Mexico DF 6: Teotihuacán
3 June 2010
Teotihuacán is 50 clicks north of downtown Mexico, a pleasant day-trip and a must if you’re in around. Now, on to today’s history lesson cliff notes:
- These [restored] pre-columbian ruins are what is left of the ancient Teotihuacán city, which, at the time, spilled approximately 30km2 around and was eventually called home to over 200,000 people, for over 700 years.
- Built at the around 200 AD, its two pyramids—of the sun and of the moon—epitomize its past grandeur. The pyramid of the sun is the 3rd largest in the world (70m high) and unlike its egyptian cousins with tombs and secret halls and buried treasures, these are basically a pile of rocks. The museum even adds: “built without the use of the wheels nor animals”. Fun times!
- Also, evidence found suggests the Teotihuacán population was of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Theoretically, these differences are also possible explanations of the internal uprising which tipped the city towards its decline and collapse (900 AD).
- Bonus: Archeological findings have also revealed a great deal of human sacrifices! Double-Fun times!
Commentaires [2]
Thanks Patrick for that! Funny you mention the Maya, because some scholars believe Teotihucan had noticeable cultural influence, and many architectural ideas then reemerged in other civilizations, Mayas being a major one.
And though these aren’t in the jungle anymore like some Mayan pyramids, the sensibility to landscape is also rather present in the urban grid of which both pyramids are aligned:
“The geographical layout of Teotihuacan is a good example of the Mesoamerican tradition of planning cities, settlements and buildings as a representation of the view of the Universe. Its urban grid is aligned to precisely 15.5º east of North. One theory says this is due to the fact that the sun rose at that same angle during the same summer day each year. Settlers used the alignment to calibrate their sense of time or as a marker for planting crops or performing certain rituals. Another theory is that there are numerous ancient sites in Mesoamerica that seem to be oriented with the tallest mountain in their given area. This appears to be the case at Teotihuacan, although the mountain to which it is oriented is not visible from within the Teotihuacan complex due to a closer mountain ridge.”
And I like this especially: “Pecked-cross circles throughout the city and in the surrounding regions indicate how the people managed to maintain the urban grid over long distances. It also enabled them to orient the Pyramids to the distant mountain that was out of sight.”
“As an architectonic element, the platform is fascinating. I lost my heart to it while on a study trip in Mexico… All the platforms in Mexico are placed very sensitively in the landscape, always the creations of a brilliant idea. They radiate a huge force. You feel the firm ground beneath you, as when standing on a great cliff… By building the platforms on the level of the roof of the jungle, the Mayans had suddenly conquered a new dimension that was a worthy place for the worship of their gods. From here, they had the sky, the clouds and the breeze, and suddenly, the roof of the jungle was transformed into a great open plane.” Jørn Utzon (1918-2008)