Teotihuacan Religion
Little is known about the language, politics, culture and religion of the Teotihuacan people. They had a glyph-based written language, but it may have been limited to dates and names.
The art and architecture of the city shows it was a polytheistic society, with the primary deity being the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan, which is depicted as a spider goddess. Other deities include Quetzalcoatl (a vegetation god whose meaning changed in subsequent civilizations), the rain god Tlaloc, and the god of spring Xipe Totec, among others.
The Teotihuacan priests practiced ritual sacrifices of animals and people to these gods.
In 1989, researchers discovered 18 sacrificial victims buried in a long pit just south of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. The later discovered that around 200 other victims were sacrificed when the temple was built in the early 3rd century A.D. Many of these sacrifices were male warriors in military attire, others were young women and others still were males likely of relatively high social status.
More recently, in 2004, archaeologists uncovered evidence of sacrifices at the Pyramid of the Moon that suggests the site was a place to celebrate state power and militarism.
These sacrifices included 12 people with their hands bound behind their back, 10 of whom were decapitated and tossed about at the burial vault within the pyramid. The other two sacrifices were richly ornamented.
Other sacrifices at the pyramid include five canines (wolves or coyotes), three felines (jaguar or puma) and 13 birds (many thought to be eagles)—animals believed to be symbols of warriors.
Teotihuacan Influence
Artifacts found in the city and sites across Mexico suggest Teotihuacan was a wealthy trade metropolis in its prime.
In particular, the city exported fine obsidian tools, including spear and dart heads. Teotihuacan had a monopoly on obsidian trade—the most important deposit in Mesoamerica was located near the city.
Ceramics, such as pottery and other luxury goods, were also highly prized export goods because of their elaborate decorations. Other goods coming into and out of the city likely included cotton, cacao and exotic feathers and shells, among other things.
Local harvests included beans, avocados, peppers and squash, and the city farmers raised chickens and turkeys.
The art and architecture styles of Teotihuacan are found widely throughout Mesoamerica, suggesting the city had far-reaching influence.
Teotihuacan Collapse
It’s unclear why Teotihuacan collapsed.
Around 600 A.D., major buildings were deliberately burned and artworks and religious sculptures were destroyed, suggesting an uprising from the poor against the ruling elite.
Another theory holds that invaders sacked and burned it—though Teotihuacan exerted its military power over other cultures, the city lacked fortifications and military structures.
By 750 A.D., the remaining inhabitants of the city had all abandoned their homes to join neighboring cultures or return to their ancestral homes.
Ongoing Research
In 2003, a heavy rainstorm opened a large sinkhole at the Temple of Quetzalcoatl; researchers have been excavating the site since.
By late 2015, they had unearthed 75,000 artifacts of various type, including seashells, pottery, animal bones and human skin. They also uncovered a large chamber containing vast amount of jewelry and other treasures, such as amber jars, black stone statues and other ritual relics.
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