Teotihuacan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico, built in the 2nd century BC and reaching its peak as a power base for a powerful civilization that spread across Mesoamerica. It covered more than 11 square miles and had a population base of between 150,000 and 250,000 people. The city contained a huge number of craftsmen and their wares shed much light on the people who thrived there. The site can be visited by bus or taxi from Mexico City.
Teotihuacan is a huge city of ruins in Mexico. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 1987. The site is not to be confused with Teotihuacan de Arista, which is a modern city near the ruins and just northeast of Mexico City.
Who exactly built Teotihuacan is a matter of modern debate. For a long time it was thought that the Toltecs were responsible for its construction, mainly due to the Florentine Codex, which said that the site was built by the Toltecs. However, the Toltec word simply means “master builder,” and thus could refer to anyone. Since the Toltecs appear to have reached their peak some centuries after the construction of Teotihuacan, it is now considered unlikely that they were the original builders.
Construction was begun in the Teotihuacan Valley in the 2nd century BC, although the structures were relatively small by this point. By the end of the 1st century the main building on the site, the Pyramid of the Sun, had been completed. For the next three centuries the site continued to develop rapidly, reaching its peak as a power base for a powerful civilization that spread across Mesoamerica, including parts of Maya territory.
At its largest, Teotihuacan covered more than 11 square miles (30 square km) and had a population base of between 150,000 and 250,000 people. The Teotihuacan civilization was quite advanced, and signs of their influence can be found throughout Mesoamerica. The city contained a huge number of craftsmen and their wares shed much light on the people who thrived there. Beautiful stone masks, elaborate obsidian artifacts, and intricate jewelry are some of the many artifacts discovered at Teotihuacan.
Much of what we know about Teotihuacan actually comes from the Mayans, who saw the Teotihuacan civilization as conquering. Some of the most famous Mayan inscriptions on Teotihuacan tell of a ruler of the city, Spearthrower Owl, who reigned for sixty years and conquered the Mayan kingdoms, placing his family to rule the Mayan cities of Uaxactun and Tikal.
In the late 7th or early 8th century Teotihuacan fell. It is probable that the city was conquered by the Toltecs and razed to the ground. Some people believe, however, that the destruction of Teotihuacan actually came from within. Presented as evidence to support this is the fact that most of the structures burned were those belonging to the city’s elites, possibly as a lower class uprising.
The site itself runs along a main avenue, the Viale dei Morti. Along the Avenue of the Dead is the immense Pyramid of the Sun, which is the third largest pyramid in the world at more than 206 feet (63m) high. Other structures include the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, the Temple of the Moon, and the Palace of the Jaguars. There is a small fee to enter the site, and once inside, visitors can expect to walk quite a bit to get around. Buses travel to Teotihuacan from Mexico City every half hour, and tour buses or taxis can be hired for more personal trips.
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