MEXICO CITY.- Beneath the bustling Indios Verdes transportation hub in Mexico City, a team of archaeologists has unearthed a fascinating piece of Mexican history: a section of the original Pan-American Highway. This discovery offers a tangible link to a pivotal moment in the nation's development, when the dream of connecting Mexico to its northern neighbor became a reality.
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Imagine the scene: construction crews working on upgrades for the Metrobús and Mexibús transport systems, when suddenly, they stumble upon something unexpected – a layer of basalt rock, neatly aligned, hinting at something buried beneath. This wasn't just any rock; it was a piece of the first-ever highway connecting Mexico City to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, a vital artery that would transform trade, travel, and cultural exchange with the United States.
This isn't the first time this team from INAH's Directorate of Archaeological Salvage (DSA) has made such a find. Just a few months prior, they uncovered another section of the old road on the opposite side of Insurgentes Norte Avenue. Now, with this new discovery on the west side, a section of the original southbound lane returning to Mexico City has been revealed.
"It's like finding a lost piece of a puzzle," says Daniel Santos Hipólito, the archaeological salvage coordinator. "We knew the old highway was somewhere in this area, but to actually uncover these sections is incredibly exciting. It gives us a real physical connection to the past."
The newly discovered section stretches approximately 40 meters long and reaches a maximum width of 4 meters. Archaeologist Miguel Ángel Luna Muñoz explains that the highway was constructed using basalt rock covered with black gravel, topped with a 6-millimeter thick asphalt layer—evidence of which has also been found.
These unearthed sections are particularly significant because they represent the only known remnants of this ambitious project. On July 1, 1936, under President Lázaro Cárdenas, the highway officially opened, enabling automobile travel from the Rio Grande all the way to Mexico City – a 1,226-kilometer journey that symbolized progress and connection. The project, a decade in the making with an investment of 65 million pesos (equivalent to 17 million US dollars at the time), marked the beginning of what would become the vast Pan-American Highway system, a network spanning over 40,000 kilometers from Alaska to Buenos Aires.
But the discoveries at Indios Verdes don’t stop there. While excavating the western part of the transport hub, archaeologist Guadalupe Padilla Alue is uncovering and documenting a canal, possibly dating back to the viceregal period. Preliminary analysis by UNAM researcher Guillermo Acosta Ochoa suggests this hydraulic structure could offer further insights into the area's history. Soil samples have been taken to determine the canal’s exact age and original function.
This area has proven to be a treasure trove of historical artifacts. Previous excavations have unearthed materials connected to ancient lakeside settlements around Lake Texcoco, including Tulan, Ticoman, and Zacatenco. A pit filled with human bone fragments and ceramics related to tequesquite extraction (a type of salt used in food and other processes) was also found, offering glimpses into the lives of those who lived there centuries ago. The same type of ceramic, known as Lagos Impresión Textil, from the Aztec II phase (1299-1403 AD), has been found during the canal excavation, further linking these discoveries.
The ongoing archaeological work at Indios Verdes, which is expected to continue into early 2023 (the original Spanish text mistakenly said 2023 and not 2025 where the events are taking place), is providing a unique opportunity to understand the long and complex history of this important area. It’s not just about uncovering roads and canals; it's about piecing together the story of the people who lived there, their relationship with the environment, and the profound social and historical changes that have shaped this part of Mexico City. This accidental discovery beneath a modern transportation hub is rewriting the history books, one layer of earth at a time.
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