Sempoala , ast. Cempoala / Zempoala , letters. "Five waters", due to the presence of numerous ancient canals and aqueducts, is a Mesoamerican archaeological site of the totonaki culture. Located in the state of Veracruz in Mexico , about 350 km from Mexico City .
The settlement arose at the turn of n. e. The oldest monuments demonstrate the influence of the Olmecs . At the time of the Totonaks who inhabited the city shortly before the arrival of the Spaniards, its population was 25-30 thousand people.
The conquistadors who arrived at these places, headed by Hernan Cortes, entered into an alliance with the local Totonaks against the Aztecs , between whom from the beginning of the 15th century a long war was fought.
In those days, Sempoala was a prosperous city. It was an important religious and commercial center in eastern Mexico . The Spaniards nicknamed Sempoalu "The Vicious City" because of the many festivals and the huge gardens available in the city, despite the cheerful character of the inhabitants. Later the city was also called "New Seville" by association with the Spanish city .
After the victory of Cortes and the establishment of control over New Spain, the Totonaki suffered repression. They were forcibly evicted from the city, enslaved to work on sugar plantations, forced to convert to Christianity .
In 1575-1577, an epidemic of smallpox erupted here, shortly after which, around 1600, the city was finally abandoned. Remains of the population moved to Jalapa , and Sempoala was forgotten until its discovery by archaeologist Francisco del Paso y Troncoso. The area was gradually populated by new residents.