No visit to Mexico City is complete without passing through the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan. Located about 50 kilometers northeast of the Mexican capital, Teotihuacan has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO thanks to its enormous historical, artistic and archaeological wealth . But, without a doubt, what is most striking about this set are the many mysteries that surround it. Do you want to discover them? Keep reading!
A little history
Teotihuacan was one of the largest urban centers in the ancient world: in fact, it is considered to be the largest pre-Hispanic civilization in Mesoamerica , and the largest and most populous city in the West before the 15th century.
At its peak, Teotihuacan encompassed an urban core of about 20 square kilometers with an estimated population of more than 100,000 people . His influence was felt throughout central Mexico and even in southern Guatemala.
The city was organized in the form of a grid, and many people lived in what scholars call departmental ensembles, which contained multiple families . An archaeological mapping project identified around 2,200 of these structures within the city, with excavations showing that some of these assemblages were richer than others (which follows from the fact that more stone and lime plaster were used in their construction).
It is estimated that the city flourished about 2,100 years ago, when it apparently began its construction, and went into decline around 1,400 years ago , from a powerful fire that devastated much of it.
However, even with the decline, the city was never really “lost” – the Aztecs are known to have made regular pilgrimages to the site in later periods . It is unknown what the inhabitants of the city and its structures called themselves. The current name, Teotihuacan, was given to it by the Aztecs and means “the place where the gods were created.”
The curious thing, however, is that despite having all these data, it is not known for sure who built the city , although archaeological evidence shows that Teotihuacan housed a mosaic of cultures such as the Mayan, the Mixtec and the Zapotec.
What to see in the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan?
The Avenue of the Dead
The starting point of the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan is the main street of the city, located on a north-south axis and known today as Avenida de los Muertos (later Aztec name). It has an extension of more than two kilometers and along it are the three great pyramidal complexes.
Pyramid of the Moon
At the north end of the avenue is the Pyramid of the Moon. As the latest research suggests, it was built in stages between AD 1 and AD 350. It began as a small platform and eventually grew into a 46-meter-high pyramid with a base of 168 meters by 149 meters. Its raised platforms were probably used for rituals that could be witnessed by people on the ground. The tombs associated with the structure contain human and animal sacrifices along with valuable funeral gifts such as obsidian.
Pyramid of the Sun, the largest of the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan
South of the Pyramid of the Moon is the Pyramid of the Sun. With a height of more than 63 meters and a base of more than 225 meters long on each side, this pyramid is one of the largest structures created in the pre-Columbian New World. . It would have been completed around 200 AD .
In 1971, an archaeological team discovered a tunnel under the pyramid, the entrance of which is located near the Avenue of the Dead . They dug up the tunnel fill and found that it ended in a cloverleaf-shaped chamber that, sadly, had been looted in ancient times. It is likely that the cave was used for some kind of ritual.
Another discovery, announced late last year, was a small treasure trove of offerings that may date back to when the pyramid’s construction began . Among the objects found was a green snake mask that could have been a portrait of an important personality in the hierarchy of the complex.
Temple of the Feathered Serpent
To the south of the Pyramid of the Sun is the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, also known as “La Ciudadela”, the name given to it by the Spanish conquerors. The focal point of this monument is a six-step pyramid, smaller than the other two examples on the Avenue of the Dead . Two departmental groups located in the vicinity may have been inhabited by local elites.
The pyramid is believed to have been completed sometime in the 3rd century AD Cut in low relief into the structure are alternate heads showing Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent god, and a being that appears to be Tlaloc, an ancient storm god . Near the pyramid are the burials of about 200 people. Many of them were young and the offerings from the tomb suggest that they were warriors, possibly from Teotihuacan.
The Tunnel of the Feathered Serpent, the best kept secret of the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan
In the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, one of the most important finds within the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacán has taken place: a tunnel 14 meters deep in which more than 100,000 objects have been found, and which ended in a room in the that there was a huge offering , which is believed to have been a tomb.
The tunnel seems to be a representation of the underworld (the ceiling is covered with pyrite, which shines like the sky at night) that was used for initiation rituals, for the transmission of power between the different rulers, who re-emerged from it as deities.
It is not open to the public, but both in the site of the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan and in the National Anthropological Museum you can see a virtual reconstruction of it.
Wall art
Teotihuacán is known for its colorful murals painted on plaster walls. They can be found in the many apartment complexes in the city, as well as in other buildings identified as palaces and temples. Among the motifs that can be seen are images of the storm god, Tlaloc, as well as a deity that scholars call the “Great Goddess”, probably associated with agricultural fertility. Other motifs include birds, jaguars, coyotes, owls, and the feathered serpent.
How to get to the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan?
You can get to the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan from Mexico City by bus. The buses that take you to the archaeological site leave from the North Bus station (which you can access from Metro Line 5).
They depart from platform 8 (as you enter the station, to the left) with a frequency of 15 minutes throughout the day . The round trip ticket costs about 104 pesos (€ 4.80) and the journey takes around an hour .
