Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco

Between 650 and 900, as the great powers of Teotihuacan, Monte Albán, Palenque and Tikal unravelled, Xochicalco thrived — a hilltop stronghold in Morelos that bundled political, religious and commercial power behind defensive works. Few fortified centres from Mesoamerica's turbulent era survive in such complete condition, and UNESCO placed the archaeological zone on the World Heritage List in 1999.