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Did Teotihuacan have a centralized government?
Teotihuacan was the first urban civilization of Mesoamerica and one of the largest of the ancient world. Following a tradition in archaeology to equate social complexity with centralized hierarchy, it is widely believed that the city’s origin and growth was controlled by a lineage of powerful individuals.
Who was the ruler of Teotihuacan?
Maya inscriptions note an individual nicknamed by scholars as “Spearthrower Owl”, apparently ruler of Teotihuacan, who reigned for over 60 years and installed his relatives as rulers of Tikal and Uaxactun in Guatemala.
What type of social structure classes existed in Teotihuacan?
The Aztecs followed a strict social hierarchy in which individuals were identified as nobles (pipiltin), commoners (macehualtin), serfs, or slaves. The noble class consisted of government and military leaders, high level priests, and lords (tecuhtli).
How did the Aztecs use Teotihuacan?
Nonetheless, the Teotihuacan Valley was an essential part of the Aztec empire, a vital route to the Gulf of Mexico lowlands and to obsidian sources critical to the production of tools and weapons. One map from shortly after the Spanish conquest shows the ruined pyramids of Teotihuacan as markers.
What is Teotihuacan famous for?
Teotihuacan is well-known for its colorful murals painted on plastered walls. They can be found in the city’s many apartment compounds as well as on other buildings identified as palaces and temples.
Why is Teotihuacan famous?
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.
Why does the city of Teotihuacan matter?
Which God did the Teotihuacán worship?
The Feathered Serpent was responsible for the fertility of the earth and for life itself. Tlaloc and Quetzalcoatl are among the most important deities in Teotihuacán. Huehueteotl, the Old God, who was responsible for fire and was worshipped primarily in the private sphere.
Did Aztecs live in Teotihuacán?
Teotihuacan is an ancient Mesoamerican city located 30 miles (50 km) northeast of modern-day Mexico City. By the time the Aztecs found the city in the 1400s and named it Teotihuacan (meaning “the place where the gods were created”), the city had been abandoned for centuries.
This fact makes the archaeologists and historians to argue with theories on the similarities and parallels of the political and social life of the teotihuacanos, with respect to the rest of the later Mesoamerican civilizations.
When was the city of Teotihuacan built?
Teotihuacán is an ancient city north of Mexico City which was occupied from roughly the 1st century BCE to 7th centuries CE. There’s a lot we don’t know about the people who lived here, but they were clearly organized and educated. The city is built on a grid plan, astronomically aligned, and features its own plumbing and irrigation systems.
Why was Teotihuacan important to the Aztecs?
Teotihuacan was densely populated, approximately 125,000 t0 200,000 people maintained a resedency there, but well organized at the same time for the reason that Teotihuacan was ruled by an Aztec emperor but, obtained local governments around the empire/city.
What foods were grown in the city of Teotihuacan?
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.