Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan
source
Name	Teotihuacan
Caption	View of the Avenue of the Dead with the Pyramid of the Sun in the background.
Map type	Mexico
Coordinates	19, 41, 33, N...
Type	Archaeological site
Part of	Mesoamerica
Built	1st century CE
Abandoned	7th–8th century CE
Cultures	Teotihuacan culture
Epochs	Classic Period
Excavations	1905–present
Archaeologists	Leopoldo Batres, Manuel Gamio, René Millon
Ownership	Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia
Website	https://www.inah.gob.mx/

Teotihuacan was a vast Mesoamerican metropolis and one of the largest cities in the ancient world during its peak in the Classic Period. Located in the Basin of Mexico, its monumental architecture, including the massive Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon, profoundly influenced subsequent cultures like the Aztecs, who gave the city its current name. The city's origins, ethnic composition, and the reasons for its eventual collapse remain subjects of intense scholarly debate and archaeological investigation.

History

The settlement began as a cluster of villages around 200 BCE, with major urban construction commencing in the 1st century CE following the eruption of the Xitle volcano, which may have displaced populations from Cuicuilco. The city reached its apogee between 150 and 450 CE, exerting immense influence across Mesoamerica through trade, military power, and ideology, with notable presences in sites like Kaminaljuyu in the Maya highlands and Matacapan in the Gulf Coast. A widespread fire in the 6th century, centered on the city's ceremonial core along the Avenue of the Dead, signaled the beginning of a prolonged decline, leading to its eventual abandonment by the 8th century, long before the rise of the Aztec Empire.

Site layout and major structures

The city's grid plan is rigorously aligned to 15.5 degrees east of north, possibly oriented to the setting of the Pleiades or a nearby mountain, Cerro Gordo. The central axis is the monumental Avenue of the Dead, flanked by residential compounds and leading north to the Pyramid of the Moon plaza. The colossal Pyramid of the Sun, constructed over a natural cave, and the ornate Feathered Serpent Pyramid, adorned with sculptures of the Quetzalcoatl deity, dominate the landscape. The Ciudadela complex and the Great Compound are believed to have been key administrative and market centers, while the Palace of the Quetzalpapalotl showcases elaborate mural art.

Society and culture

Teotihuacan was a multi-ethnic urban center, with distinct neighborhoods like the Oaxaca Barrio housing people from the Zapotec civilization, and the Merchants' Barrio possibly linked to the Gulf Coast cultures. The city's art, such as the famous Mural of the Great Goddess and the standardized Talud-tablero architectural style, reflects a complex state religion that emphasized fertility, warfare, and storm deities. Unlike contemporary Maya cities, Teotihuacan's rulers are not depicted in grandiose personal monuments, leading to theories of a more corporate or collective form of governance.

Economy and trade

The city's economic power was built on control of the obsidian trade from the nearby Pachuca mines, producing vast quantities of tools and weapons distributed across Mesoamerica. It also functioned as a major hub for commerce in goods like cacao, ceramic, jade, pyrite, exotic feathers from the Tropics, and marine shell from both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Intensive agriculture supported the large population, utilizing chinampa systems and cultivating the maguey plant for its fibers and fermented beverage, pulque.

Rediscovery and archaeological investigations

After its abandonment, the ruins remained significant to later cultures, notably the Aztecs, who made pilgrimages to the site. Major archaeological work began in the early 20th century under Leopoldo Batres, who reconstructed the Pyramid of the Sun for the 1910 centennial of the Mexican War of Independence. The landmark Teotihuacan Mapping Project led by René Millon in the 1960s provided the first comprehensive map of the entire city. Ongoing excavations by institutions like the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia and projects at the Feathered Serpent Pyramid and the Tlailotlacan enclave continue to reveal new insights into the city's complex history.

Category:Archaeological sites in Mexico Category:Former populated places in Mesoamerica Category:World Heritage Sites in Mexico