TAMPUMACCHAY, a most unusual "*balneario"
by Susan Dearing
PLEASE CLICK ON PICTURES TO
ENLARGE
Walkways lined with coconut
palms are like a nature trail |
One of the most interesting archeological sites
in the state, Tampumacchay (tahm-poo-mah-chahy) is a rather unique "Outdoor
Museum," where the idea is to leave centuries-old artifacts
in the outdoors, where they belong.
The gorgeous, perfectly groomed,
tree-shaded grounds are graced with a myriad of walkways lined with large and
small stone sculptures, hundreds of mortar and pestles, a ceremonial bed or two,
and covers from the 200-plus tombs that were excavated at Tampu by American
archeologists in the early 60s.
There's a display case for more delicate items, such as
jewelry, copper money rings, clay idols, incense burners, clay sculptures
and mammoth teeth, all found on the property.
Obviously, the archeological value of the pottery is
priceless, but on the auction block, this valuable earthenware, believed to
be Olmec, is priced at anywhere from $1,000-10,000 for a single piece.
Olmec artworks are considered among ancient America's most
striking and beautiful, and among the world's masterpieces. |
Jerry Long, of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
contemplates the meaning of the mysterious
carved-stone head
|
A carved creature of stone
just off the sidewalk |
Display case |
| Overlooking a deep
gorge, Tampu is a perfect place for photos. Most of the stone stelae you see on
the premises are believed to be more than 2,000 years old.
It is thought that the earliest civilization in Central America—and possibly the earliest
civilization in the Americas—was the Olmec culture, which arose sometime between
1200 and 1000 BCE. They originally lived in the Gulf Coast region of
southern Mexico, but soon expanded into other areas, going as far south as
Guatemala. |
Deep valley cut by the
Los Ortizes River
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Stone monument
at La Venta
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The most dramatic achievement of the Olmec
was the creation of massive
stone heads. Archaeologists believe that they
may represent Olmec kings. Around 300 BCE, the Olmec
vanished for reasons that vanished with them, though much of
their culture and social structure was absorbed by other peoples. The Olmec, as
far as researchers can tell, are the first chain in the development of Mesoamerican
culture. La Venta's heyday was between 900 and
600 BCE, but it is known to have been still inhabited at the beginning of
the Christian era. |
Stone rabbit
at La Venta
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Though the carved-stone sculptures at Tampu
aren't as massive as the 9 foot-tall monuments found at La Venta, in
the state of Tabasco, they are impressive nonetheless--partly because of the
artists' creativity, and partly because most glyphs in Mexico are carved on
rocks, not carved from an entire rock itself. The mystery surrounding the
five massive rock monoliths at La Venta stem from the basalt quarry
being more than 50 miles away to the massive stone monuments' final
location: How did the Olmec get the five 20-ton statues to
La Venta more than 2,000 years ago?? |
| The stone carvings of Tampu were found in various
locations on the private land of Ricardo Larios, now deceased. Some were in
groupings with other figures; some were standing alone as if guarding a tomb, or
gazing out over the canyon. All were brought unceremoniously by pick-up truck to
their present location on the grounds of the restaurant/bar/*balneareo. |
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According to researchers and archeologists, what
little information is available on the Olmec, is based on studying the ancient
ruins and artifacts. Olmec society was very simple, they believe. It was essentially divided into two groups: the elite group lived in
small urban centers, and the common people lived in the rural
areas.
The Olmec were overwhelmingly an agricultural people. The elite lived
off of the agriculture of the common people, but they probably didn't rule over
the agricultural populations. Instead, they carried out religious ceremonies
centered in the towns and carried out commercial trade in luxury and artistic
items. |
| Although archeologists don't know any of the Olmec king names,
they do know that the
rituals associated with a king included an emphasis on the sun, and references
to solar equinoxes were built into platform and plaza configurations. Sun
glyph iconography is seen on many locations, and there is an undeniable
importance of sunflower in dietary and ritual contexts. |
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Shaft tomb of King |
Shaft tomb of Queen |
At Tampu, where all of the 230+
shaft tombs were excavated, two were much larger and contained more pottery,
jewelry, food, and other items.
It was surmised by the professionals in their field that
these two tombs were of a king and queen.
They are open to the public (for a small fee), though to
the unqualified, the tombs just look like a hole in
the ground. |
| Though archeologists unearthed a great number of
shaft tombs (and removed the artifacts), most tombs have caved in or have filled
back in because of the summer rains. (A
shaft-tomb is a vertical hole, about 3 feet in diameter, dug into the rocky
ground to a depth of approximately 6-10 feet.) At the bottom of each vertical shaft are 1-5
horizontal shallow rooms , each containing between 1-6 bodies. The tombs were
sealed with square, hand-cut stone covers. You can find them decorating
walls around Tampu. |
Tomb covers built into wall and Mortars & pestles leaning up against the
wall |
Overview of length of wall constructed with rare artifacts cemented in |
|
Looking down into the
deep-cut gorge |
Tour group poses with giant cactus in the background |
The Olmec farms and hamlets and centers at Tampu were situated on and next to a
diverse set of landforms, including floodplain lowlands, plains, plateau
uplands, and volcanic highlands. But the large Olmec capitals were based on high
places in the floodplains of big rivers.
At Tampu, the Los Ortizes river is at
the bottom of the canyon and is a major water source for the area. Most likely
2,000 years ago, the level was much higher. |
| Upon first visiting Tampumacchay about 15 years ago, you could
see the outline of a pyramid, which looked more like a hill than a man-made
monument. It was explained to me by the guide at the time that the Spaniards, at
the time of the conquest, used the smooth river rocks of the pyramid to continue
the road they were building from Mexico City to the coast. Today, it looks like
just another lazily-sloping hill, but in your mind, while staring out and over
the king's tomb, you can imagine the great structure looming in the distance.
|
Hill which is believed
to have been a pyramid
|
Mortar & pestles |
Manioc or cassava root, still
grown as a major staple
today throughout Mexico and Latin America |
The Olmec relied on domestic maize, sunflower,
and *manioc, later domesticating beans. They also gathered
squash, and chili peppers. There is some possibility that the Olmec were the first to use
chocolate. The maize was ground up with a *mortar & pestle, and as you
explore Tampu, you'll see many that have survived for more than 20 centuries. The main source of animal protein was domesticated
dog,
but that was supplemented with deer, wild boar, birds, fish,
turtles, and coastal shellfish. Deer in particular was specifically
associated with ritual feasting. |
| Tampumacchay has a restaurant and bar with
excellent *chamorro, and other items reasonably priced, a swimming pool ($35
pesos to use/$30 for children), a suspension bridge (with a few slats
missing), regional archeological exhibition (the windows need cleaning
bad!), a 2-room hotel (not fancy, just functional, $350 pesos) and camping
areas ($50 pesos/night). It is an ideal place for those who like limestone
regions (not the ugly sand, rock and gravel operation on the far bank), and
out at the site of the tombs, will see giant cactus. If you go on a weekend,
you will have more selection on the restaurant menu, especially during the
summer. |
Shady picnic area
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Suspension bridge, missing some boards, but still usable if you're
careful
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Suspension bridge
entrance--enter at your
own risk
|
Ricardo Larios, Jr. now runs his father's
legacy. Unfortunately, at this time, there is much deferred maintenance that
needs to be done.
It doesn't spoil the atmosphere of this
amazing place much, but the care and pride that his father gave Tampu is
gone. |
This stone possibly shows the locations of the tombs of the royal family
|
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An example of a ceremonial bed, the posts of which found in one of the tombs
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More tree-lined walkways,
and stone carvings all along
|the way
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GPS coordinates:
Longitude: 1034350
Latitude: 190636Phone:
(312) 330-3904
Cellular: 045-312-317-2381 (from Manzanillo) English not spoken
Altitude: 322 mt./1,056 ft. |
Clay idol |
Mammoth molar |
DIRECTIONS: (Tampu is 17 km./10 mi. south of Colima.) From
Manzanillo, drive toward Colima on highway 54 (either the toll road (cuota)
or free road (libre). Immediately after you pass the Cactus Exoticos
(Exotic Cactus) nursery (worth a stop to see some amazing plants), turn right, and drive
about four kilometers toward the town of Los Ortices. Turn right onto an
unmarked road. In a few minutes you'll
see a sign to Tampumacchay. Turn right again and after only 85 meters you'll see
a Tampumacchay Restaurant sign pointing toward an opening through a fence on the
left. Drive through this gate/fence and through a second one (the road has many
potholes--avoid using a vehicle that is really low), and finally the road will
turn to cobblestone, and go downhill. It will dead end at the pool, where there
used to be a huge, elegant tree, but the termites finally had their last meal,
and the beautiful tree now only is a dead trunk.
*DEFINITIONS:
*Balneario: A balneario (bahl-knee-ahr-rhee-oh)
used to be a spot in the river where people would go to bathe, wash clothes,
etc. Today, the term is used for a place to swim and picnic. It can be a spot in
the river that is dammed off to form a pool, or an actual swimming pool. You can
bring your own food for a picnic and rent a table and chairs, or buy your food
from a restaurant.
*Chamorro is a slow-roasted pork shank (usually wrapped
in a banana leaf to keep in juices), with a spicy gravy. Yummy!
*Manioc: Also known as cassava or
farina: a starch made by leaching and drying the root of the cassava plant; the
source of tapioca; a staple food in the tropics. The manioc plant has long tuberous edible roots and soft brittle
stems; used especially to make cassiri (an intoxicating drink) and tapioca.
The leaves are also edible cooked and served like spinach.
A China-based company has recently invested in a new biofuel facility to produce 33 million
gallons a year of bioethanol from cassava plants. The plans follow recent moves
from the Beijing government to ban the use of grain-based energy crops in
bioethanol, amid concerns demand had led to a decline in food supplies. Cassava
avoids the ban as it is a root vegetable that represents China's fifth-largest
crop yield after rice, sweet potato, sugarcane and maize.
*A mortar and pestle is a tool
used to crush, grind, and mix solid substances.
The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing
and grinding. The mortar is a typically a bowl, but in the instance of the
indigenous people who used it, the mortar was square in shape, carved out of
stone with 1-2 in. sides. A substance is placed in the mortar and ground,
crushed or mixed with the pestle.
Tours to Tampumacchay can be arranged by e-mailing:
info@gomanzanillo.com, or by calling
(Manzanillo) 314-333-3678.
For more information about Manzanillo and the state of Colima,
get Susan Dearing's guidebook,
"Manzanillo and the state of Colima, Facts, Tips & Day Trips." The author of
this article is a 20-year resident of Manznaillo, and has written more than 90
articles for the internet.
