The name of the indigenous people who inhabited the area around present day Lagos de Moreno, in northern Jalisco, Mexico, as well as their language in UNKNOWN.  It is known however, that they were pyramid builders and constructed "ball courts" as the Mayans did. Virtually nothing else is known about them, chiefly because they left no codices, or else they were destroyed.  Their artifacts still abound in this area.   They have been radiocarbon 14 dated at  1024 A.D.

 

Their lifestyle was totally destroyed about 1028 A.D. by an unknown cause.  They are simply referred to today as "Los Alteños"  (the Highlanders).  The are also called the  "Pre-Chichimecas".  Pictured above is one of their ancient altars of worship.  Not long ago, about a mile to the North of the altar,  the remains of a vertical structure with the typical Mayan  ball court "hoop" was plowed under by a local farmer who wanted to plant corn there.

 

There are indications that the Chichimeca Indians appeared here around the year  1000 A.D.  They were a brave and fierce people whose lifestyle was hunting and gathering.  They fought furiously against the Spanish Conquistadores in the Chichimecan war from 1550 to 1600 A.D. 

 

They were totally disliked by the Aztecs from southern Mexico, who gave them their name.   "Chichi" is from the Náhuatl language and means  "dog".  The Aztects considered them as descendents of the dog.  Chichimeca is literally translated as  "perro sin correa" (dog without a leash).   Other names given to them were  "perros altaneros"  (arrogant dogs),  and  "chupadores de sangre"  (blood suckers).

 

The western group of the Chichimecas lived in the area of Lagos de Moreno, and were called the  "Guachichiles".  The name means  "heads painted of red"  which refers to their custom of painting their bodies, faces and hair with a red dye.  They inhabited the area around Lagos de Moreno from about 1550 A.D. to around 1590 A.D. 

 

Below are 2 photographs of artifacts of the pyramid building, ball playing pre-Chichimecas.

 

Picture # 1 displays 2 pots, "tiestos" (pot shards).  The tool in front of the larger pot was formed from a rock for use as a killing tool.  It was tied to a handle similar to a tomahawk. The 3 pieces in the foreground were parts of a wall of a house.  They are composed of dried mud and very small hollow reeds (dated 1024 A.D.)

 

Picture # 2 are more, small pottery and plate shards.  On the left and right sides of the larger piece are 2 black shards (Spanish: ceramica al negativo). Archaeologists call this black paint "negative paint".  The larger, flat piece is a portion of flooring of a house.  At times, one finds deposits of charcoal below the floor level.  This indicates the cooking area.