TEOTIHUACAN AND THE PYRAMIDS

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TEOTIHUACAN AND THE PYRAMIDS
OF MEXICO
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES M. WILLIAMS
JULY 4, 2000 WITH THE WEST
VIRGINIA CONSORTIUM FOR FACULTY AND COURSE
DEVELOPMENT IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
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Approaching Teotihuacan with pyramids in the
background.
Approaching entrance number 1.
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Pyramid of the Sun in background.
The site contains over 600 step pyramids
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Pyramid of the Sun from entrance number 1.
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Actually a carefully planned city
Building platform that had been topped by a
house, a temple, or some other structure now
unknown.
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Teotihuacan contains 100s of neighborhoods or
barrios
Platforms near main entrance to park.
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Old down town section was two miles along the
Street or Avenue of the Dead from the Southern
end.
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The park service has created gardens at the gates
Flowers in a garden near the main entrance.
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Platform--this is in the Valley of Mexico.
An estimated 2000 interlocked apartment complexes
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Plus plazas, workshops, and a huge central
marketplace
The temple on the right was discovered when what
is left of the temple on the left was excavated.
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It is a six-tiered pyramid base for the temple of
Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent God
Teotihuacan controlled the obsidian market of the
time
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Housing complex at base of Pyramid of the Moon
Obsidian--volcanic glass was used for cutting
edges
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More of the housing complex that originally
existed
The community depended on irrigated crop fields
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Including housing for 150,000 in the valley.
At the largest the city had about 125,000
residents
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Part of an interior wall that originally was
covered and was part of the interior of an
apartment comples
Actually one authority estimates 250,000 lived
here
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The inside corner of walls for the apartment
Most authorities estimate somewhere between
100,000 and 150,000 as the highest population
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According the Native Americans the population
was gone by 800AD
Stairway into part of an apartment complex.
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Some of the interior of an apartment complex
including an outside court yard with a roofed
area
It is believed that most of the inhabitants moved
either to the east or south
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Some of the faded artwork that was originally a
Part of an interior wall of an apartment.
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Notice that the red has faded the least. Sun
light fades the colors.
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Restoration that shows how the original ceilings
where made. When the city was deserted and
Burned, these what a large part of what ignited.
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More painting in the housing complex.
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And another sample of the ancient artwork.
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Part of a hidden altar complex hidden in under a
building
The temple area was complete filled with debris.
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More of the hidden altar and its complex artwork
And carvings that had been hidden long before the
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Destruction of Teotihuacan in approximately
A.D.750 when the people fled the city and set it
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On fire and left for the east and south..
Most places you are not allowed to use cameras
with flash guns nor video recorders
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Court yard just outside of the housing complex
where
The scenes we were just viewing were photographed.
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Partly restored nearby platforms for temples,
Shops, or houses or maybe all three.
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More artwork, notice that the reds have faded
least.
These red examples are all inside, now out of
direct sunlight
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Another demonstration of how ceiling were
developed
By the inhabitants of Teotihuacan before the
plaster was placed on top of the wood
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Actually there are two layers of poles up there.
The two run perpendicular to each other for
strength.
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Restored pillars in an open courtyard of a large
House, palace, or family apartment complex.
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Stone decorations at the top of the walls of the
Previous mentioned courtyard.
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View of several platforms facing towards the
North slightly to the west of the Pyramid of the
Moon.
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Looking north along the Avenue of the Dead to
View the Pyramid of the Moon at the north end of
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The ruins. Today there are four main steps plus
The platform at the top that has not been
restored but appears is together rubble.
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The pyramids steps are extremely steep and
difficult to climb.
Approximately 216 feet by 216 feet at the base.
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A restored platform to the southeast of the
Pyramid of the Moon.
Teotihuacan was the earliest, largest and
densest populated urban area in the Western
Hemisphere
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Apartment Complex and Temple entrance to the west
of the Pyramid of the Moon were many of the
preceding photos of an old temple where taken.
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Platform complex across from the temple
entrance in the previous slide.
Teotihuacan became an urban center by 1st century
BC
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Close up of partly restored steps to a platform.
Both pyramids were completed in 1st Century AD
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Ruins below the Pyramid of the Moon taken
from top of first step of the pyramid.
Architecture here influenced later Mesoamerican
cultures
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Avenue of the Dead as seen from first step of
Pyramid of the Moon
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Avenue of the Dead, also from the first
Step of the Pyramid of the Moon.
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Platforms to the southwest of the Pyramid of the
Moon as seen from the first step.
By 300-400AD urban area covered 8 square miles
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Platforms to the Southeast of the Pyramid of the
Moon as seen from the fist step
Pyramid of the Sun in the background.
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Pyramid of the Sun and part of courtyard in front
Of the Pyramid of the Moon
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Pyramid of the Moon seen from its own first step.
Population of 120-200,000 by 300-400
AD(Smithsonian)
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View to Southeast and the Pyramid of the Sun from
Second step of the Pyramid of the Moon.
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Pyramid of the Sun from Second Step of the
Pyramid of the Moon.
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Avenue of the Dead looking due south from the
Second step of the Pyramid of the Moon.
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Southwest of the Pyramid of the Moon looking at
both restored and totally non-restored platforms.
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Platform that was cleared of undergrowth but
never restored
.Aztecs name the ruined metropolis Place of the
Dead
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Pyramid of the Sun seen from the top step of the
Pyramid of the Moon.
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Closer view of the Pyramid of the Sun from top
step of the Pyramid of the Moon.
City destroyed about 750AD Aztecs came about 1300
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Looking due South from the top step of the
Pyramid of the Moon
It is believed city began to loose control over
Mesoamerica around AD 680
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Platforms to southwest of Pyramid of the Moon
as seen from the top step of the pyramid.
Burned and abandoned about 750 AD
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If you have reached this level it is time for a
Short rest unless you are young and in good
physical shape.
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Ruins along the Avenue of the Dead.
When the Aztec discovered these ruins they gave
them the name Avenue of the Dead.
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Platforms along the Avenue of the Dead.
Its demise may have lead to collapse of Mayan
culture by end of the 9th Century
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Platform in front of the Pyramid of the Sun.
They obscure view of the Pyramid of the Sun
itself from the Avenue of the Dead.
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Size depends on who reports 230 or 243 feet high
Pyramid of the Sun seen from due West.
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Close to the base of the Pyramid of the Sun and
looking up at the pyramid.
A million tons of Adobe and debris under the stone
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From the first step of the Pyramid of the Sun
looking to the Northwest across non-restored
ruins.
Larger in volume that Egypt Great Pyramid at Giza
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Pyramid of the Moon seen from first step of the
Pyramid of the Sun.
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View to southwest showing part of first step.
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Pyramid of the Moon seen from second step of the
Pyramid of the Sun.
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Ruins to Northwest of Pyramid of the Sun from
second step of the pyramid.
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Looking straight down at the courtyard in front
of the Pyramid of the Sun from second step.
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From second step looking to the southwest from
the Pyramid of the Sun.
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From the top step of the Pyramid of the Sun
looking towards the Pyramid of the Moon.
Rubble to right is the top that was not restored.
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From the top of the Pyramid of the Sun
Northwest to the Pyramid of the Moon.
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From the very top--looking at the Pyramid of
The Moon
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From top of the pyramid looking due West.
The young couple to the left ran up the
steps between the second and third landings.
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They did get very tired. From the top looking
to the South West into the valley.
Urban sprawl nears the restoration, but not into
it
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Due South from the Pyramid.
You are looking towards Mexico City
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Northeast into the valley of Mexico.
Underneath much of the area are more ruins
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Due East from the Pyramid.
Much of the ruins were destroyed by farmers
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Near to the due East and a bus parking lot.
In past centuries clearing land to farm
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Courtyard where we started into the Avenue of
the Dead.
We are over 7400 feet above sea level here.
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Platform just southeast of the Pyramid of the
Moon.
This was the highest major city in the world of
its size.
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More of one of the restored apartment complexes.
Only Mexico City and Denver are as high and
today are bigger than Teotihuacan of Christs time
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Apartment complex with Pyramid of the Moon
In the background.
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The preceding photographs were taken by James M.
Williams of Eastern Greenbrier Junior High School
on July2, 2000 when he was a member of a West
Virginia Consortium for Faculty and Course
Development in International Studies Summer
Institute to study Mexico up close. The Group
Professor was Dr. John Joe Super of West
Virginia University and the Director of the tour
was the Assistant Director of FACDIS and lady in
charge of the group was Ms. Anne Levine of West
Virginia University. The group included 21 West
Virginia Public School teachers, two college
professors, and Ms. Levine. FACDIS is funded by
the West Virginia legislature with great thanks
from those who have participated in the FACDIS
Institutes at Marshall University and West
Virginia University since 1988.
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Teotihuacan It is estimated that less than
one-tenth has been uncovered. Contains more than
600 pyramids (included platforms) Was a carefully
planned city Had hundred s of neighborhoods or
barrios The down town section had a two mile long
street knows today as the Avenue of the Death
(Aztecs named the ruins) 2000 interlinked
apartment complexes plus plazas, workshops, and a
huge central marketplace A center of trade along
a major trade route City controlled the trade in
obsidian (volcanic glass)
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Teotihuacan used irrigated fields for
crops 125,000 residents at its larges t(some
estimated are larger) By A.D.800 most of the
population had left for east or south Earliest,
largest and densest population of an urban center
in the Americas City was planned and construction
began between 300 and 200 BC 1st Century AD
became an urban center and the pyramids of the
Sun and Moon were completed Architecture
influenced later Mesoamerican cultures 300 to 400
AD the city covered 8 square miles with a
population of 120,000 to 200,000 A thousand years
later the Aztecs named the ruined metropolis the
Place of the Gods
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Teotihuacan began to loose control over
Mesoamerica around AD 680 By AD 750 the city lay
in ruins, burned (probably by its own people) and
abandoned--this may have lead to the collapse of
the Mayan Culture by the end of the 9th
Century Pyramid of the Sun is 230 or 243 feet
(depends who is doing the writing) high with a
million tons of adobe under a stone outer shell
and is larger in volume than Egypts Great
Pyramid at Giza (Pyramid of Cheops or
Khufu). Teotihuacan lies in the Central Valley of
Mexico which has a mean altitude of 7470 ft/ 2277
m.. The ruins are approximately 30 miles
northeast of Mexico City.