With a population of 125,000, Teotihuacan was at one point the largest
city in the Americas and one of the largest in the world.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Discuss the importance of the ancient city of Teotihuacan.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
The name Teotihuacan means where man met the gods.
A distinctive style of pottery was developed at Teotihuacan, which grew in popularity
across Mesoamerica.
Teotihuacan may have been the site of a state empire, its precise function is unknown, but its
regional influence is well documented.
The ethnic background of the city's population is also unknown; some have suggested
Teotihuacan was a multiethnic state.
TERM [ edit ]
Teotihuacan
A vast archeological site in Mexico
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Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles
northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the preColumbianAmericas . The name means where man met the gods. Apart from the pyramidal
structures, Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes; the Avenue of the
Dead; and numerous colorful, well-preserved murals. Additionally, Teotihuacan produced a
thin orange pottery style that spread
through Mesoamerica, as shown in .
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Anthropomorphic tripod vessel, Mexico, Teotihuacan, 200-500 CE
This style of pottery originated in Teotihuacan and spread throughout the region.
View of the Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramid of the Sun, from the Pyramid of the Moon
Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre­Columbian Americas.
The city is thought to have been established around 100 BCE and completed about 250 CE.
The city may have lasted until sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries CE. At its zenith,
perhaps in the first half of the 1st millennium CE, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the preColumbian Americas, with a population of perhaps 125,000 or more, placing it among the
largest cities of the world in this period .
Wide angle view of the Avenue of the Dead, the Pyramid of the Sun, and the Pyramid of the Moon.
Teotihuacan, Mexico
Teotihuacan reached its peak in 450 CE, when it was the center of a powerful culture whose influence
extended through much of the Mesoamerican region.
Teotihuacan began as a new religious center in the MexicanHighland around the first century
CE. This city came to be the largest and most populated center in the New World.
Teotihuacan was even home to multi-floor apartment compounds built to accommodate this
large population. Thecivilization and cultural complex associated with the site is also referred
to as Teotihuacano.
Although it is a subject of debate whether Teotihuacan was the center of a state empire, its
influence throughout Mesoamerica is well documented; evidence of Teotihuacano presence
can be seen at numerous sites in Veracruz and the Maya region. The Aztecs may have also
been influenced by this city. The ethnicity of the inhabitants of Teotihuacan is also a subject
of debate. Possible candidates are the Nahua, Otomi, or Totonac ethnic groups. Scholars have
also suggested that Teotihuacan was a multiethnic state.
The city and the archaeological site are located in what is now the San Juan Teotihuacan
municipality in the State of Mexico, approximately 25 miles northeast of Mexico City.