Teotihuacan is
known widely in Latin America as a massive archaeological site that is home to
many temples and large pyramid ruins. Built in
the Pre-Columbian era, the structure is unique in its residential complexes,
Avenue of the Dead, Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, and the Temple-Pyramid of
the Feathered Serpent. Today I will be visiting the site of Teotihuacan through
the virtual maps of Google, and exploring the Pyramids of the Moon and the Sun
from the view of the Avenue of the Dead.
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| view of the Pyramid of the Sun from the Pyramid of the Moon http://famouswonders.com/teotihuacan-in-mexico/ |
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| view of the Pyramid of the Moon http://famouswonders.com/teotihuacan-in-mexico/ |
As I view the pyramids, the massive size of these structures is
quite striking. The Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon served cultural and ritual
purposes to the pre-Columbian people of Teotihuacan, and the shear size of
these structures would have seemed god like. They overpower the landscape of
the archeological site, making trees look like miniscule bushes scattered over
the land. The size of these pyramids might have been a way to represent the divinity
of the Sun and Moon. The pyramids seem to be built according to astronomical
measurements and this relates to the ritual purposes of the structures. It is
thought that many ritual sacrifices took place on these massive and
overpowering structures and this may have added a daunting and mysterious
quality to the pyramids from the view of the citizens. Even from the view of my
computer screen, these overpowering structures provide a sense of mystery. With
little information on the actual sacrificial ceremonies that took place at the
Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, the architecture in itself serves as a strong
example of the Teotihuacan people’s devotion to the celestial realm.
