The collapse of an ancient pyramid in Mexico has sparked fear among the local tribe who warned the destruction is a ‘bad omen.’
The 1,100-year-old brick pyramid, located at the Ihuatzio Archaeological Zone in the Mexican state of Michoacán, crumbled on one side due to heavy rainfall in the region.
The pyramids were built on the eastern shore of Lake Pátzcuaro, occupied by the Purépecha Empire from 900 AD until Spanish conquerors arrived in the region in 1530 AD.
Descendants of the ancient Purépecha tribe, which built the structure, said the storm could signal impending doom as a similar event happened ‘because gods were displeased.’
The pyramid came crashing down in the early hours of July 30, following a storm that swept through the region.
Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) stated that heavy rains had fallen in the lake basin, accumulating above the expected precipitation average.
‘A collapse occurred in the central part of the southern facade of one of the pyramidal bases of the Ihuatzio Archaeological Zone,’ INAH continued in a statement.
‘The high temperatures, previously recorded in the area, and the consequent drought caused cracks that favored the filtration of water into the interior of the pre-Hispanic building.’
At least six of the steps of the pyramid on the exterior wall slabs had been damaged. Images of the scene showed a waterfall of bricks cascading down the side and into a pile near the structure.
Despite INAH claiming that the collapse was due to natural causes, a Purépecha tribe member suggested that something more sinister was at work.
‘For our ancestors, the builders, this was a bad omen that indicated the proximity of an important event,’ Tariakuiri Alvarez, a member of the tribe wrote on Facebook.
‘Before the arrival of the conquistadors, something similar happened, which for the Purépecha worldview of that time was because the gods, Nana Kuerhaepiri and K’eri Kurikweri, were displeased.’
The Ihuatzio zone was considered the capital of the Purépecha people’s domain during the height of its occupation until the tribe’s reign came to an end in the early 16th century.
At its peak, the site covered approximately 370 acres and was home to at least 84 structures, seven of which are still displayed at the archeological park.
It also served as the backdrop for the Purépecha people’s defeat of the Aztec Empire in the 1470s – making the tribe one of the only indigenous groups in the region that weren’t conquered by the Aztecs.
For nearly 10 years, the Purépecha Empire’s King Tzitzic Pandacuare defended his tribe against the Aztec attack as they tried to gain domination over the entire region.
During the battle, his people reportedly killed more than 20,000 Aztec soldiers, allowing the Purépecha to keep its hold on Western Mexico from the 14th to early 16th centuries.
Today, the Ihuatzio pyramids is considered one of the top major archaeological sites in the region.
The INAH said it has taken steps to protect and rebuild the pyramids, saying it notified the Agroasemex Insurance Company that covers any archaeological sites to begin the process of obtaining funds.
‘Damage assessment activities continue and are focused not only on recovering the affected part, but also on thoroughly repairing the structure of the building,’ the INAH said.
The decimated structures also follow the disintegration of a popular site in a Utah national park which suddenly collapsed due to erosion on Thursday.
The Double Arch, which is also called the Toilet Bowl and Crescent Pool, formed from 190-million-year-old Navajo sandstone that originated during the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods.
Since its formation, this fine-grained sand feature has been subject to spalling and erosion from weather, wind and rain.
