Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan was at one time the height of civilization in Mesoamerica. The site supported at its peak over 100, 000 inhabitants and its Empire expanded to touch the neighbouring cultures such as the Maya. The main ethnic group of the site is unclear but many scholars agree that it was a multi-ethnic state. Building at this site began as early as the 2nd Century BC and continued until the civilization's decline in the 6th Century AD. Though now regarded mostly for its monumental architecture the thousands of citizens lived in the surrounding area in some 2, 500 households spread over 20km from the city centre. The majority of the population was what modern scholars would now consider middle class. The population vastly exceeded the agricultural capacity of the area, a fact that simply verifies the strong economical environment of the city during its golden age.
                                                                  

Both of these aerial depictions of the site highlight the most significant and phenomenal architectural works found in Teotihuacan. The Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and The Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent,

The Pyramid of the Sun

        The Pyramid of the Sun is an immense structure located on the east side of the main causeway known as the Avenue of the Dead. Constructed in multiple stages the pyramid functioned as an altar dedicated to the Great Goddess and the Storm God. The pyramid was constructed so as to align perfectly with the equinox. The accuracy of this configuration speaks to the advancement of the Teotihuacanos in comparison with the archaeoastronomical progress in contemporary societies. Beneath the Pyramid of the Sun is a cave, a major religious motif of many Mesoamerican religions. The emergence from a cave passage symbolized birth and bringing forth life from the darkness.

 The Pyramid of the Moon

         The Pyramid of the Moon, also dedicated to the Great Goddess, is located at the north terminus of the Avenue of the Dead. The construction is thought to have been inspired by the surrounding landscape as demonstrated by the picture above.  Several tombs and burials have been excavated at this site in a juxtaposition with the Pyramid of the Sun, which contained cave imagery associated with birth. 

The Temple of the Feathered Serpent

       The temple of the Feathered Serpent served the warrior god who the Aztecs would later call Quetzalcoatl.  This complex was not as grand as the pyramidal structures but it served as great a purpose to the Teotihuacanos. During excavations of the structure burials have been found at all four corners. Some appear to be noble graves and others seem to belong to sacrificial victims of the war god's cult. The building was created using the talud-tablero architecture style, which became a "calling card" for Teotihuacan's influence in neighbouring settlements. 

 

These diagrams portray the building technique used in making the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. Evidence of Teotihuacan influenced can be judged based on which sites also build structures using this technique. One example of such a site is seen in Tikal a city that was governed by Teotihuacan.