The History Of Teotihuacan In Short Form

If you're going to be vacationing in Mexico, you may be interested to know about the most visited archeological spot in the entire country. Its name is Teotihuacan, and it is an enormous ancient city containing some of the largest pyramids built in the pre-Columbian era. This complex locale has a rich history, and continues to fascinate researchers and travelers from all over the world.

Teotihuacan is located in the Basin of Mexico, quite close to the capital. The beginnings of the city and the people that lived there, are still a great mystery; no one knows exactly who began to build it. For many years, it was thought to have been a construction by the Toltec people, but the timeline of their development in the area did not match up with archeological evidence about the site's chronology. It has not been confirmed as yet, that the Totonac tribe was the true creative force behind the art and culture of the area, but scholars have attributed the tribe with being the true originators; it's possible that it belonged to the Nahua or the Otomi as well.

Either way, the city was established roughly around 100 BC and building continued for approximately 350 years. At its zenith, in 450 AD, Teotihuacan was a powerful cultural center which housed 150,000 people, making it the largest city in the world at the time. The complex contained massive Mesoamerican pyramids, huge colorful murals, and even multi-floor apartment buildings. It was home to potters, craftsmen, and jewelry makers, many of whom created their wares from obsidian.

It is believed by some archeologists that various tribes lived in various areas of Teotihuacan and that it was a multi-ethnic city. These included the Otomi, Zapotec, Maya and Totonac peoples. The spot had great influence among the local inhabitants, and the historical residents there are called Teotihuacanos by archeologists. Its cultural presence has been found in artifacts all over Mexico, including Veracruz and the Maya region.

Some truly stunning ruins can be seen at Teotihuacan. The central street is called the 'Avenue of the Dead', and contains the Pyramid of the Sun, and one for the Moon, which are some of the largest pyramidal structures in the Western Hemisphere. It was recently discovered that the Citadel area, which houses the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, has a tunnel structure underneath it.

It's thought that invaders attacked Teotihuacan around the 7th or 8th century, destroying it. Population decline had begun about a hundred years before that, as drought and climate change lead to large numbers of the population dying out and others fleeing to find a better source of food. However, the city's influence remained even as the spot was abandoned; its unique cultural markers, like art and architecture, showed up in other large Mesoamerican cities which were built later. Today, it is a UNESCO-protected Heritage site, and remains very popular with tourists from all over the world.

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