ZONA ARQUEOLOGICA IXTLÁN DEL RIO
One of the most studied areas of the Mexican West, providing many pieces to the Museo Regional de Tepic in Ixtlan del rio
Also called Los Toriles, this archaeological zone is one of the most studied of the Mexican West (with Guachimintones, in the State of Jalisco and the sites of the city of Colima), and which provided a number of pieces to the Museo Regional de Tepic: on 8 hectares, one discovers on this site the rests of about fifteen constructions, of which a building of circular form dedicated to the god of the Wind. Several petroglyphs representing abstract figures were also discovered in five places. This city in perpetual evolution was first occupied between 300 BC and 600 AD by groups identifiable by their funerary rites and their mode of burial: the vertical tombs(tumbas de tiro). These have been discovered in five areas of the site, containing human remains, ceramic objects of daily life (pots, jugs, etc.) and figurines in the shape of humans or animals. A cultural evolution occurs when the settlement becomes part of a larger region known as Aztatlán. The ruins that fall under the name of "Los Toriles" date back to this period. Between 750 and 1100 AD, the city grew considerably with the construction of large platforms, palaces, temples, and at the same time became a major manufacturing and commercial center. Some of the later buildings show the influence of cities in the centre of the country.
