We explain what the Teotihuacan culture is, how is its economy and social structure. In addition, its general characteristics, art and more.
What was the Teotihuacan culture?
Teotihuacan culture was One of the most important Mesoamerican pre -Columbian civilizations. It emerged in the Northeast of the Valley of Mexico, around the city of Teotihuacán and its splendor was between 200 d. C. and 550 d. C.
Teotihuacan culture is One of the most mysterious pre -Columbian cultures on the continent. The ruins of the Teotihuacán city allow imagining the greatness and splendor of their culture, but due to the scarcity of other sources, the specialists still discuss what their origins were and try to understand the causes of their disappearance.
Teotihuacán was The first major urban center in the Valley of Mexicowhich managed to have 20 square kilometers of extension and housed more than 150,000 inhabitants. He had great influence on other Mesoamerican civilizations. The Mayan cities of Tikal and Chichen Itzá took elements of art and architecture Teotihuacanos. Centuries later, the Aztecs pilgrimage to the abandoned city of Teotihuacán to worship and honor their gods. However, the Teotihuacanos were characterized by having a social organization very different from that of the rest of the Mesoamerican peoples, and the specialists are not yet sure of what the organization of their state was like.
Today, the ruins of the city of Teotihuacán constitute an archaeological monuments zone of high tourist and anthropological interest. The city stands out for its layout and the huge palaces and pyramids that still retain their colors. In 1987, the entire area was declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
See also: Zapoteca culture
Characteristics of the Teotihuacan culture
Some characteristics of this culture are:
- It had its splendor between 200 and 550 d. C., and occupied the northeast of the Valley of Mexico.
- His society was stratified in two classes, with a leading group that controlled all government tasks and religious ceremonial.
- His main city, Teotihuacán, was the first major urban center of Mesoamerica and came to house more than 150,000 inhabitants.
- The Teotihuacan monumental architecture stood out for its huge pyramids and the painting of large murals in the city’s buildings.
- His religion was polytheistic, and especially venerated Quetzalcoatl and the god of rain.
- The origin and end of the Teotihuacano people constitute a mystery to archaeologists.
Geographic and temporal location
The Teotihuacan civilization occupied the northeastern area of the current Valley of Mexicospecifically among the municipalities of Teotihuacán and San Martín de las Pyramids, 78 kilometers from Mexico City.
The oldest evidence of this culture date from the second century AD. C.although its splendor stood between 200 d. C. and 650 d. C. After its decline, there is evidence that the city remained inhabited until it was totally abandoned towards the middle of the seventh century AD. C.
Teotihuacana Society
In Teotihuacan society There were two well -differentiated classes. The ruling class was made up of priests, military and administrators. This sector controlled the organization of the city and occupied all the positions of government and the religious functions of importance. They lived in palaces and palace of the city center and is believed to be differentiated through their clothing.
The rest of society dealt with production tasks and was made up of farmers, merchants and all kinds of artisan workers, such as ceramists, stone workers, weavers, sculptors and painters, among others. They could also provide military or religious services to support the ruling class.
Cultural features of the Teotihuacan culture
Architecture
Teotihuacán was one of the first major urban centers of importance in America, so it was known as “the big city.” Came to house a population of almost 150,000 inhabitantsin more than 2000 housing structures already occupy an area of almost 21 km2. With these magnitudes, it is likely that it has been a huge center of cultural and commercial exchange.
A fundamental characteristic of Teotihuacán is that It was a planned city since its inception. It was divided into artisanal neighborhoods with markets, large housing complexes, avenues and temples. In the center of the city numerous palaces, temples, religious spaces and government buildings were built.
Among the current ruins, The pyramids of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon stand outThe Casa del Priesto, the Palace of the Jaguares, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Palacio de Quetzalpapalotl. Around this urban center, hundreds of houses were built for the working population.
It is also highlighted by its developed streets, drains and large squares systems.
Art
Ceramics and mural painting were very frequent artistic manifestations in this culture, in which They were commonly shown mythological scenes and iconography related to the gods. The Teotihuacanos made cooked mud figurines and vessels with decorations in bas -relief, sealed or painted. They also created mud plates with which they adorned the walls of the great palaces and temples, and stone sculptures painted with bright colors.
The murals accompanied the walls of important buildingsor were located in slopes, base boards and inside the pyramids, as well as in porches, rooms and corridors. In them, scenes were painted with the gods and their different features, which allowed specialists to know better the religious practices of the Teotihuacan culture.
Religion
Teotihuacan mythology was similar to that of other Mesoamerican peoples: it was polytheistic and had a strong influence of previous cultures.
From the representations in the archaeological remains, the specialists argue that among the main religious beliefs of the Teotihuacanos were the following gods:
- Rain God. Based on certain evidence, the main cult is considered to be the god of rain and storm. The name that the Teotihuacanos gave to this God is not known, but the posterior Aztec culture called it Tlaloc and represented it with the same elements as in the Teotihuacan iconography. In the images, this God had elements of sacred animals such as the Jaguar (of long fangs and large claws), the snake (with bifid tongue), the owl (placed in an inverted position), the quetzal (of multiple feathers) and the butterfly (with antennas and wings).
- Quetzalcoatl. Various representations are associated with the god Quetzalcoatl, the “feathered snake”, God of creation and fertility. Archaeologists identify as “Palacio de Quetzalcoatl” one of the main palaces of the city, and it is possible that the cultured snake cult is related to the privilege and status of the ruling class.
- God of fire. The representations of the God of Fire show an naked old man who holds a brazier or incendiary in his head.
- God of vegetation. Among the archaeological remains were different figurines of a character whose face is covered with a mask. Archaeologists believe that it could be an older representation of the god Xipe Totec in the Aztecs, patron of vegetation, agriculture and renewal.
The mystery of the Teotihuacan culture
At the moment, The origin of the Teotihuacano people is not known with certainty. The words that are used today to name the different elements of their culture come from the Aztec culture, which occupied the city of Teotihuacán many centuries after the abandonment of the Teotihuacanos.
The name Teotihuacán comes from the Nahuatl and means “place where the gods have been born.” According to the Aztec worldview, The original residents of the city had been Quinametzina race of giants prior to human existence. However, the language of its original Teotihuacanos and name that they called themselves is unknown.
Political and economic organization
Historians and archaeologists still argue what the political organization of the Teotihuacano state was. Some consider that there was a unique ruler And others argue that in Teotihuacán there was a collective co -government, in which ethnic groups had different levels of power and representation.
However, It is believed that the ruling class organizedadministered and made government decisions; While the production of food and artisanal products was in the hands of the rest of the population.
The Teotihuacan economy was fundamentally agricultural. Its main crops were corn, beans, amaranth, pumpkin, nopal and magueyes. It is believed that they practiced the technique of Tlacololwhich consisted of cutting the grass, letting it dry, burn it and remove the earth to prepare it for planting.
This production was complemented with Collection, hunting and raising animalsand the extraction of minerals for artisanal and architectural work. In the Teotihuacan economy, the extraction and work of the obsidian, mineral with which they manufactured high quality tools and weapons was especially important.
Through trade, the Teotihuacanos They got other important elements for their art and architecturesuch as jade, turquoise, cinnabrio and hematite.
Influence of the Teotihuacan culture
As the Teotihuacán city grew in size and complexity, its influence spread throughout Mesoamerica in different ways:
- Political influence. The Teotihuacanos conquered the various settlements and villages in the Valley of Mexico and, in addition, built new villages on which they exercised political and social control.
- Economic influence. Beyond their territory, the Teotihuacanos developed a large commercial network that reached the Mayan cities of Tikal and Chichen Itzá.
- Ideological and religious influence. Religious symbols and Teotihuacan military iconography were found throughout the Mesoamerican region, both in contemporary cultures and in later civilizations.
Continue with: Toltec culture
References
- Armillas, P. (1945). The gods of Teotihuacan (Vol. 6, pp. 35-61). Best printers.
- NAIM, LRM (2017). Teotihuacan, exceptional city of Mesoamerica. The National College.
- Manzanilla, L. (2001). Social groupings and government in Teotihuacan, central Mexico. In Rebuilding the Mayan city: urbanism in old societies (pp. 461-482). Spanish Society of Mayan Studies.
- Moctezuma, EM (2016). Teotihuacan. Economic Culture Fund.
