The Xochicalco archeological site is located about 45 minutes from the city of Cuernavaca and is also easily reached from Mexico City. It's a mid-sized ruined city, not as extensive as places like Palenque or Chichen Itza but still well worth a visit for those interested in history. The city was founded sometime around 200 A.D. And reached its peak around 700-900 A.D. It was subsequently abandoned: archaeologists believe after a major fire destroyed the city. Although local peoples knew of the site, it wasn't officially “discovered” until the 1770's. Many famous people have visited the site, including Alexander von Humboldt and Emperor Maximilian of Mexico. Since the early twentieth century, there have been several projects of excavation and restoration. Many stonecarvings and artifacts from the site are now on display in Mexico City. The city shows influences from the Maya, the Toluca culture, and the mighty city-state of Teotihuacán. The excavated ruin area was the ceremonial center fo the old city. It was designed in such a way that priveleged upper classes of the religious elite had their own parts of the city: the topmost area was reserved for the highest of clerics and their families. The principal deities revered at Xochicalco were Quetzalcoatl and Tlaloc. The most significant parts of the city are the ballcourt, the Temple of the Feathered Serpent and the Observatory. The ballcourt was the site of the sacred game: the object of the game was to keep the ball moving. Most contemporary sites have ball courts similar to th eone at Xochicalco. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent is the most impressive structure at the ruins complex. Experts believe that the temple was constructed to commemorate a meeting between the Xochicalcans, Maya and Zapotecs in 834 A.D. At this meeting, divergent calendars were synchronized. The observatory is an underground, cavern-like structure (there are several major underground passageways at Xochicalco, all unfortnuately off-limits to visitors). At certain times of the year, a focused beam of sunlinght comes in through a hole in the ceiling. Sunlinght comes through the hole from April to August: on May 14/15 and July 28/29 the sunlight directly illuminates a mural on the floor: these days usually see huge crowds at the site. There is a well-done museum at the site. Like Xochicalco itself, the museum relies only on natural light to illuminate its exhibits: electricity is limited to offices, bathrooms, etc. Many relics discovered at Xochicalco are on display with informative signs to explain their importance.