Cacaxtla

right|thumb|250px|The Gran Basamento, protected by its sheet-metal roofright|250px|thumb|View over the top of the Gran Basamento Cacaxtla () is an archaeological site located near the southern border of the Mexican state of Tlaxcala. It contains a sprawling palace with vibrantly colored murals painted in Maya style. The nearby site of Xochitecatl was a more public ceremonial complex associated with Cacaxtla. Cacaxtla and Xochitecatl prospered 650–900 CE, probably controlling important trade routes through the region with an enclave population of no more than 10,000 people.

==History== Cacaxtla was the capital of a region inhabited by the Olmeca-Xicallanca people. The origins of the Olmeca-Xicalanca are not known with certainty, but they are assumed to come from the Gulf coast region, and were perhaps Maya settlers who arrived in this part of central Mexico around 400 CE.