B8: Teotihuacan

Question 1

what, where, and when was Teotihuacan?

Answer 1

an ancient Mesoamerican civilisation located in the Mexico Valley, existing from 100 BC - 7/8 century CE

Question 2

what is Teotihuacan also often referred to as

Answer 2

‘the City of the Gods’

Question 3

what are the potential reasons the unknown founders would have chosen the site for their city?

Answer 3

the natural lava tube cave, associated with creation myths; the San Juan River for water; trading routes; rich source of obsidian → ritual implements and weapons

Question 4

when did Teotihuacan consolidate power and become a major city of Mesoamerica?

Answer 4

became pre-eminent (powerful, in c. 350 CE+

Question 5

as well as a major city of Mesoamerica, Teotihuacan was also the main po____, ec_______, and cu_________ in Central Mexico?

Answer 5

political, economic, and cultural centre in Central Mexico

Question 6

when was the decline and fall of Teotihuacan?

Answer 6

decline in c. 550 CE, and fall in c. 750 CE

Question 7

what is the Avenue of the Dead?

Answer 7

the city’s main street, which connects the 3 major pyramid complexes (the Pyramid of the Sun, Moon, and Feathered Serpent)

Question 8

who did the Pyramid of the Moon honour?

Answer 8

honoured the Great Goddess of water, fertility, earth, and creation

Question 9

what did excavations reveal underneath the Pyramid of the Moon?

Answer 9

burials containing the remains of victims of sacrifice, which had been richly decorated

Question 10

why was the Pyramid of the Sun situated where it was?

Answer 10

it sits on a four-chambered lava tube cave used for rituals

Question 11

what was the use of the Pyramid of the Sun in relation to creation?

Answer 11

ancient beliefs in the creation of the sun and moon

Question 12

what does the height and chambers underneath the pyramid represent

Answer 12

the height of the pyramid symbolises the sun or life, and the chambers underneath represent the moon or death

Question 13

what is THE significant feature of the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent?

Answer 13

serpent god structures covered the temple’s sides.

Question 14

what was found under the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent?

Answer 14

100 possibly sacrificial victims were found buried beneath the structure.

Question 15

who is Quetzalcoatl?

Answer 15

1/3 of the major deities, the creator god, and patron of rain, science, and agriculture

Question 16

what does Quetzalcoatl’s divine and human nature allow him to do?

Answer 16

divine nature allows him to reach for the sun, and human nature allows him to creep along the ground

Question 17

what type of religion was Teotihuacan?

Answer 17

polytheistic

Question 18

what was the function of the Great Goddess?

Answer 18

deity of fertility, death, war, darkness, the underworld & earth

Question 19

what was the function of Tlaloc (the Rain God)? what is he associated with regarding the physical environment of Teotihuacan?

Answer 19

God of rain​, ​water​, and ​fertility​ who maintained water resources & availability → associated with the mountains’ life-giving rain & lightning​.

Question 20

who is the third main deity of Teotihuacan?

Answer 20

Quetzalcoatl.

Question 21

what sources/remains/artifacts have been found at Teotihuacan?

Answer 21

murals, sound scrolls, glyphs, pottery, funerary masks, and human & animal remains.

Question 22

what do the glyphs represent?

Answer 22

signs or symbols that represent the deities of Teotihuacan → Tlaloc identified by face mask & lightning bolt

Question 23

what did human & animal remains suggest about the religious practices of Teotihuacan?

Answer 23

sacrificial offerings for the Gods, dedicated to the construction of monumental buildings, made in times of crisis and made to help the city prosper.

Question 24

how were the human & animal sacrifices killed?

Answer 24

decapitation, heart removed, or buried alive

Question 25

what type of animals were found/sacrificed?

Answer 25

jaguars, owls, and wolves (significant symbols of war)

Question 26

what does Rene Millon suggest that Teotihucan was ruled by?

Answer 26

suggests Teotihuacan may have been ruled by an oligarchy

Question 27

what is the estimated population of Teotihuacan (based on the average size of the compounds)?

Answer 27

100,000 - 200,000 people at its height

Question 28

how many socio-economic status levels are identified (based on differences in residential construction)?

Answer 28

6 socio-economic status levels

Question 29

what are these socio-economic status levels (split into three groups) was what was their power?

Answer 29

rulers of Teotihuacan (control over raw materials, agriculture, and labour), elite level (composed of religious & administrative hierarchy), and the rest of the population (lived in the 2000 ‘apartment’ compounds, which held up to 60-100 people)

Question 30

what type of ethnic society was Teotihuacan, and who did this comprise of?

Answer 30

multiethnic → Teotihuacans (local basin of Mexico), people from nearby sites (Gulf Coast), people from further afield (coastal plains).