Cerro Mesa Ahumada (Mesa Ahumada Hill), also known as Cerro Colorado, is a hill located in the northern region of the

State of Mexico The State of Mexico ( es, Estado de México; ), officially just Mexico ( es, México), is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Commonly known as Edomex (from ) to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is ...

(''Estado de Mexico'' or ''Edomex''). It is located between the municipalities of

Tequixquiac Tequixquiac is a municipality located in the Zumpango Region of the State of Mexico in Mexico. The municipality is located north of Mexico City within the valley that connects the Valley of Mexico with the Mezquital Valley. The name comes from Na ...

and

Apaxco Apaxco is a municipality located in the Zumpango Region (northeastern part of the State of Mexico) in Mexico. The municipal territory is located at a southern pass leading out of the Mezquital Valley about northeast of the state capital of Toluca ...

. This hill has a maximum elevation of above sea level and is located at a southern pass leading out of the

Mezquital Valley The Mezquital Valley ( ote, B’ot’ähi) is a series of small valleys and flat areas located in Central Mexico, about north of Mexico City, located in the western part of the state of Hidalgo. It is part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, with ...

Geology

This hill once had natural springs running down but has since then dried up. The land is mainly composed of volcanic rock, and the soil is classified as

durisol In the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB), a Durisol is a soil of arid and semi-arid environments that contains cemented secondary silica (SiO2) in the upper metre of soil, either as concretions (''durinodes'' – ''duric horizon'') or ...

phaeozem A Phaeozem in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a dark soil with a high Soil#Base saturation percentage, base status, but without a secondary carbonates within one metre of the soil surface. Phaeozems correlate with the Udolls ...

, and

vertisol A vertisol, or vertosol, is a soil type in which there is a high content of expansive clay minerals, many of them known as montmorillonite, that form deep cracks in drier seasons or years. In a phenomenon known as argillipedoturbation, alternat ...

Archaeological Site

On the high

mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by ...

, there is an archaeological site named ''Los Mogotes''. It was occupied by Otomian-Nahua tribes. A few simple pre-Hispanic basements still exists on the northwest side of the mesa, along with some petroglyphs on the rocks. Los Mogotes was discovered in 1984 by the locals. When archaeologists from INAH visited this area, it was located on the hillside of Cerro Mesa Ahumada at approximately above sea level. Los Mogotes has 8 basements and a small platform, corresponding to the so-called Coyotlatelco and Mazapa of the late classic or epiclassical period (800-1000 a.C). This site was possibly built for military activities for lookouts by the Chichimeca people with astronomical observations, funeral activities, and housing. The location has suffered from looting, but archaeologists found valuable items such as obsidian, stone utensils, human bones, and mud bow. The eastern hillsides have petroglyphs, anthropomorphic figures of men and women, the engraving of

Tōnatiuh In Mesoamerican culture, Tonatiuh (Nahuatl: ''Tōnatiuh'' "Movement of the Sun") was an Aztec sun deity of the daytime sky and ruled the cardinal direction of east. According to Aztec Mythology, Tonatiuh was known as "The Fifth Sun" and was gi ...

Tonalli Tonalli (see also: Tonal (mythology), Tonal) plays a multiplicity of roles; acting as a day sign, body part, and a symbol of the sun's warmth. Ancient Nahua people believed that it was located in the hair and the fontanel area of one's skull, and th ...

, a

Nahui Ollin Nahui Ollin is a concept in Aztec/Mexica cosmology with a variety of meanings. Nahui translates to "four" and Ollin translates to "movement" or "motion." Ollin was primarily portrayed in Aztec codices as two interlaced lines which are each portra ...

, and concentric cross symbols that probably represent stars or locations. The surroundings of the mesa were probably used by many nomadic groups, soldiers, and merchants, to observe the valleys. So it was an important location to defend and keep watch. In Tequixquiac (altepetl) many clashes occurred with Otomis, Aztecs, Tlaxcaltecs, Texcoco, and Otumba people. This site on the mesa was necessary for watching out for people and warriors.

Flora & Fauna

Cerro Mesa Ahumada is in the Central Mexican Plateau, where there is a diversity in plants and animals due to the region's temperate and semi-arid climate. The native plants and trees in this area include: Native Plants:

Century Plant ''Agave americana'', common names century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Mexico and the United States in Texas. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant, and has b ...

, Cholla, Prickly Pear,

Golden Barrel Cactus ''Kroenleinia grusonii'', popularly known as the golden barrel cactus, golden ball, "mother-in-law's cushion" or "mother-in-law’s chair" is a species of barrel cactus which is endemism, endemic to east-central Mexico. The golden barrel cactus i ...

, Fencepost Cactus, Bilberry Cactus, Mexican Creeping Zinnia,

Creosote Bush ''Larrea tridentata'', called creosote bush and greasewood as a plant, chaparral as a medicinal herb, and ''gobernadora'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "governess") in Mexico, due to its ability to secure more water by inhibiting the growth of n ...

, Pipicha, Creeping False Holly,

Tule ''Schoenoplectus acutus'' ( syn. ''Scirpus acutus, Schoenoplectus lacustris, Scirpus lacustris'' subsp. ''acutus''), called tule , common tule, hardstem tule, tule rush, hardstem bulrush, or viscid bulrush, is a giant species of sedge in the pl ...

Reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * Re ...

Barrel Cactus Barrel cacti are various members of the two genera ''Echinocactus'' and ''Ferocactus'', endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico. Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert in Sout ...

, and

Fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

. Trees: Kidneywood Tree,

Mesquite Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus ''Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under grou ...

Netleaf oak ''Quercus rugosa'', commonly known as the netleaf oak, is a broad-leaved tree in the beech and oak family Fagaceae. It is native to southern North America. Description ''Quercus rugosa'' is an evergreen shrub or tree. The bark is brown and scal ...

(also known as Quercus Rugosa), Tepozán, Needle Bush Fruit Trees:

Tejocote ''Crataegus mexicana'' is a species of hawthorn known by the common names , , and Mexican hawthorn. It is native to the mountains of Mexico and parts of Guatemala, and has been introduced in the Andes. The fruit of this species is one of the mos ...

Capulin ''Prunus serotina'', commonly called black cherry,World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference, Second Edition'. CRC Press; 19 April 2016. . p. 833–. wild black cherry, rum cherry, or mountain black cherry, is a deciduous tree or shrub of the g ...

, and

White Sapote The white sapote, scientific name ''Casimiroa edulis'', also called casimiroa and Mexican apple, and known as ''cochitzapotl'' in the Nahuatl language (meaning "sleep-sapote") is a species of tropical fruiting tree in the family Rutaceae, native ...

. Foreign Trees:

Pirul ''Schinus molle'' (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, (Archived bWebCite peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul (in Mexican Spanish si ...

and

Eucalypt Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia: ''Eucalyptus'', '' Corymbia'', '' Angophora'', ''Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...

. The fauna in Mesa Ahumada include: Mammals:

Cacomistle The cacomistle (; ''Bassariscus sumichrasti'') is a nocturnal, arboreal and omnivorous member of the carnivoran family Procyonidae. Its preferred habitats are wet, tropical, evergreen woodlands and mountain forests, though seasonally it will ve ...

Skunk Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginge ...

Gopher Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. The roughly 41 speciesSearch results for "Geomyidae" on thASM Mammal Diversity Database are all endemic to North and Central America. They are ...

Virginia Opossum The Virginia opossum (''Didelphis virginiana''), also known as the North American opossum, is the only opossum living north of Mexico, its range extending south into Central America. It is the northernmost marsupial in the world. In the United S ...

Rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

Mexican Gray Squirrel The Mexican gray squirrel (or red-bellied squirrel) (''Sciurus aureogaster'') is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' native to Guatemala and eastern and southern Mexico. It has been introduced to the Florida Keys. The alternate name should ...

Bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

, and Mexican Hare. Native birds:

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, Colibri,

Turkey Vulture The turkey vulture (''Cathartes aura'') is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus ''Cathartes'' of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South ...

Northern mockingbird The northern mockingbird (''Mimus polyglottos'') is a mockingbird commonly found in North America. This bird is mainly a permanent resident, but northern birds may move south during harsh weather. This species has rarely been observed in Europe. ...

, The Red Warbler,

Rufous-crowned Sparrow The rufous-crowned sparrow (''Aimophila ruficeps'') is a small American sparrow. This passerine is primarily found across the Southwestern United States and much of the interior of Mexico, south to the transverse mountain range, and to the Pa ...

Lesser Roadrunner The lesser roadrunner (''Geococcyx velox'') is a large, long-legged member of the cuckoo family, Cuculidae, from Mesoamerica. The Latin name means "swift earth-cuckoo". Along with the greater roadrunner, it is one of two species in the genus ''Ge ...

Great Horned Owl The great horned owl (''Bubo virginianus''), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air"), or the hoot owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extrem ...

, and

Savannah Sparrow The Savannah sparrow (''Passerculus sandwichensis'') is a small New World sparrow. It was the only member of the genus '' Passerculus'' and is typically the only widely accepted member. Comparison of mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 and 3 sequ ...

. Reptiles:

Rattlesnake Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small anim ...

Pine Snake Pine snake may refer to: * '' Pituophis melanoleucus'', a nonvenomous colubrid found in North America * '' Lampropeltis g. getula'', a.k.a. the eastern kingsnake, a nonvenomous colubrid found in the eastern United States * '' Pantherophis vulpinus' ...

, Xincoyote, and Chirrionera Snake. Amphibians:

Axolotl The axolotl (; from nci, āxōlōtl ), ''Ambystoma mexicanum'', is a paedomorphic salamander closely related to the tiger salamander. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. Instea ...

Frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

, and

Toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...

. Insects:

Red Ant Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus ''Solenopsis'', which includes over 200 species. ''Solenopsis'' are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the nam ...

Bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyly, monophyletic lineage within the ...

Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...

, etc. A few animals have gone extinct and existed in the past. These include

Coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

Bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

and

Gray Fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (''Urocyon littora ...

Gallery

File:Oceloxochitl morada en Cerro Mesa Ahumada.jpg,

Tigridia ''Tigridia'' , is a genus of bulbous or cormous flowering plants belonging to the family Iridaceae. With common names including peacock flowers, tiger-flowers or shell flowers, they have large showy flowers; and one species, ''Tigridia pavonia'' ...

flower. File:Cerro Mesa Ahumada (8).jpg, Cholla (Cardón). File:Cerro Mesa Ahumada (12).jpg, Centuryplant (Maguey). File:Cerro Mesa Ahumada (17).jpg,

Barrel cactus Barrel cacti are various members of the two genera ''Echinocactus'' and ''Ferocactus'', endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico. Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert in Sout ...

(Biznaga). File:Cerro Mesa Ahumada (23).jpg,

(Helecho). File:Cerro Mesa Ahumada (36).jpg, Tree named ''huizache''. File:Xincoyote en Cerro Mesa Ahumada.jpg, Lizard named '' xincoyote''.

Hillside Sports

The landscape around this hill is often used by international sports competitions such as '' Vuelta Sacra'', a mountain bike competition.

Environmental Damage

The landscape has degraded to a great extent, mainly due to an attempt at urban development in several parts of Ahumada hill. A construction company, Wilk SA, planned to construct housing units in several parts of Ahumada hill by invading the natural landscape. And this was possible due to negligence and corruption of the PAN and PRI, Tequixquiac, and Apaxco mayors. Such development has deteriorated the natural environment over the years.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Cerro Mesa Ahumada
Cerro Mesa Ahumada, Mexico City
Hills of Mexico Landforms of the State of Mexico 1984 archaeological discoveries Tequixquiac Apaxco Aztec sites Otomi sites

Geology

Archaeological Site

Flora & Fauna

Gallery

Hillside Sports

Environmental Damage

See also

References

External links