DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4f4qrfjp0
title: Carved monuments from Cerro Patlachique in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico

description: The article discusses mountain worship and pilgrimage in Mesoamerica based
 on recent mapping and survey data from Cerro Patlachique, located in the
 southern limit of the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico. Thirtyfour unpublished
 stone monuments (now totaling 40 known monuments), surface ceramics, and
 mapping of a shrine on the summit confirm that Cerro Patlachique was an
 important pilgrimage site before, during, and after the Teotihuacan
 occupation. The iconography emphasizes mountain worship invoking the Storm
 God and the Water Goddess, which was likely executed during year-bearing
 dates of the ritual 260-day tonalpohualli (Nahua term for “count of days”)
 calendar. The dataset was compiled through field surveys and photographic
 documentation. The supplementary data includes photographs of 35 monuments
 in (.tif) format, which are called Elements, by the methodology of the
 Project Plaza of the Columns Complex. The supplementary table contains a
 file in (.xlsx) format with relevant information about each Element. Also
 included are field photographs of each element in color and grey scale, as
 well as 3D digital models in (.obj) format, a file with (.jpg) the texture
 of the model, and a file (.mtl); this file describes surface appearance
 properties to be applied to polygonal facets defined by the OBJ file.
description: Explorations at the summit of Cerro Patlachique were carried out
 from 2018-2022 by the Project Plaza of the Columns Complex &
 Ciudades Cosmicas Project (National Institute of Anthropology and History
 authorization numbers 401.1S.3-2018/963, 401.1S.3-2019/1058,
 401.1S.3-2021/502, 401.1S.3-2022/140), as part of the ground-truth survey
 of archaeological features recognized by the 165 km2 Teotihuacan Valley
 Lidar map (Sugiyama et al. 2021, 10.1371/journal.pone.0257550). A total of
 61.3 hectares was surveyed at Cerro Patlachique, resulting in the
 identification of 35 petroglyphs, 16 mounds, two depressions that function
 as water reservoirs called jagüeyes, as well as a possible avenue that
 connects the two main ceremonial complexes. This dataset provides
 photographs, photogrammetry models, and a supplementary table of the 35
 petroglyphs analyzed in the article.
description: # Photographs and Photogrammetry Models of Cerro Patlachique Monuments
 Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.4f4qrfjp0](10.5061/dryad.4f4qrfjp0) ##
 Citation Nawa Sugiyama, Ariel Texis Muños, Saburo Sugiyama, and Karl A.
 Taube 2025. *Photographs and Photogrammetry Models of Cerro Patlachique
 Monuments*. Dryad data repository.
 DOI:[10.5061/dryad.4f4qrfjp0](10.5061/dryad.4f4qrfjp0) ## Description of
 the data and file structure This dataset comprises documentation of forty
 carved stone monuments located on the summit of Sierra Patlachique,
 collected between 2018 and 2021 under the Plaza of the Columns Complex
 Project and the Mesoamerican Cosmic Cities in 3D Project. Thirty-six of
 these monuments were recorded via photogrammetric survey and processed in
 Agisoft Metashape (v.2.2.0) to generate detailed mesh models. Accompanying
 these models are high-resolution TIFF photographs (color and
 black-and-white) illustrating iconographic details, and a comprehensive
 Excel spreadsheet cataloguing dimensions, iconographic measurements,
 provenance, and descriptive notes. All data are provided in open‐standard
 formats to support archaeological analysis, comparative iconography, and
 digital heritage preservation. The primary data package includes: *
 Photographs: High‐resolution TIFF images (black-and-white and color)
 depicting the iconographic details of each monument (Elements 1–35). -
 Supplementary Table: An Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx) cataloguing all 40
 Elements with attributes such as recording project, dimensions (height,
 width, depth), iconographic measurements, general observations, and
 detailed iconographic notes. * 3D Models: Wavefront OBJ files for Elements
 1–35 and Element 40, each accompanied by its native texture (JPEG) and
 material descriptor (MTL) to preserve accurate surface appearance. ###
 **Data Format** **Metadata** * Photographs (**.tiff**): Contains
 photographs depicting the iconography of each Element. It consists of a
 black-and-white file and a color file for each Element, from 1 to 35. *
 Supplementary Table (**.xlsx**): It consists of a table of supplementary
 data for each element recorded up to the creation of this document at the
 summit of Sierra Patlachique. This data contains information about which
 project recorded the elements listed in the table, as well as
 measurements, general notes, and iconography notes. This supplementary
 describes 40 Elements. * 3D Modeling (Formats) * **.obj**: This file
 contains the information of the 3D model generated for elements 1 to 35,
 as well as Element 40. Each .obj file was generated through photogrammetry
 using Agisoft Metashape. * **.jpg:** Textures corresponding to each OBJ
 file, preserving surface characteristics. * **.mtl:** Material descriptors
 detailing how textures should be applied to polygonal surfaces in
 compatible 3D software. **Usage Notes** The dataset is intended for
 archaeological and iconographic analysis, comparative studies of
 Mesoamerican rock art, and educational outreach. All files are provided in
 widely supported formats to ensure maximum compatibility and ease of
 access. We are committed to supporting reproducible research and will
 provide additional information via consultation to facilitate the
 effective use of this dataset. **Methodology** *Creation of 3D models*
 Agisoft Metashape v.2.2.0 was used to process the photographs. For each
 photograph, cutout masks were created to prevent the background from being
 modeled, and all processing was focused solely on the Element. The
 parameters for photograph alignment are: * Accuracy: High * Reference
 preselection: Source * Key point limit: 60,000 * Tie point limit: 10,000 *
 Apply mask to: Key points The parameters for building models are: * Source
 data: Depth maps * Quality: High * Face count: High * Interpolation:
 Enable * Depth Filtering: Mild The parameters for building textures are: *
 Texture type: Diffuse map * Source data: Images * Mapping mode: Generic *
 Blending Mode: Mosaic * Texture size: 8192 * Hole filling: Enable ###
 Files and variables #### File: Models_EL-1-20.zip **Description:** There
 are three files for each monument (.obj, .jpg, .mtl), see data description
 for details of each file format, but all three files are necessary to open
 a textured photogrammetry model. Each file is identified by its element
 number (e.g., EL_01) for each file type. The first zip file contains the
 models for element numbers 1-20. #### File: Models_EL_21-40.zip
 **Description:** There are three files for each monument (.obj, .jpg,
 .mtl), see data description for details of each file format, but all three
 files are necessary to open a textured photogrammetry model. Each file is
 identified by its element number (e.g., EL_01) for each file type. The
 second zip file contains the models for element numbers 21-35, and 40. As
 we were unable to find the published monuments Element 36-39, there is no
 model for these monuments. #### File: Photos_El-1-20.zip
 **Description:** Contains photographs depicting the iconography of each
 Element. It consists of a black-and-white file and a color file for each
 Element. File name is labeled by element number (e.g. EL_01) and if it is
 black and white (BW) or color (CLR) photograph. First zip file contains
 element numbers 1-20. #### File: Photos_El-21-35.zip
 **Description:** Contains photographs depicting the iconography of each
 Element. It consists of a black-and-white file and a color file for each
 Element. File name is labeled by element number (e.g. EL_01) and if it is
 black and white (BW) or color (CLR) photograph. Second zip file contains
 element numbers 21-35. #### File: SuppTable_ATM_NS_V3.xlsx
 **Description:** It consists of a table of supplementary data for each
 element recorded up to the creation of this document at the summit of
 Sierra Patlachique. This data contains information about which project
 recorded the elements listed in the table, as well as measurements,
 general notes, and iconography notes. This supplementary describes 40
 Elements that include published monuments that were not found by the
 project. ##### Variables * Element #: Monument number assigned by the
 project, from 1-40. * Image: Small image of the monument. * Project/Year
 discovered: PPCC (Project Plaza of the Columns Complex), TVP (Teotihuacan
 Valley Project), Helmke et al (based on publication author as there was no
 formal project name for the approval of the National Council of
 Archaeology), Mejía and Forsee (publication author as there was no formal
 project name). * Height/Width/Depth/Icon Width/Icon Height (cm): All these
 columns provide dimensions in cm. * Complete?: If the monument and the
 iconography was complete. * \# of Designs: Number of iconographic elements
 on the monuments * Iconography: Brief description of iconography *
 Locality notes: Notes about locality taken during survey by A. Texis. *
 Iconography Notes: Description of the iconography. * Other Notes: Other
 notes about including fragmentation, reference if it was a previously
 published monument, and observations about taphonomy. #### File:
 SuppTable*_*ATM_NS \_V3_TextOnly.cvs **Description:** It consists of an
 unformatted cvs text file of the the Excel supplementary table,
 SuppTable_ATM_NS_V3.xlsx. This insures greater data accessibility. As
 photographs are not supported in this format, readers will have to access
 visual data by either opening the Excel file, or going to the original
 field photographs or models labeled by their Element # on the first
 column. ## Code/software **Recommended Software** * Supplementary Table:
 Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. * 3D Models: MeshLab 2023.12, with
 settings optimized via Render → Shader → Radiance Scaling for enhanced
 visibility of engraved details. * Photograph: Any software capable of
 reading files in .tif format. **Usage, Compatibility, and Accessibility**
 The Cerro Patlachique Carved Monuments dataset is supplied in broadly
 supported, open‐standard formats to accommodate a wide range of analytical
 workflows and software environments: * Photographs (.tiff):
 High-resolution, uncompressed images (color and black-and-white) to ensure
 lossless examination of engraving details. Compatible with image‐analysis
 tools such as ImageJ, Adobe Photoshop, or any GIS package supporting TIFF.
 * Supplementary Table (.xlsx): Microsoft Excel format with full metadata
 for all 40 Elements. Readable in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc,
 or importable into R, Python (pandas), and other data‐science platforms. *
 3D Models * Wavefront OBJ (.obj): Standard geometry format containing
 vertex and face definitions for 36 monuments. * Material File (.mtl) &
 Texture (.jpg): Surface appearance descriptors and textures that MeshLab,
 Blender, Cloud Compare, and similar 3D packages automatically apply. All
 core files are non-proprietary. The only software-specific component, the
 Agisoft Metashape project files, was not archived here to minimize
 dependencies; instead, fully exported OBJ/MTL/JPG outputs are provided.
 Should users require access to the original Metashape projects (e.g., to
 adjust photogrammetric parameters), they may request them from the
 corresponding authors. Researchers are encouraged to work directly with
 the supplied TIFFs, OBJ models, and XLSX table to maintain data fidelity.
 If specialized conversion or assistance is needed—such as batch texture
 re-mapping, format translation to PLY or STL, or guidance on optimal
 rendering parameters—please get in touch with Ariel Texis Muñoz
 ([ariel.texismz@gmail.com](mailto:ariel.texismz@gmail.com)) and Nawa
 Sugiyama ([nawas@ucr.edu](mailto:nawas@ucr.edu)) ## Access information
 Several monuments were previously published for the following monuments: *
 El_04: Originally published by Helmke et al. 2013. The piece was found
 during the survey, and PPCC members created the photographs and the
 photogrammetry model presented in this dataset. * EL_36: Parsons
 2019:Figure 3.9 * EL_37-39: Helmke et al. 2013 * EL_40: Published by Mejía
 and Froese 2022:Figure 2c. The piece was found during the survey, and PPCC
 members created the photogrammetry model presented in this dataset. ##
 Acknowledgements The survey was completed with the support and
 authorization of the National Institute of Anthropology and History
 (401.1S.3-2018/963, 401.1S.3-2019/1058, 401.1S.3-2021/502,
 401.1S.3-2022/140), the community of Santiago Tepetitlán and the Regional
 Delegation at Texcoco, through the General Co-ordination of Ecological
 Conservation, of the Secretaría del Medio Ambiente of the State of Mexico.
 We thank community members and the ejido’s (communal land tenure system)
 commission board for their collaboration. ## References HELMKE, C., J.
 NIELSEN, C. LENI & A.N. CAMPOS. 2013. The carved monuments of Cerro
 Xoconoch, Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico. *Mexicon* 35: 90–95. MEJÍA RAMÓN,
 A.G. & T. FROESE. 2022. Un monumento Teotihuacano al Dios de las
 Tormentas con tocado de signo del año en el Santuario de Tlaloc. *Mexicon*
 44: 135–39. PARSONS, J.R. 2019. Remembering archaeological fieldwork in
 Mexico and Peru, 1961–2003: a photographic essay, volume 3. Beaverton:
 Ringgold Inc.