Discover Malpasito: Archaeology and Zoque Culture

Malpasito is a destination for anyone interested in Zoque history and the architecture of an archaeological site. Its distinctive features include a T-shaped ball court, an underground Baño de vapor and engravings carved into sandstone. The layout of the plazas and the dimensions of individual structures also give the site a distinctive character.

A city between two mountain ranges

Between 600 and 900, Malpasito was inhabited by groups of Zoque origin. They built a city there that became the political and economic centre of a small province between the La Pava and Amacoite mountain ranges. The archaeological zone can also be viewed as a place where the history of a city and its public spaces can be explored.

The Acropolis extends across the site’s two upper terraces, covering an area of 3,600 m². The Plaza Principal lay between the Juego de Pelota and the Plaza Sur complex. It was the site’s most important public space.

Plazas, ball game and ritual

The Juego de Pelota consists of two rectangular structures with an access staircase. Between them is a sunken, T-shaped playing field: one end is open, the other closed, and there are no benches. The T-shape distinguishes the playing field from a simple rectangular layout.

The Plaza Sur also served a different function from the Plaza Principal. Civic and religious activities took place there; unlike the most important public plaza, access to it was restricted.

An underground Baño de vapor is located at the top of Structure 18. It is 11.40 m long, 3.80 m wide and 1.79 m deep. Its sacred functions were connected with the Juego de Pelota ritual. The ball court and the steam bath are therefore parts of different structures at the site, but are linked by this ritual connection.

Sandstone engravings

Distinctive stone blocks have also been described outside the monumental area. Petrograbado 36 lies about 700 m to its north. The sandstone block bears geometric, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic engravings, including ten human faces and depictions of feline tracks. These motifs are therefore clearly different from the architectural forms of the ball court.

Petrograbados 13 and 42 are also located about 730 m north of the monumental area. Petrograbado 13 is a sandstone block 1.29 m long, 1.18 m wide and 0.79 m thick. Its depictions are geometric, architectural and anthropomorphic. Petrograbado 42 features geometric and architectural patterns made up of straight, curved and wavy lines, dots and indentations. Two I-shaped patterns are particularly striking and may be connected with the ball courts.

Getting there and visiting

The archaeological zone is reached via Federal Highway 187 between Malpaso in Chiapas and Huimanguillo in Tabasco. The turnoff to the site is at kilometre 29.9. From the turnoff, a further 3.5 km of unpaved road leads onward; then the stated route covers 2.5 km to the town of Malpasito and another 1.2 km southwest to the boundaries of the archaeological zone. You can take these sections of the route into account when planning your journey.

The archaeological zone is open Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 17:00; last admission is at 16:00. If you are looking for a holiday rental for a stay in Malpasito, you can factor the visiting hours and the route described above into your travel plans.

For the broader travel overview: Huimanguillo.