Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
12 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
16 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
23 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
23 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mexico El Pueblito The Pyramid of El Cerrito

The Pyramid of El Cerrito

The ruins of an ancient pyramid built by the mysterious Chupícuaro civilization.

El Pueblito, Mexico

Added By
Mictlān Tēcutli
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The pyramid of El Cerrito.   Leandro Neumann Ciuffo/cc by 2.0
The pyramid of El Cerrito.   Leandro Neumann Ciuffo/cc by 2.0
The pyramid of El Cerrito.   Cristopher Maubert Salgado/cc by-sa 3.0
El Cerrito pyramid seen from the on-site museum.   Wikivoice/CC BY-SA 3.0
The pyramid of El Cerrito.   Rideasuburbantrain/cc by-sa 3.0
Artifacts discovered at El Cerrito depicting female figures which may represent the mother goddess.   Madman2001/cc by 3.0
Fertility statuettes of the Chupícuaro culture.   Lfurter/cc by-sa 4.0
  buffycaine99 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Just outside the beautiful city of Querétaro, towering above an arid landscape of scrubland, looms the desolate stone ruins of a pyramid known alternately as El Cerrito and El Pueblito. In ancient times, this site was the religious center of an enigmatic civilization that devoted itself to the fervent worship of an inscrutable and buxom goddess of fertility. 

The Chupícuaro civilization and its city center, known today as El Cerrito, arose around 300 BC and was for many centuries contemporaneous with the Teotihuacan civilization. Later in its history, it was conquered and came under the influence of the Toltec empire as a vassal state. This socio-cultural change was reflected in the city's architecture, and led to the construction of the Toltec pyramid that still dominates the site and the surrounding landscape today.

Interestingly, the main deity worshipped here above all others is believed to have been a powerful mother goddess. Excavations in the area have repeatedly discovered clay statuettes that depict curvaceous female figures believed to represent her. These sculptures were typically found buried in areas where staple crops such as maize, beans, and squash were cultivated. It's been theorized that these objects may have been annual votive offerings to gain the favors of the goddess and to invoke rain or bountiful harvests, keeping the ever-present threat of catastrophic drought and famine at bay. 

The archeological evidence suggests that the cosmovision of the Chupícuaro civilization venerated the fertility of agriculture and nature, embodied by the image of this enigmatic divinity. Yet not much more is known about the cultural practices or ontologies of this mysterious Mesoamerican civilization, which has often been overshadowed by other Central Mexican cultures such as the Teotihuacanos, Toltecs, and the Aztecs. 

The collapse of El Cerrito and the Chupícuaro appears to have occurred around the same time as the fall of the Toltecs in 1168, and was probably similarly caused by a combination of environmental stressors and the invasions of warlike northern tribes known as the Chichimecas. The absence of archeological evidence after this time period seems to suggest that the practice of worshipping the goddess was suddenly discontinued by the survivors, who perhaps felt angered or that they had been abandoned in their time of need. 

Nevertheless, although El Cerrito was never again to regain its former glory, it is known that the area continued to be inhabited by small tribal communities right up until the time of the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Today, the El Cerrito Archaeological Zone is an intriguing and easily overlooked archaeological gem just a short drive from Querétaro. Aside from the ruins, there is an interesting museum displaying artifacts from the Chupícuaro civilization that were discovered at the site.

Related Tags

Archaeology Pyramids Cultures And Civilizations Gods

Know Before You Go

The archaeological site and museum are open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. Entrance is free.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Yucatan Family Adventure: Meteors, Pyramids & Maya Legends

Explore Maya temples and learn about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Monsieur Mictlan

Edited By

buffycaine99, Meg

  • buffycaine99
  • Meg

Published

May 27, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Pyramid of El Cerrito
37 Camino a el Cerrito
El Pueblito
Mexico
20.55138, -100.444043
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of Bells)

Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

miles away

Templo de Santa Rosa de Viterbo

Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

miles away

Acequia Madre

Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 594
Stories 60

Nearby Places

Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of Bells)

Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

miles away

Templo de Santa Rosa de Viterbo

Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

miles away

Acequia Madre

Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 594
Stories 60

Related Places

  • Disk of death on display at the museum.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Disk of Death

    This strange sculpture of a menacing skull surrounded by sun rays was discovered at the foot of the Pyramid of the Sun.

  • The altar seen from the front.

    Soriano nel Cimino, Italy

    Etruscan Pyramid of Bomarzo

    This ancient altar emerges from the thick forests to reveal the mysteries of Etruscan sacrificial rituals.

  • Piramide Cihuatan

    Aguilares, El Salvador

    Cihuatán

    A major pre-Columbian archaeological site in central El Salvador.

  • A pyramid at Caral Supe

    Caral, Peru

    Pyramids of Caral-Supe

    A 5,000-year-old city in Peru holds the remains of a stunning set of astronomically-aligned pyramids.

  • Tile depicting the Moche creator god, Ayapec.

    Moche, Peru

    Huaca de la Luna

    The outside of this exposed Moche pyramid is covered with striking colorful adobe friezes.

  • A detail of the mural of the Great Goddess.

    San Juan Teotihuacan de Arista, Mexico

    Mural of the Great Goddess

    A striking depiction of Teotihuacan's mysterious "Spider Woman."

  • Mask of the Bat God

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Mask of the Bat God

    This ancient jade mask depicting the Zapotec bat god was found in the ruins of the pyramids of Monte Alban.

  • The dancers.

    Monte Albán, Mexico

    Monte Albán

    These sacred Mesoamerican ruins feature peculiar petroglyphs hidden in the stones.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.