One of the largest ancient cities in Mesoamerica is Teotihuacan, located about 25 miles outside of Mexico City.
Just outside of modern day Mexico City, about 25 miles, lies a complex of temples and structures named Teotihuacan. According to archaeologists, Teotihuacan was a religious center to the Aztecs that reached its high point during the first century AD. It is believed that the complex was actually built in the first couple centuries BC, but even the Aztecs who took up residence later on had no idea who originally built it. It's estimated that around 60-80,000 people lived in and around the eight square mile city of Teotihuacan, farming, trading goods and practicing their religion. In about AD 400, Teotihuacan is believed to have been one of the most populated cities in the world with a population as large as 125,000.
The main street was about five miles long and was dubbed the 'avenue of the dead' by the ancients because they believed the small hills or mounds at the edges looked like tombs. It ran through the town in a north-south direction, separating the town into two halves. Residences ran along the avenue on both sides. Beneath the avenue, a rainwater channel that drained the surrounding agricultural lands, discharged the water into the Rio San Juan, which shows how carefully the architects of the city planned the layout.
There are two main temples, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. Several groups of archaeologists have excavated the pyramids over the years. They've found that the Sun Pyramid structure had been increased in size and contains a subterranean cave underneath. It has a base of approximately 738 feet and a height of 210 feet, with one staircase of 248 steps in the center. Without written documentation, it is theorized that this cave was used for ritualistic purposes. The pyramid is stepped or constructed of four platforms, one on top of the other. The top does not come to a point like Egyptian pyramids, but is flat, with a temple situated on top, which would have formed a fifth platform. Nothing of the temple remains today.
The Pyramid of the Moon is thought to be the oldest structure and archaeologists have found a tomb or burial in the middle. The burial contains 12 people, of which 10 were beheaded. All of the bodies had their hands tied behind their backs, but only the two intact people wore jewelry, possibly indicating high status. The Pyramid of the Moon lies at the northern end of the Avenue of the Dead.
Teotihuacan was a city that revolved around obsidian, the black volcanic glass that was essential for hunting tools, weapons and statuary. This valuable material was very near to the city and easily accessible. It's even possible that the Aztecs placed an even higher value on obsidian than merely for tool making, but at this point, that's not for certain without more evidence. Archaeologists are currently actively excavating and studying the Teotihuacan complex, especially the Pyramid of the Moon, to see what hidden secrets might still be buried.
Some of the other structures were built for the worship of Quetzalcoatl, the feather-headed serpent god. The Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl contained four burials, each placed at one of the four corners. Offerings or grave goods of obsidian, shell and stone were left with the bodies. With further excavations in the 1980's, archaeologists uncovered many more burials surrounding the pyramid.
Located in the center of Teotihuacan is the Ciudadela. This is a large area with four platforms topped by pyramids. As with the other, much larger pyramids, this may have also been used for ritualistic purposes or for events requiring most of the city's population to gather. It's been estimated that the area could probably hold around 100,000 people. As excavations continue, more about this once magnificent city will be revealed and hopefully understood.
