The Great City of Teotihuacan

I spent the last five days in Mexico City on vacation with several people from my class. One day we ventured out to the pyramids in the remnants of Teotihuacan, about 45km outside the Mexico City. I thought it was pretty fascinating so decided to write about it for today's post. 

Temple of the Sun

Teotihuacan covered about eight square miles and supported a population of about 100-200,000 people at its peak around the 14th century. This is extraordinary - for reference, London at the time was about 60,000 people. The area was settled around 400 BCE, but did not experience large growth until a few centuries later. The city's buildings include the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon, however it does not have any military structures.

The Aztecs gave the city its modern day name of Teotihuacan, however its origins remain a mystery. Researchers have found that the city burned around 750 CE with the Aztecs discovering it a few centuries later. There are hardly any records prior to the Aztecs but some theorize that the Toltec culture was responsible while others say the Totonac.