Tim's Wacky Adventures

We also went to visit the archeological site of Teotihuacán. Now this was breathtaking. Not just of the amazing views, but also because of the VERY steep stairs you needed to climb to get to the top of the temples! But the views from up there were definitely worth it.

It´s located about 40kms outside Mexico City and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It´s probably the most visited archaeological site of Mexico. Major sights apart from the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, are the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Avenue of the Dead, multi-family residential compounds, and murals that are exceptionally well preserved.

Teotihuacán is not an Aztec city as many people think, but it was a very important location for the Aztecs. It was founded around 100BC and they continued to build it up to about 250AD. In its time, it was the largest city in pre-Cloumbian Americas with estimates up to 150,000 people (one estimate speaks of 250,000 people). Its architetectural style was a strong influence throughout the whole of Mesoamerica indicating political or militaristic dominance, while it was also a religious centre.

Archaeologists don´t know much yet about the sudden collapse of the city in the 7th century. It was originally thought the city was sacked, but new research showed that the evidence of burning are limited to the structures associated with the ruling class, indicating an uprising. Many researchers believe that the city had become too big and that the people were starving, causing an uprising, but this is open to debate.

The name Teotihuacán is Aztec (the original name of the original inhabitants is unknown!!) The Aztecs were in awe of the city and its name means "Birthplace of the Gods", or "Where Men Become Gods" reflecting creation myths that took place in Teotihuacán. During the Aztec empire the city maintained a level of independence and was a religious centre.

I was told that the site survived the Spanish Conquest, because when Hernán Cortés passed through it, he thought it was just a whole of rubbish, continuing on to destroy Tenochtitlán and lay the foundation of Mexico City on top of it.