Mexico ups protection at pre-Hispanic ceremonial site

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has declared a pre-Hispanic site in the central state of Guanajuato as an archaeological monument zone protecting it from the possibility of encroaching development and expressing a commitment to continue excavating the ancient ruins. The National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that the nearly 1,800-acre site known as the Cañada de la Virgen, near the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, about 185 miles (300 kilometers) northwest of Mexico City, was built by the Otomi people and reached its height between the years 600 and 900 A.D.