"Bands of roving Indians drifted into the Lake Chapala Valley as early as 1,000 B.C. Some moved on south, but others settled along the Lake shores in small scattered settlements. Xuxutepeque, colonized by the Nahuas, became a small fishing village on the shores of the western end of Lake Chapala. The lands they settled on had been home for wandering bands for thousands of years. Remnants were found of these early settlements, which had been moved up and down the mountain-side. These moves were dictated by the rise and fall of Lake Chapala waters--always changing with ever-varying climatic conditions.

In Xuxutepeque, the campfires were lit at dusk. Then, the women would break into small groups. . .preparing a corn masa for tortillas. . .steeping it to loosen the skin. . .and then rubbing it fine on stones. Soon the flat rocks atop the campfires were covered with tortillas. When the men returned from foraging, fish and game were added and the smell of wood smoke and food mingles in the air of the dark night. Squatting around fires, the men helped themselves to the food with their fingers, and then washed it down with huge gulps of octli (a fermented cactus derivative).

The women sat apart, eating and talking in whispers. In a short while, fires were put out, guards posted, and black night moved over the camp. (this settlement, known as Chantepec, is now a suburb of Jocotepec.) The Nahuas brought their god Iztlacateotl with them. They built a temple where their religious rites of human sacrifice were conducted. Sacrifical blood was placed in small "ollas", burned, and then thrown into the Lake. In the years that followed, Xuxutepeque became a Nahua trading and ceremonial center for far-flung mountainous areas surrounding the western end of the Lake." (JUNE NAY SUMMERS, VILLAGES IN THE SUN, PAG.64,65.)

 

 

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