Mesoamerican archaeological site in Veracruz, Mexico
"Zempoala" redirects here. For similarly named modern-day settlements, see Zempoala, Veracruz, and Zempoala, Hidalgo.
Cempoala Archaeological site, view from a TempleCempoala Map
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Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
Potonchan (1519)
Centla (1519)
Cempoala (1519)
Tlaxcala (1519)
Cholula (1519)
Nautla (1519)
Narvaez's Expedition (1520)
Tenochtitlan Massacre (1520)
La Noche Triste (1520)
Otumba (1520)
Colhuacatonco (1521)
Tenochtitlan (1521)
Cempoala or Zempoala (Nahuatl Cēmpoalātl 'Place of Twenty Waters') is an important Mesoamerican archaeological site located in the municipality of Úrsulo Galván in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The site was inhabited mainly by Totonacs, Chinantecas and Zapotecs. It was one of the most important Totonac settlements during the postclassical Mesoamerican period[1] and the capital of the kingdom of Totonacapan. It is located one kilometer from the shore of the Actopan River and six kilometres from the coast.
Cempoala was the first urban settlement the Spaniards saw upon arrival on the American continent.[2]
According to some sources, the city was founded at least 1,500 years before the Spanish arrival, and there is evidence of Olmec influence. Although not much is known about the Preclassical and Classic Era, the Preclassical town was built on mounds to protect it from floods. The Totonacs moved into the area during the Toltec Empire peak, having been forced out of their settlements on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental. The Totonacs ruled the area of Totonacapan which consisted of the northern part of Veracruz together with the Zacatlán district of Puebla with a total population of approximately 250,000 and some 50 towns. At its peak, Cempoala had a population of between 25,000 and 30,000.[3]
^Cite error: The named reference Nombre1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Brüggemann, Jürgen K. "Cempoala." In Davíd Carrasco (ed). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures. : Oxford University Press, 2001. ISBN 9780195188431
^"Visit to the Zempoala Archaeological Ruins". Audre & George DeLange. Archived from the original on 2009-04-24. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
Cempoala or Zempoala (Nahuatl Cēmpoalātl 'Place of Twenty Waters') is an important Mesoamerican archaeological site located in the municipality of Úrsulo...
The Battle of Cempoala was fought on 27 May 1520 at Cempoala, Mexico between the forces of Pánfilo de Narváez and the forces of Hernán Cortés, which were...
Cempoala and formalize an alliance with Xicomecoatl (also known as the Fat Chief and Cacique Gordo), the leader of Cempoala. At this time, Cempoala is...
"Cacique Gordo": 91 (in Spanish, Fat Cacique), was the ruler of the city of Cempoala while it was under control of the Mexica Empire. He was known for his alliance...
meaning "three hearts" signifying their three cities or cultural centers: Cempoala, Tajin and Teayo. Evidence, however, is inconclusive. In the 15th century...
Totonac culture is still important. This region is home to the El Tajín and Cempoala archeological sites as well as Papantla, which is noted for its performance...
represents the height of the Totonac culture, Papantla (900–1519) and Cempoala (900–1519). The three centers or three hearts of their culture stand out...
Castillo de Teayo, El Zapotal, Las Higueras, Quiahuiztlán, El Tajín, Cempoala, Tres Zapotes and San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán. The first major civilization...
unauthorized invasion of Mexico, but they were defeated at the Battle of Cempoala on 29 May 1520. Narváez was wounded and captured and 17 of his troops were...
"super-altepetl" identity existed to unite against the Spanish. The Totonacs of Cempoala were among the first to ally with the Spanish, having only recently been...
in interactions with Nahua rulers. Cortés then sailed from Campeche to Cempoala, a tributary province of the Aztec Triple Alliance. Nearby, he founded...
According to Bernal Díaz, the chiefs of the surrounding towns, for example Cempoala, would complain on numerous occasions to Cortés about the perennial need...
in the Aztec Triple Alliance. Other city-states also joined, including Cempoala and Huejotzingo and polities bordering Lake Texcoco, the inland lake system...
Postclassic (c. AD 900–1200). Further examples are known from Acolman, Cempoala, Michoacán, Querétaro and Tlaxcala. In Chichen Itza, only five of the fourteen...
Aztec Empire Spanish empire conquistadores Indian auxiliaries Tlaxcala Cempoala Defeat Aztec empire is annexed to Spanish Empire Viceroyalty of New Spain...
against him.[citation needed] Cortés happened to land at the borders of Cempoala, a vassal state to the Aztecs that had many grievances against them. As...
only a short time before relocating to a promontory near Quiahuiztlan and Cempoala, a subject city of the Aztec Empire. Some of the Spaniards stayed near...
next largest estimated plaza is located in the Gulf Coast in the city of Cempoala (or Zempoala), measuring at 48,088 square meters. Most plazas average at...
Virgen Capacha Casa de la Cacica Castillo de Teayo (Mesoamerican site) Cempoala Cenotillo El Cerrito (archaeological site) Cerro de la Estrella (archeological...
her otherwise and marries her that very night. Cortés marches inland to Cempoala, where he receives a bribe of gems from another Aztec delegation. He places...
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