Archaeological Ruins
Group "A"
Near Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico.
Travel & Tour
Pictures, Photos, Information, Images, & Reviews.
George & Eve DeLange
Google Map To Izapa Olmec & Mayan, Archaeological Ruins
Group "A" 11 km South East Of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico.
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Stele 5, Known As "The Tree Of Life" Stone. Izapa Olmec & Mayan Archaeological Ruins.
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| Stele 5, Known As "The Tree Of Life" Stone. Izapa Olmec & Mayan Archaeological Ruins. |
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Izapa, Groups "A" Sculptures:
"Tree Of Life Stone":
Izapa Group A: The turnoff ti Group A & B, is located about 700m. from the entrance to Group F on the road that leads back towards the Chiapas town of Tapachula. Look for a very narrow gravel road that leads off into the jungle through farm fields and yards of the farm owners. It will be on your left side of the road as you are traveling toward Tapachula from Group F. There is no sign to notify you of the road. If you get lost, the caretaker at Group F can direct you. You will notice monuments in the yards and fields of the land owners as you travel the road. After your first turn off from the main road, after traveling about 800m., you will find a sign at a fork in the road with one fork going to Group B and the other to Group A. When you find the sign you are close to both sites. We visited the site of Izapa Group A and B on January 29, 2004. When you visit the site you will pass through the front and back yards of the many farm houses that cover the area. Be sure to remember that you are a guest upon other peoples private property. Some of these people are having a hard time just to make enough money to get by. It would be appropriate to make a small donation to these people for parking upon their property as you feel fit to make. At Group A and B you will be parking on private property. You must ask permission to park and a tip is certainly in order. Perhaps the most controversal and important stele in the MesoAmerican World is located at Izapa Group A. It is Stele 5. We are including ample photographs and drawings of the stone on this page for your examination. Three of the pictures on our page are not our original work. We have no idea whose work it is. We of course can not give permission for the use of those three pictures. They are marked with an * in the text under the picture. If anyone knows who to give credit to for those three photos, we would welcome the opportunity to do so. There are many web sites that explain Stele 5, known as "The Tree Of Life". We will therefor make no attempt to explain the stele on our web page. You are free to use our photos for wholesome purposes that are supportive of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. This web site is not sponsored or endorsed by The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints in any way. It is our understanding that The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints has no official position on any hypothesis concerning Stele 5. The "Tree Of Life" Stele 5 stone is very worn due to it's exposure to the elements. Several researchers had to enhance their photos to show the detail. Some of the drawings were made from rubbings off of the stone. We had to do some enhancement to the photos to get the detail to show better. The enhancement was only done by increasing the contrast to the original digital photos.
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A great place to stay when visiting Izapa is the nearby business city of Tapachula (tah-pah-CHOO-lah): The n�huatl word, (TLAPACHOLI) means "flooded House." Tapachula is located in the SE corner of Mexico in the state of Chiapas at the base of the Guatemalan Highlands, near the border of Guatemala and the Pacific Ocean. The city is the commercial center of a coffee-growing region and has thrived in coffee export. It is an important transportation link between Mexico and Central America.and hosts a large European and Asian population. In fact, Tapachula is considered to be an important city in the national economy of Mexico. Tapachula exhibits the typical style of Spanish built cities with a Central Park surrounded by the Municipal Palace. The Old Municipal Palace is now the House of Culture for the city. Ceramics and leather goods are produced by local artisans. It is also a land route for the cocaine trade between Guatemala and Mexico. If driving between Guatemala and Mexico through Tapachula, expect to be stopped by the army or police at one of the checkpoints. The locals usually avoid the checkpoints by walking overland through the jungle with their illegal cargo. One place of interest is the Museo Arqueologico del Soconusco which is a small museum displaying local finds. Including some finds from Izapa. Everything is in Spanish. It is open 11 am to 6 PM every day except Mondays. Located at the main plaza, which is called Parque Hidalgo. Tapachula also sits at the base of an extinct volcano called El Tacan�. El Tacan� is important in the archaeology of the area since many structures at Izapa were aligned to El Tacana. We have links on this page that will connect you with one of the best hotels in Tapachula. TAPACHULA, CHIS. KM. 3.5 CARRETERA A PUERTO MADERO, TAPACHULA DE CORDOVA Y ORDO EZ TAPACHULA, 30700 MEXICO. Holiday Express Tapachula is a modern new hotel with spacious and comfortable and functional facilities. It is located in their newest and largest shopping area, located just 10 km from the airport. Enjoy delicious complimentary Express Breakfast daily. We suggest getting a hotel and then letting them arrange either a car or a tour of Izapa. If you call their Concierge Services ahead of your arrival, all of this can be pre-arranged for you. We do this all the time, when traveling in Mexico. It is safe and it works!!! We have never experienced a problem, doing it this way! Tapachula International Airport (IATA: TAP, ICAO: MMTP) is the international airport located at Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. It is Mexico's southernmost airport. It handles national and international air traffic for the city of Tapachula. Therefore, we have placed a link to Priceline.com on this page so you can arrange your flights into and out of Tapachula; as well as your hotel, when visiting this area.
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| West Mound Of Group A. Izapa Olmec & Mayan Archaeological Ruins. |
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| Map Izapa Group A. Drawn By Edwardo Martinez E. Red Dot Is Stele 5. |
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| Tree Of Life Reproduction. Izapa Archaeological Ruin. | Tree Of Life Stone. Enhanced Photo. (To Show Detail). Izapa Archaeological Ruin. |
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| Drawing Of Stele 5. Tree Of Life. Izapa Archaeological Ruins. | Zoomorphs On The Site. Izapa Archaeological Ruin. |
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| Audrey DeLange At Stele 5. Known As The "Tree Of Life". Izapa Archaeological Ruin. | George DeLange At Stele 5. Known As The "Tree Of Life". Izapa Archaeological Ruin. |
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| Sign Posted At The "Tree Of Life" Stele Number 5. Izapa Archaeological Ruin. | "Tree Of Life" Stele Number 5. Izapa Archaeological Ruin. |
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| Stele 26. Izapa Archaeological Ruin. | Zoomorph. Izapa Archaeological Ruin. |
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| Stele 4. Izapa Archaeological Ruin. | Stele. Izapa Archaeological Ruins. |
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Click Links Below For Other Izapa Attractions!
Click Links Below For Other Izapa Attractions!