Huandacareo

Chupícuaro – Purépecha Culture – Archaeological Site
Main structure platform on the background, burial area inside the right basement
Main structure, temple to the left and sunken patio to the right. The lake is on the background
Name:	Huandacareo Archaeological Site
Type	Mesoamerican archaeology
Location	Huandacareo Michoacán  Mexico
Region	Mesoamerica
Coordinates	19°59′41″N 101°17′19″W / 19.99472°N 101.28861°W / 19.99472; -101.28861Coordinates: 19°59′41″N 101°17′19″W / 19.99472°N 101.28861°W / 19.99472; -101.28861
Culture	Chupicuaro – Chichimec - Purepecha
Language	Purépecha
Chronology	1200 – 1530 CE
Period	Mesoamerican Preclassical, Classical and Postclassical
Apogee
INAH Web Page	Huandacareo Archaeological Site

Huandacareo (or Guandacareo) is an archaeological zone located about 60 kilometers north of the city of Morelia, in the state of Michoacán.

The site was constructed on an elevated plateau overlooking the Cuitzeo lake, some 2.46 kilometers (1.52 mi.) from its north western shores and about two kilometers from the center of the Huandacareo town and municipality. Locally the place is better known as "The Nopalera".

The site is located on the western side of Lake Cuitzeo, located at around 19°56′0″N 101°5′0″W / 19.93333°N 101.08333°W / 19.93333; -101.08333. It has an area of 300–400 km².

The lake is astatic, and the volume and level of water in the lake fluctuates frequently. It is the second largest freshwater lake in Mexico.

Although this site is of a clear Purépecha ancestry, the geographic location on the Cuitzeo basin and the ceremonial center concept, attests to the presence of some cultural elements originating elsewhere. As an example obsidian from the "cerro de Zináparo" in northern Michoacán or from Zinapécuaro east of Cuitzeo can be noted; as well as coastal materials, especially the Pacific Ocean. Also from the Mexican plateau and certainly from the Purépecha region of Pátzcuaro, that provided the main cultural influence.

The site is located in the Michoacán (Spanish pronunciation: [mitʃoaˈkan]) region. The name Michoacán is from Nahuatl and means "place of the fishermen" referring to those who fish on Lake Pátzcuaro. In prehispanic times, the area was the home of the Purépecha Empire, which rivaled the Aztec Empire. The state has today native members of the Purépecha people as well as Otomis and Nahuas.