Teotihuacan Place of the Gods
Teotihuacan, the name of the magnificent and dramatic urban center about thirty-three miles north-east of modern day Mexico City, has been variously translated from the Nahua language of the Aztec people as “the dwelling place of the gods” and “the place where men become gods”. (Baldwin) Names of the city and buildings all come from the Aztecs. It is believed that their religion was composed of a female deity, the “Great Goddess”, who dominated cave and mountain ritual, divination, and may have also had solar associations. While a male god, the “Storm God”, presided over water and violent weather. (Miller, M) Around 100 BCE the city started to form from clusters of agricultural villages, and by 200 CE Teotihuacan was growing rapidly into a very large city and civilization. It reached its peak by about 500 CE where the population possibly reached anywhere from 125,000 to more than 200,000. There were more than 500 workshops for objects of wood, ceramic, and obsidian. Obsidian was one of the areas strategic resources. (Miller, R) Due it its size, structure, and all around magnifice . . .
This massive structure was constructed of dirt, rock, and like the other structures, was faced with stone that was stuccoed and brightly painted. nce Teotihuacan was the first truly urban Mesoamerican civilization. The snout is square and open, and the jaw is fanged similar to that of a jaguar. The priests had a sacred obligation to celebrate the creation story sanctifying the ground whereon they lived. There are no written records, except for some glyphs, to document the rise and fall of the city, nor are there any oral traditions. It grew into a thriving metropolis with architects, artists, and artisans with workshops; a military class; and farmers who lived on the outskirts of the city and cultivated their fertile lands. The mythology of Mexico and Central America. Toetihuacan: An experiment in living. (see picture 6) This pyramid has five sloping tiers with platforms, and stands about 213 feet high. 2 miles long and is spanned by the cities three major structures. The pyramid is dedicated to the “Great Goddess” who is said to have provided the springs of water and other religious purposes as mentioned earlier. (See picture 7) It had seven original tiers that displayed exactly 365 heads. It is an authentic manifestation of city life, a place with a formal layout where technical accomplishment was ubiquitous. Evidence of irrigation channels for those fields suggests competence in hydraulic engineering as well as advanced agronomic technology. (Pasztory) Each head is about four tons.
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