasing effect. The terraces are of well cut stone froming a series of 365 niches. A staircase rises up the pyramid's east side. Originally the pyramid was topped by a temple, but little remains of this.

A number of the buildings have carved relief on them, and the site also has some free standing stone stelae. Many of the sculptures depict the ritual ballgame and rituals bloodletting by the elite.

The site is now a tourismTourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. A tourist is someone who travels at least fifty miles from home, as defined by the World Tourism Organization (a United Nations body). destination, has a moderate sized museumA museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evi.