Malpasito brings together the history of a Zoque city, distinctive buildings and images carved into sandstone. The archaeological site offers insights into different aspects of life at the time: from the public square to the Juego de Pelota and an underground Baño de vapor. The rock carvings also add their own distinctive features. Visiting hours and the staged approach to the site are important points to bear in mind when planning.
Malpasito and the Zoque Culture
Between 600 and 900, Malpasito was inhabited by groups of Zoque origin. They built a city there that became the political and economic centre of a small province between the La Pava and Amacoite mountain ranges. The surviving traces reveal several aspects of this history: the city layout, areas used for rituals and distinctive stone images. The Juego de Pelota and the Temazcal are among the site’s cultural features passed down through the ages.
Squares, Ball Game and Baño de vapor
The Plaza Principal was located between the Juego de Pelota and the Plaza Sur complex. It was the site’s most important public space. The Plaza Sur was used for civil and religious activities and was less accessible than the Plaza Principal. Their different functions and accessibility distinguish the two squares as separate parts of the archaeological complex.
The Juego de Pelota consists of two rectangular structures that enclose a sunken, T-shaped playing field. The complex includes an access staircase; one end of the field is open and the other closed, and there are no benches. The underground Baño de vapor is also precisely located: it is situated at the top of Structure 18 and measures 11.40 metres in length, 3.80 metres in width and 1.79 metres in depth. Its sacred functions were associated with the Juego de Pelota ritual.
The Acropolis extends across an area of 3,600 square metres on the two upper terraces. Together with the squares and the ball-game area, it offers a picture of several distinct spatial focal points, rather than a single building.
Comparing the Rock Carvings
Several sandstone petroglyphs lie north of the monumental area. Petrograbado 36 is located about 700 metres away. The stone bears geometric, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic carvings, including ten human faces and depictions of feline tracks. This combination of motifs sets the block apart from the two stones described in more detail, which are also located about 730 metres away.
Petrograbado 13 measures 1.29 metres in length, 1.18 metres in width and 0.79 metres in thickness. Its geometric, architectural and anthropomorphic depictions were made using percussion and abrasion techniques. Petrograbado 42 shows geometric and architectural motifs made up of straight, curved and wavy lines, dots and depressions. Two I-shaped patterns are particularly striking and may be connected to the ball courts. The two stones are described as being in roughly the same location, but their shapes and recorded motifs have different points of focus.
Getting There and Visiting Hours
The turnoff to the archaeological zone is at kilometre 29.9 on Federal Highway 187 between Malpaso in Chiapas and Huimanguillo in Tabasco. From the turnoff, follow 3.5 kilometres of unpaved road, then continue 2.5 kilometres to the village of Malpasito and a further 1.2 kilometres southwest to the boundary of the archaeological zone. Check the route again before setting out.
The archaeological zone is open Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 17:00; last entry is at 16:00. Check the visiting hours again before your trip and factor the last entry time into your day and overnight-stay plans.
For the broader travel overview: Huimanguillo.
