La Quemada is a Mesoamerican complex located on a small, central mountain in the Malpaso Valley of central Zacateca, Mexico.
Situated on the northern frontier or periphery of Mesoamerica, La Quemada has been the subject of various interpretations in an attempt to associate the settlement with different regional cultures.
It has been characterised as a Toltec outpost, a Teotihuacán fortress, a Purépecha centre, a Chichimeca complex and the whimsical 18th century suggestion that La Quemada is the legendary site of Chicomoztoc, from which the Aztec Mexicas, Tepanecs, Acolhuas, and other Nahuatl-speaking peoples considered their mythological home.
The main occupation of La Quemada apparently dates to the Epiclassic period (AD 600–900), although earlier and later dates have been recorded that makes the foundation of the site and extent of occupation inconclusive.
