New Insights Into the Water Management System at Tetzcotzinco, Mexico

Abstract

Abstract This work presents the results of new archaeological research carried out in Tetzcotzinco, Mexico, with a special focus on its water management. Survey documentation at the site, with the use of 3D photogrammetry, offered new images and maps of water control features, namely, canals, reservoirs, and aqueducts. The integration of these data into a GIS database, as well as the complementation of information from previous archaeological research and colonial historical accounts, allowed further analysis of the flow, velocity, and quantity of water distributed at the site, and its possible connections with watercourses in its surroundings. This research studies the broader regional water sources and three possible courses of water in the area which could have provided the flow of liquid into Tetzcotzinco. This article is a contribution to a better understanding of the importance of water and its distribution not only in Tetzcotzinco but also in the Center of Mexico during pre-Hispanic times.