Mexico. The Pre-Columbian Capitals of Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan
I admit to having confused Mexico Valley’s two ancient cities that have similar sounding names: Teotihuacan (pronounced “te-o-ti-waka-n”) and Tenochtitlan (pronounced “teh-noch-tee-tlahn”). Of course, the two ancient capitols have very different stories. Built in about 100 BC, Teotihuacan is located 40 kilometers northeast of modern-day Mexico City. The city was abandoned long before the Aztecs conquered central Mexico. Today, Teotihuacan’s massive and well-preserved Avenue of the Dead and Pyramids of the Sun and Moon are major tourist destinations. In contrast, little remains of the Aztec island city of Tenochtitlan, located in the heart of modern Mexico City. Constructed in the 14th century AD, Tenochtitlan was conquered in 1521 by Spanish conquistadors led by the Hernán Cortés, and soon after, much of the city was destroyed and/or dismantled. Today only a few walls and foundations remain of the once mighty Aztec capital.
We had to negotiate significant traffic on our drive to Teotihuacan. Of unknown origin, the city predates the Aztec Empire by several centuries. Teotihuacan’s architecture features elements of Mayan, Mixtec, and Zapotec cultures. The site was first settled as scattered villages in about 600 BC. Beginning in one AD the settlement experienced rapid growth and by 500 AD, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the Americas with a population of 125,000. Covering 21 square kilometers, Teotihuacan had markets, religious/ceremonial areas, and multi-family residential compounds. Its layout also included palaces, plazas, and more than 2,000 single story apartments. Sometime before 350 AD, the city’s massive pyramids were built with steep, sloping sides surrounded by rectangular panels. The dark red used to paint pyramids is still visible in a few places. Exports from the city included obsidian tools used throughout Mesoamerica as well as cotton, cacao, shells, exotic feathers, and ceramics. Locally harvested foods included avocados, beans, peppers, squash, turkeys, and chickens. The people who inhabited Teotihuacan had a polytheistic belief system with the Spider Goddess of Teotihuacan serving as a principal deity. Residents practiced both animal and human sacrifice to commemorate major events such as the completion of new buildings. Sacrifice was also believed to be essential to sustaining life and gaining the favor of gods. Human victims were mostly enemy warriors captured in battle.
After parking, we explored Avenue of the Dead. Forty meters wide and 2.4 kilometers long, the pathway is aligned slightly east of true north and points to the sacred peak of Cerro Gordo (an extinct volcano). Residents considered it a route to the underworld. In lieu of being surrounded by tombs, the avenue was lined with smaller pyramids and low structures used as residences. The larger archaeological site includes the Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon, and the Ciutadella (citadel) which contains the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (the “feathered serpent”). Long after its abandonment, the city was a pilgrimage site for Aztecs who claimed a common ancestry with the Teotihuacanos. It was the Aztecs who named the city “Teotihuacan” meaning “birthplace of the gods.” Sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries AD, many structures along the avenue were damaged by a major fire. It is believed that famine triggered a decision to abandon the city.
On the east side of Avenue of the Dead is the Pyramid of the Sun, aligned in reference to sunrise and sunset on key dates. Measuring 225 meters across by 25 meters high, the massive stone structure was completed in the 3rd century AD using more than 765,000 cubic meters of material, much of it a red volcanic rock called tezontle. The pyramid was subsequently covered with lime plaster and painted with colorful murals. Positioned at its top was a stone altar that did not survive into modern times. On the pyramid’s west side are 248 uneven stairsteps. Near the north end of the Avenue of the Dead is the Pyramid of the Moon. Completed around 250 AD, it covers an area of 130 by 156 meters and faces south. The structure was used for ritual sacrifices and ceremonies involving humans, felines, snakes, and birds of prey. It is not a single structure, but seven layers built on top of each other in succession. It is believed that people participated in pilgrimages to the Pyramid of the Moon during significant religious festivals. On the south end of the Avenue of the Dead is the Ciutadella with its 15-hectare courtyard that served as a residential area for the city’s elite. It was also used for astronautical observations and calendar-specific activities. On the far east side of the courtyard is the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, a truncated pyramid with stone heads representing the Feathered Serpent deity.
Returning to Mexico City, we visited two archaeological sites that were once part of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Built on an island within Lake Texcoco, the city of Tenochtitlan covered almost 13 square kilometers and was connected to the mainland by causeways and bridges that could be pulled away during an attack. The city of residential areas, markets, gardens, temples, and palaces was served by two aqueducts. At its height, Tenochtitlan’s population was 140,000. Cortés was initially welcomed as an honored guest, but soon after he made the Aztec Emperor Montezuma his prisoner. The Spanish and their indigenous allies were eventually driven from the city but Cortés returned with a larger force and besieged Tenochtitlan for 90 days. After defeating the Aztecs, the Spanish and their allies destroyed the city.
We visited the ruins of the city’s main temple complex called Templo Mayor that is today surrounded by modern buildings and roadways. Following the Aztec defeat, Templo Mayor was dismantled and replaced with a Catholic cathedral. To make room for city expansion, Lake Texcoco and other nearby lakes were drained. Given the enormity of modern Mexico City, it’s difficult to imagine that much of it is built on former lakebeds. The temple site was rediscovered during the 20th century and excavated between 1978 and 1982. We also spent time in the Zócalo, also known as the Plaza de la Constitución. Used today as Mexico City’s principal public square, it is the site of Tenochtitlan’s central plaza and market. A final visit took us to Plaza de Tres Culturas (Three Cultures Square) where we visited Tlatelolco. Located adjacent to the College of Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, the site contains the ruins of three temples honoring the Aztec deities: Quetzalcoatl, Ehecatl, and Huītzilōpōchtli.
