Teotihuacan

Long ago, a great city grew in Mexico.

It was a very big place to live. Many people came from far away to stay there.

The city had very large stone buildings. People built the Pyramid of the Sun.

They also built the Pyramid of the Moon.

People lived in large homes with many rooms. They also made sharp tools from dark stone. These tools were sent to other lands.

Later, the city began to fall apart. Some big fires burned the buildings. The people left the city behind.

Today, many people visit the old ruins. It is a special place to see.

Teotihuacan was a very large city in ancient Mexico.

It grew near modern-day Mexico City. Long ago, the city was a great center for religion. It was also a huge place for trade. People made sharp tools from obsidian. Obsidian is a dark, glass-like stone. They sent these tools to many other lands.

At its peak, the city was very big. It had about 100,000 people living there.

This made it one of the largest cities in the world. People lived in large apartment buildings with many rooms. They also built massive stone structures. These include the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.

The city's name comes from the Aztecs. They lived many years after the city fell. They called it the "birthplace of the gods." They believed the gods made the universe there. Around 550 CE, the city began to decline. Major buildings were burned. Some people think bad weather caused this change. Later, other groups like the Aztecs saw the ruins. They even claimed they were related to the people who lived there.

Teotihuacan was a massive and important city in ancient Mexico.

It is located in a valley near modern-day Mexico City. This city was a huge center for religion and trade. It was famous for its amazing stone buildings.

People built large pyramids that still stand today. These include the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.

The city was so big that it was a major part of life in the whole region.

Life in the city worked in a very organized way.

People lived in large apartment compounds with many rooms. These buildings held many different families at once. To grow food, people used raised garden beds called chinampas.

These gardens helped them grow plenty of food in the swampy ground. They also used canoes to move food through water channels. The city was also a place for making things. People made sharp tools from a dark stone called obsidian.

They traded these tools with many other groups far away.

Teotihuacan began to grow a long time ago.

Small villages lived in the area around 600 BCE. By 100 BCE, the city started to become a real urban center. Farmers moved there because of the many fresh water springs.

Major monuments were built continuously until about 250 CE. The Pyramid of the Sun was finished around 100 CE. At its highest point, the city was the largest in the Americas. It might have been the sixth-largest city in the whole world.

This happened during the first half of the first millennium.

Many different kinds of people lived in this great city.

Some experts think the people were from groups like the Nahua or Otomi. Others believe it was a multi-ethnic place with many cultures. People moved there from places like Oaxaca and the Gulf Coast.

The city had a population of about 100,000 people at its peak. This was about half of all the people in the whole valley. Even though it was a huge city, there is no sign of a single king. Instead, the city seemed to be run in a more shared way.

Eventually, the great city began to change and fall apart.

Around 550 CE, many major buildings were burned. Some scholars think extreme weather in 535 CE caused problems. The city lost its power after 650 CE. Long after the city fell, the Aztecs found the ruins. They gave the site the name Teotihuacan.

This name means "place where gods were born." The Aztecs believed the gods created the universe right there. Today, many people visit the site to see its history.

Teotihuacan was a massive urban center in ancient Mesoamerica.

It sits in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico. Today, it is located in the State of Mexico, northeast of Mexico City. The city is famous for its significant architectural monuments. These include the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.

While it is near Mexico City, it was not an Aztec city. The Aztecs arrived many centuries after Teotihuacan had already fallen. The name Teotihuacan was actually given by the Aztecs later. They called it the "birthplace of the gods."

This name reflects their belief that the gods created the universe there.

The city functioned through a highly organized urban system.

To support a huge population, residents lived in multi-family apartment compounds. These were multi-floor buildings designed for many households. The city also utilized a unique agricultural method called chinampas. These were raised garden beds built in swampy ground. This system allowed for very high food productivity. Farmers used water channels to move food via canoe traffic.

The city was also a major center for industry. They produced fine obsidian tools, which are made from volcanic glass.

These tools were exported throughout the Mesoamerican region.

Historians divide the city's growth into four distinct periods. Period I began around 200 BCE. This era saw the development of a distinct urban area. Local farmers gathered around abundant water springs to form the city. Period II lasted from 1 CE to 350 CE. During this time, the city experienced explosive growth. It became the largest metropolis in Mesoamerica.

This growth was fueled by economic pull and volcanic eruptions elsewhere. This era saw the construction of the major pyramids.

A shift in political power also occurred during this time.

Period III was the classical period from 350 to 650 CE. This was the apogee, or highest point, of Teotihuacan's influence. The city reached its maximum size during this stage. Period IV lasted from 650 to 750 CE. This period marked the end of Teotihuacan as a major power. The city's elite housing compounds show signs of being burned.

Archaeologists believe civil strife and social struggles caused this decline. Some also point to extreme weather events in 535–536 CE. These environmental changes may have contributed to the city's collapse.

The scale of Teotihuacan was truly immense.

At its height, the population reached approximately 100,000 people. This meant the city held about 50 percent of the Valley of Mexico's population. The city covered an area of 18 square kilometers. It contained about 2,000 different buildings. Some estimates suggest it was the sixth-largest city in the world during its era. This massive population made it a primate city for the entire region.

Teotihuacan was a diverse and multi-ethnic society. Scholars debate the exact ethnicity of its inhabitants. Possible groups include the Nahua, Otomi, or Totonac. However, many different cultural groups lived there together. Evidence shows connections to the Maya and Oto-Pamean people. Migrants arrived from places like Oaxaca and the Gulf Coast.

Interestingly, there is no evidence of a single king or authoritarian ruler. Unlike the Maya, Teotihuacan lacked monuments to specific dynastic kings. This suggests a different, perhaps more decentralized, way of governing.

The legacy of Teotihuacan remains influential today. The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It remains a major destination for travelers. In 2024, it was the second most-visited archaeological site in Mexico. It received 1,313,321 visitors in that year alone.

The city's influence can still be seen in the cultures that followed. The Aztecs even adopted aspects of Teotihuacano culture. The city continues to be a vital subject for researchers studying ancient urbanism.