Ancient MesoAmerica News Updates 2011, No. 24: Costa Grande, Guerrero - Over 800 Rocks with Petroglyphs Registered by INAH During recent years researchers of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH-Conaculta) have registered over 800 rocks in the Costa Grande, Guerrero, with petroglyphs, incised or engraved graphic representations. The oldest petroglyphs may date to circa 3000 B.C., while the most recent petroglyphs may date from the period A.D. 1300-1500. The INAH posted the following bulletin on the subject yesterday, Tuesday April 5, 2011. The bulletin provides short descriptions of some of the most important petroglyphs (edited by AMaNU; photo: INAH): 
Studying ancient petroglyphs of the Costa Grande - Through the use of photographic filters recently applied to images of petroglyphs that are distributed along the Costa Grande of Guerrero, specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have been able to confirm the presence of anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, points and bars that served to counts that were recorded for thousands of years in the rocks and not visible to the naked eye. The researcher Ruben Manzanilla López, of the Directorate INAH Archaeological Salvage, said in the statement Guerrero is no record of more than 800 engraved rocks, and its largest presence is seen in the Costa Grande region, whose estimated age of 3000 BC to 750 AD, and where more than two decades the study carried out the rock art. La Costa Grande of Guerrero is a region covering over 300 miles long, between the bay of Acapulco in Guerrero and the mouth of the Balsas River within the limits of Michoacán. "The archaeological work in this area began in 1986 when he toured the area, which was a simple report with photographs and handmade background where some petroglyphs were interpreted, particularly Zihuatanejo.
"Last year was resumed this work in the towns of Coacoyul, La Perica, La Escondida, Soledad de Maciel and Murga, points at which the pre-Hispanic era tax settled province of the Mexica called Xihuatlán. In these places the second visit was made to verify the condition of the petroglyphs, and could corroborate the designs that had broken earlier, and the recording of other had not been seen with the naked eye in the years 80. "
This was expressed by the expert during his participation in the Permanent Conference of Archaeology whose lectures are held monthly at the Museo del Templo Mayor, where he explained that for this new record of the petroglyphs were used filters in the photographs of the petroglyphs, such as negative type and relief, in addition to using channels, yellow and green lights; It became evident with engraved designs on the rocks and obtained new evidence. "For example, in a petroglyph of Coacoyul were visualized concentric circles that were not registered, and it was clear that the small holes that have themselves were not of stone but had been made by man, and possibly served to some count, "said the archaeologist.
From the petroglyphs recorded and studied recently, those of Coacoyul, which is located 6 km from Zihuatanejo on this site was located in the courtyard of a house, recorded a rock 2 meters high by 2.5 wide, which presents an anthropomorphic figure of about 68 inches, with circular head, the body elongated and elaborate sit-down lines and lots of little dimples. " Manzanilla López abounded that this same rock, on one side, shows traces of sharpening of chisels. These prints have been calculated which were made between the Preclassic (2500 BC-200 AD) and Classic (200 - 650 AD).
"Near this site there are two stones with petroglyphs, the former has an account number, the other has several cavities that are known as little wells, elements may be used as mortars for grinding or to collect rainwater these cavities are circular and oval measuring approximately 10 centimeters in diameter by 6 deep. These pozuelos or eyes of God, as well as the name the locals are rather common in Guerrero, for example, only in the municipality of Petatlán 273 stones have been found with these characteristics, "the archaeologist of the INAH. Another
the sites that is recorded was that of La Perica, located one kilometer from Zihuatanejo, "there is a rock of 1.80 to 2 meters with a comb-like figure, it is observed with the representation of a head with a plume, concentric circles, and the drawing of a temple and a serpent, designs belonging to the Postclassic period, 450 to 1300 of our era. " In this same area, on top of a hill, he added Manzanilla López, was found another huge stone 1.40 by 1.30 meters, which is broken and apparently was dragged to the site, has solar representations (lines around discs) a circle divided into four parts and two Figures that appear cloudy or nose rings similar to those of Tlaloc, god of rain. "
On the other hand, the site of La Escondida was photographed a rock that is engraved with a circular shape, the face of a woman, an anthropomorphic body, small faces and wavy lines that appear to be representing streams. Figures from the late Postclassic period (1300-1500 AD). In the case of Soledad de Maciel, on the hill of Witchcraft was a petroglyph that the people call The ship, which has a solar representation, a character, two bullets in the opposite direction and wavy lines that would also make reference to a river ; given the elements recorded on the surface of this rock is thought to possibly be related to the theme of the conquest of a people, said Ruben Manzanilla.
Finally, in the town of Thompson's The Stone Monkey, which is eight meters long by two wide at its thickest part, has traces of soles, human bodies and a skull gritty Mexican style, which was recorded later, perhaps as evidence of mastery of this town. According to the archaeologist Ruben Manzanilla, these are just some examples of the enormous wealth created in the volcanic rocks of the Costa Grande, "which need to be preserved and maintained not only by specialists but for the communities where these "pieces of history," he concluded. (Source INAH)
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