Tour Teotihuacan - The Prologue

The ancient city of Teotihuacan made numerous headlines in 2010, ranging from evidence of human bone sculpting to the exciting discovery of a secret passageway beneath one of the city’s major temples. Teotihuacan was also a major site featured in EFFIGY. That’s why I thought I’d turn the spotlight once again on this mysteriously grandiose ruins with a short series of blog tours. I hope you enjoy and find this place as fascinating as I do!


Known to the Aztecs as the “City of the Gods,” Teotihuacan has long been a mystery to the peoples of recent history. The earliest traces of settlement in this part of the Valley of Mexico date back to 500 BC. Between 250 and 650 AD, the city had reached its peak, spanning over 8 square miles and perhaps housing a population of 200,000. Teotihuacan was one of the world’s largest cities of its time and prominently influenced other cultures throughout Mesoamerica with its talud-tablero style pyramids and the introduction of the Quetzalcoatl deity.

However, by 900 AD, this sprawling metropolis was suddenly abandoned.

Who the inhabitants of Teotihuacan were and why they left is uncertain. The city was in ruin by the time the Aztecs came onto the scene, unable to believe the grand scale of the ancient city could have been made by men. It had probably been vacated even by the time their ancestors, the Toltecs, migrated into the valley. And even with today’s sophistication in archaeology, researchers are still struggling to find the true identity of the Teotihuacanoes.

However, given the evidence discovered so far, it does seem clear that Teotihuacan was inhabited by farmers and merchants, and craftsmen whose extraordinary pottery, masks, textiles and jewelry were traded throughout Mesoamerica. But it’s their extraordinary temples and pyramids that really draw the attention and imagination, and thus will be the focus of this ongoing tour.

Stay tuned. There is so much more to come!