- The archeological zone of Teotihuacán, México, is located approximately 40 miles northeast of México City. There is little doubt that Teotihuacán was ...
- Teotihuacan was established in the year 200 B.c.
- The Teotihuacan were descendants of the Totonac people.
- The Teotihuacan people spoke Nahuatl language.
- The Pyramid of the Sun determined the orientation of the city.
- At the beginning of the Teotihuacan, culture society was matriarchal.
- Teotihuacan archaeology was based on the construction of slope and board with a perfect alignment of temples, palaces, residential neighborhoods, ...
Full Answer
What was Teotihuacan famous for?
Teotihuacan is known today as the site of many of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids built in the pre-Columbian Americas. At its zenith, perhaps in the first half of the first millennium (1 AD to 500 AD), Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, with a population estimated at 125,000 or more, [2 ...
Is Teotihuacan different from Tenochtitlan?
Teotihuacan was founded much earlier than Tenochtitlan and was populated from around 100 to 600 CE. It was the biggest city in all of Mesoamerica and the capital of a small empire when it was built, having a population of approximately 100,000 people. The layout of the city was grid-based, all of them being angled around 16 degrees East of North.
What is the difference between Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan?
What is the difference between Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan? Teotihuacan (100-600 CE) began as a radical experiment to create a city unlike any other in Mesoamerica. Tenochtitlan (1325-1521 CE), on the other hand, started out as a typical Aztec city-state capital.
What is the significance of Teotihuacan?
- P. Devereux, Secrets of Ancient and Sacred Places (London, UK: Brockhampton Press, 1998), 63.
- J. Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces (London, UK: Fontana Press, 1993), 358.
- M. Wood, In Search of the First Civilizations (UK: BBC Books – Random House Group, 2005), 154.
What is interesting about Teotihuacan?
Teotihuacan is unique because it is different from other ancient Mesoamerican cities. It had a multi-ethnic society where people worshipped many gods, was world's largest exporter of obsidian tools, and grew to be one of the most powerful cities in its heyday.
Who built Teotihuacan?
And its origins are a mystery. It was built by hand more than a thousand years before the swooping arrival of the Nahuatl-speaking Aztec in central Mexico. But it was the Aztec, descending on the abandoned site, no doubt falling awestruck by what they saw, who gave its current name: Teotihuacan.
What were Teotihuacan made of?
The Pyramid of the Sun dominates central Teotihuacán from the east side of the Avenue of the Dead, the main north–south artery of the city. It was constructed of about 1,000,000 cubic yards (765,000 cubic metres) of material, including hewed tezontle, a red coarse volcanic rock of the region.
What does the name Teotihuacan mean?
birthplace of the godsThe name Teōtīhuacān was given by the Nahuatl-speaking Aztecs centuries after the fall of the city around 550 CE. The term has been glossed as "birthplace of the gods", or "place where gods were born", reflecting Nahua creation myths that were said to occur in Teotihuacan.
How long did Teotihuacan last?
The Teotihuacan civilization lasted about 750 years. Scholars estimate that the Teotihuacan civilization emerged around 150 CE, and lasted until 900...
How did Teotihuacan fall?
Newly powerful cities in the region impeded the flow of goods entering Teotihuacan (Hassig 1992: 86). Because of this, Teotihuacan was no longer able to sustain the needs of its domestic population. This led to the destruction of the city by angry citizens and its subsequent decline (Hassig 1992: 89).
How did they build Teotihuacan?
Teotihuacan was built more than two thousand years ago, and was a flourishing city by the second century A.D. The city itself was built according to a rigorous design plan — it is laid out geometrically, and features a complex network of irrigation canals drawn from the nearby San Juan river.
Why was Teotihuacan important to the Aztecs?
Teotihuacan became an important city to the Aztecs. The Aztecs believed that the Toltecs built the city (its now believed that the city predates the Toltec civilization). The Aztecs claimed that the current age was created from Teotihuacan, and so named the two great temples after the sun and moon.
Is Teotihuacan a wonder of the world?
Today, Teotihuacan is the largest and most famous pre-Colombian complex of Mexico and one of the most wonderful places of the world.
Why were the Teotihuacan pyramids built?
Civilizations like the Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Inca all built pyramids to house their deities, as well as to bury their kings. In many of their great city-states, temple-pyramids formed the center of public life and were the site of holy rituals, including human sacrifice.
When was Tenochtitlan founded?
June 20, 1325Tenochtitlan / Founded
Where is the Teotihuacan civilization located?
The Teotihuacan Civilization: Important Facts. The archeological zone of Teotihuacán, México, is located approximately 40 miles northeast of México City. There is little doubt that Teotihuacán was a major city-state that housed a complex urban society. Teotihuacan was established in the year 200 B.c.
What language did the Teotihuacan speak?
The Teotihuacan people spoke Nahuatl language. The Pyramid of the Sun determined the orientation of the city. At the beginning of the Teotihuacan, culture society was matriarchal.
What were the main crops of Teotihuacan?
The people of Teotihuacan were farmers. The main crops they harvested were corn, pumpkin, nopal and maguey. Tools for cultivation came from obsidian and rocks, as the mixed stone, to process the fiber of maguey. Their clothes were made from maguey fibers and colored with pigments extracted from plants and minerals.
What are the most important pyramids in Teotihuacan history?
The Teotihuacan worshiped various gods, so they were polytheistic. The most important pyramids are the Temple of the Sun and of the Moon. The Pyramid of the Moon and its ceremonial square were called the Palace of Quetzalcoatl, which means divine butterfly.
What is the Mexican birthday song?
Las Mañanitas is the traditional Mexican birthday song. It is so popular that it is now sung in most Latin American countries. Usually this beautiful song is sung when the birthday person wakes up or before blowing the candles on the …
What are some interesting facts about Teotihuacan?
Here are just some of the mysterious facts about Teotihuacan: 1. One of the greatest mysteries of Teotihuacán is that no one knows where the huge population that lived here eventually ended up. It is as if they vanished without a trace. 2.
What does Teotihuacan mean?
Teotihuacan means City of the Gods but can also be interpreted as “the place where men become gods". 8. Along the “Avenue of the Dead” the pyramids align in perfect distance of each other and reflect the exact orbit of the planets.
Where is Mica found?
Archaeologists have found large quantities of Mica at Teotihuacan, yet this mineral is found 3,000 miles away in Brazil. Mica is present almost in every single building at Teotihuacan. 6. Archaeologists have discovered hundreds of mysterious, once-metallic spheres buried deep beneath an ancient pyramid in Mexico City.
Where is Teotihuacan located?
Ongoing Research. Sources. Teotihuacan is an ancient Mesoamerican city located 30 miles (50 km) northeast of modern-day Mexico City. The city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, was settled as early as 400 B.C. and became the most powerful and influential city in the region by 400 A.D.
What cultures lived in Teotihuacan?
Teotihuacan appears to contain features of various cultures, including the Maya, Mixtec and Zapotec.
What is the language of the Teotihuacan people?
Little is known about the language, politics, culture and religion of the Teotihuacan people. They had a glyph-based written language, but it may have been limited to dates and names.
What was the most important deposit in Mesoamerica?
Teotihuacan had a monopoly on obsidian trade—the most important deposit in Mesoamerica was located near the city. Ceramics, such as pottery and other luxury goods, were also highly prized export goods because of their elaborate decorations.
How many buildings are there in Teotihuacan?
It contains around 2,000 single-story apartment compounds, as well as various pyramids, plazas, temples and palaces of nobles and priests. The main buildings of Teotihuacan are connected by the Avenue of the Dead (or Miccaotli in the Aztec language Nahuatl).
What was the influence of Teotihuacan?
Teotihuacan Influence. Artifacts found in the city and sites across Mexico suggest Teotihuacan was a wealthy trade metropolis in its prime. In particular, the city exported fine obsidian tools, including spear and dart heads.
Who built the city of Teotihuacan?
It’s unknown who built the ancient city. Scholars once believed the ancient Toltec civilization may have built the massive city, based largely on colonial period texts. But the Toltec culture (900-1150 A.D.) flourished hundreds of years after Teotihuacan peaked.
What happened to the Teotihuacanos?
About 750 ce central Teotihuacán burned, possibly during an insurrection or a civil war. Although parts of the city were occupied after that event, much of it fell into ruin. Centuries later the area was revered by Aztec pilgrims. The origin and language of the Teotihuacanos are yet unknown.
What was discovered in the 1970s?
In the early 1970s exploration below the pyramid revealed a system of cave and tunnel chambers. Over subsequent years other tunnels were revealed throughout the city, and it was suggested that much of the building stone of Teotihuacán was mined there. Teotihuacán: Pyramid of the Sun.