Xichútepa

Not to be confused with Old Xichútepa.

Xichútepa

Խիճուտեպա
Excavations at Xichútepa.
Location	Near Puerto Francisco, Salvador, Creeperopolis
Altitude	49 m (161 ft)
Type	Settlement
History
Founded	~220BC
Abandoned	540AD
Periods	Pre-Creeperian Civilization
Cultures	Creeperian Confederation
Associated with	Chihueta Tribe
Site notes
Discovered	14 May 1978
Excavation dates	1978–1987, 2004–present
Condition	Ruined
Ownership	Creeperian Government
Management	Ministry of Internal Affairs
Public access	Limited
National Historical Landmarks
Type	Cultural
Designated	15 May 1978
Designated by	Adolfo V
Department	Salvador

Xichútepa (Xichútepan: Խիճուտեպա, traditionally thought to mean: Great City; Creeperian – Creeperian: Խիճղտեպա; Creeperian – Iberic: Xichútepa; pronounced: [ʃi.tʃuˈte.pa]) was a large Pre-Creeperian city that was the de facto capital of the Creeperian Confederation that was inhabited from 220BC until 540AD. The city also served as the capital of the Chihueta Tribe.

The city was founded around 220BC by the first Kuaitl Tlatoani of the confederation, Axayacatl I, who was a member of the Chihueta. The city served as the de facto capital city of the confederation, even when one of the other seven tribes held the title of Kuaitl Tlatoani. The Great Pyramid of Xichútepa was located at the site and was built during the reigns of Axayacatl I, Axayacatl II, Xipilli I, and Xiuhcoatl I. The city was the site of the Battle of Xichútepa on 15 September 537AD which ended the confederation and established the Old Creeperian Kingdom under the rule of Felipe I. The city was destroyed and abandoned in 540AD on the orders of Felipe I who had recently converted to Catholicism and sought to destroy the old pagan religion and memory of the Chihueta.

The site was discovered on 14 May 1978 by Creeperian archeologists searching for the city. It was designated as a Creeperopolis National Historical Landmark on 15 May 1978 and administration of the cite was handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The site is located near present-day Puerto Francisco in Salvador, Creeperopolis. Excavation efforts are currently ongoing.

Etymology

Certainty about the original meaning of the name "Xichútepa" is questionable. Traditionally, it was believed that the city was derived from the words "Xichū" and "Tepa" possibly meaning "Great City," but later research has concluded that that is an erroneous translation, as "Great City" in the Xichútepan language would have instead been "Uey Ueyaltepetl" (spelt: ուեյ ուեյալտեպետլ), indicating the the original meaning has been lost.

History

Early history

Xichútepa was founded by Axayacatl I of the Chihueta Tribe around 220BC, near the establishment of the Creeperian Confederation. It has been hypothesized that the city pre-dates the confederation, either by years or simply by months.

A model of the Great Pyramid of Xichútepa.

In 200BC, Axayacatl I commissioned the construction of the Great Pyramid of Xichútepa. He died two years into construction in 198BC, and his son and successor, Axayacatl II, continued construction of the pyramid. When he died in 160BC, construction was continued by Xipilli I, but he died shortly afterwards in 156BC, and his successor, Xiuhcoatl I, completed the pyramid in 145BC. The pyramid was the largest and tallest structure on Sur when it was completed, standing at 180 feet tall. It was 1,480 feet by 1,480 feet in perimeter, making it the largest pyramid in the world by volume and surface area covered, even topping the Pyramids of Hashan, but the two largest Hashan pyramids remain taller than the pyramid at Xichútepa.

Later history

The city was the site of the Battle of Xichútepa on 15 September 537AD between the opposing forces of Ahuiliztli, later Felipe I, and Tapayaxi I. Ahuiliztli ended victorious in battle and Tapayaxi I committed suicide, ending the War of Creeperian Unification and the confederation, establishing the Kingdom of Creeperia.

In 540AD, Felipe I converted to Catholicism and he ordered the destruction and abandonment of the city of Xichútepa on the pretense of "destroying the old pagan religion." By 600AD, the location of the city was lost to the Creeperans.

Rediscovery

Over the centuries, several efforts have been made to rediscover the location of the city. Efforts were made by Adolfo I in 1372, Adolfo III in 1844, and Antonio Sáenz Heredia in 1903.

In 1977, Adolfo V ordered renewed excavations near the city of Puerto Francisco to locate and discover the city's ruins. On 14 May 1978, archeologists found ruins at an excavation site, and upon further digging, they found stone engravings bearing the names of Axayacatl I and Axayacatl II. They concluded that they had find the lost city of Xichútepa. The following day, the Ministry of Internal Affairs took control of the entire site and declared it a Creeperopolis National Historical Landmark. Excavations continued until 1987, when they were halted by Romero III, citing monetary issues.

Excavations resumed in 2004 under Alexander II. In 2006, the Great Pyramid of Xichútepa was discovered to have been built under the site of the Church of Our Lady of Salvador. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has cooperated with the Creeperian Catholic Church on excavation efforts of the pyramid.

See also

• Creeperopolis National Historical Landmarks

Bibliography

• Pareja Palau, Orlando (2017). Felipe I [Philip I]. Historia de Creeperópolis (in Creeperian). 2 (2 ed.). San Salvador, Creeperopolis: Impresión Creeperiano. pp. 1–18. doi:10.1027/S0022216X00001425. ISBN 9780742537415. JSTOR 156557.CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)