On Tuesday we went to the Pyramid of El Pueblito, known as El Cerrito (little hill). It is an archaeological site in the state of Querétaro, but it isn't really open to the public yet because they still have a lot to do. The pyramid, similar in size to the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacán, was erected around 1300 year ago. For more than a millennium the site was exposed to the climate and negative human intervention, suffering enormously, and it was not until 1995 that Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History began restoration.
Below you can see how they have chosen to do the preservation and restoration. They are leaving what they can the way they found it, but they are also rebuilding some so that you can get the effect of the original shape (although it probably was covered in stucco and brightly painted). Where they are rebuilding, they are using a different colored stone (found nearby) so that the difference between old and new is clear.
They are also leaving the back of the pyramid covered in grass and trees so that people will be able to see what a site looks like before excavation. 
In the open space dubbed Plaza de las Esculturas, work has recovered over 50 skulls from individuals between 18 and 35 years of age. This site hasn't been excavated fully, so they are not sure what exactly the area was used for. This picture is looking up the stairs that surround the Plaza de las Esculturas. The stairs on the left have been rebuilt. The right side shows the natural state (I thought the flowers were pretty!)
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