The pyramids of the world beckon with their inexplicability and riddles, and thinking about them, we are already mentally transported either to Cairo or to Mexico … There are three pyramids on the territory of the ancient city of Teotihuacan. The settlement is considered the first large city in North, South and Central America, and no one has yet disputed this opinion of archaeologists. The ancient metropolis was located in the northeastern region of the Mexican Valley, about 35 miles (56 km) from modern Mexico City. It existed from about 100 BC to 550 AD.
In 1978, Teotihuacan was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In its prime, Teotihuacan was a settlement with an area of about 36 square kilometers and was home to many tribes from different regions, including the Maya, Mixtecs and Zapotecs. By 400 AD, Teotihuacan was the most populous city in the entire territory of modern America, with a population of over 100,000.
Multicultural metropolis
Teotihuacan became the political, cultural, economic and religious center of the region. The city center - the ceremonial area - was skirted by the main "artery" - a powerful road, the so-called Avenue of the Dead. It ran from north to south and was 5 km long and 40 m wide.
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Away from the center, there were residential buildings of similar design. Many of the families specialized in specific crafts such as pottery or obsidian work.
Teotihuacan hardly spoke the same language - with so many different ethnic groups, the city was most likely multilingual.
Where did the name come from
The name "Teotihuacan" comes from the Nahuatl language and is believed to mean "the place where people become gods." This language was spoken by the local people mexica (pronounced "mech-she-ka") during the Spanish conquest in 1519 AD. This people built the great city of Tenochtitlan, known today as the capital of Mexico - Mexico City.
Along with the "Tescoco" and "Tepaneca" tribes, the locals formed a triple alliance, which modern historians call the Aztec Empire. The great Aztec calendar stone was found buried under a public square known as the Zocalo in Mexico City in 1790.
Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent
The three pyramids are the cornerstones of Teotihuacan and are an impressive testament to the skills of the ancient people who built these pyramids without horses, mules or bulls, and without metal tools.
The smallest of them is the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent, which has a base of 65 by 65 m and a height of 23 meters. It is located at the southern end of today's restored Avenue of the Dead, but was once in the center of Teotihuacan, in the popular square known as the Ciutadella Complex.
This complex encompasses a massive 1,400 square feet (130 square meters) "recessed" area that would easily accommodate all 100,000 citizens for major public events.
The Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent got its name from the hundreds of snake heads carved into its sides in the 3rd century. Shown here are the massive and impressive heads of two serpent deities, the first of which is the Creator God, whom the Aztecs called Quetzalcoatl (meaning "feathered serpent"), and the second, the serpent with fiery eyes called Cipactli.
Labor-intensive construction
Archaeologists now believe that this area was periodically flooded with sea water, and the pyramid of the Feathered Serpent would be a sacred mountain, towering over the first sea on Earth, near which people live. Considering the size and number of stone blocks used in the construction of all four sides, it can be concluded that the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent is the most labor-intensive structure found in Teotihuacan.
Pyramid of the moon
In the far northern end of Avenue of the Dead, the inhabitants of Teotihuacan built a massive pyramid known today as the "Pyramid of the Moon." It is one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient city, thanks to its large size and special architectural style.
It is the second largest pyramid in the city, with a base of 130 by 156 meters and a height of 43 meters. Twelve small pyramid platforms are located around a large area in front of the pyramid of the moon - large enough for major ceremonies and sacrificial rituals.
Construction stages
The Pyramid of the Moon is considered the first major building in Teotihuacan. The initial construction began in the first century BC with the construction of a small building. Then, in seven stages, large pyramids were built, gradually erected one above one - from the smallest to the largest. The final construction appears to have been completed in 350 AD. Remains of human and animal sacrifices, as well as ritual objects made of obsidian and green stone, were found in the pyramid of the moon.
Pyramid of the sun
It deserves a detailed story, as it is the largest in Teotihuacan and the second largest pyramid in Mesoamerica - only slightly smaller than the Great Pyramid of Cholula, near today's Mexican Puebla.
The construction of the Pyramid of the Sun was completed in the second century, and the overall construction process took over 100 years. The construction area is more than 1.1 million cubic meters, and it is made of adobe bricks. Today it looks rather rough, and in the old days it was covered with plaster on an area of 60,000 square meters. meters and is decorated with large painted frescoes.
The square base of the Pyramid of the Sun is 223 meters, and its height reaches 71 meters.
Restoration
In preparation for celebrating the 1910th anniversary of Mexico's independence from Spain in 1905, under the leadership of President Porfirio Diaz, Mexico began a major project to excavate and restore the Pyramid of the Sun. Work is underway to this day.
Stone staircase
The first stage of the construction of the Pyramid of the Sun was completed in the second century AD, then its height was 63 m. About 75 years later, it reached the height of its present size. Around 300 AD, a temple was erected by the inhabitants of Teotihuacan on top of the pyramid.
The pyramid, which stood at the time of the glory of the city of Teotihuacan, was built with four stepped platforms, the fifth was mistakenly added during the restoration of the structures in the 20th century. These original structures are made of stone blocks, with limestone slabs on top, painted in shiny colors. Exactly 248 steep and uneven steps lead up from one platform to the next, making climbing the great pyramid quite challenging.
Solar inspiration
Ancient architects were undoubtedly inspired by the sky, lining the Avenue of the Dead and the Three Great Pyramids. This position forms the solar calendar, which allowed ancient people to plan both agricultural work and religious rituals.
At the same time, scientists emphasize that the knowledge of that time in the field of astronomy and technical skills can seriously compete with any societies anywhere on Earth.
The mysteries of archeology
Modern archaeologists are still unraveling the mysteries of Teotihuacan. For example, at a depth of 6 meters under the pyramid of the Sun, large artificial caves were found with real treasures - ancient artifacts.
Under the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent, a 103 m long tunnel was discovered, in which a large amount of liquid mercury, jade statues, jaguar bones, carved shells, rubber balls and other artifacts were found.
Modernity
For unknown reasons, the ancient civilization of Teotihuacan with its amazing culture perished after 600 AD. Many of the buildings of the great city were destroyed, burned and lost in ruins. For decades, rain, wind and sun have slowly destroyed the ancient city.
In 1897, the Mexican government took control of the ruins of Teotihuacan. Despite the fact that the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico began work on the preservation of Teotihuacan in 1939, the area around the untouchable territory of several hectares of unexplored parts of the ancient city is threatened by modern expansion - quite inopportunely built a Walmart store here.
Author: Ekaterina Kholodova