"Mexico’s
First Superpower"
By Ralph F. Graves
April 2004 Guadalajara-Lakeside Volume 20, Number 8
Just
mention a Mexican “superpower” these days and, after the
chuckles subside, one might consider the Aztec empire or perhaps the
Mayans of old. But long before the Aztecs drifted into the Valley of
Mexico and even before the founding of the Mayan complex at Chichen
Itza, a powerful regime dominated Mexico’s heartland. And, though
many questions about this superpower remain, recent findings have shed
new light on the origins and eventual demise of the great state of Teotihuacan.
Best known for its spectacular architecture
highlighted by the massive pyramids of the sun and the moon, this important
archeological site just 30 miles north of Mexico City was once a thriving
city-state that flourished for nearly a thousand years.
In spite of extensive excavation and exploration,
there have always been many uncertainties about the people who built
and populated the city. Where did they come from? How did they achieve
such remarkable architectural feats without the wheel, domesticated
animals or metal tools? Why did they leave no written records? Why was
the city ultimately destroyed, and by whom? Now scientists and scholars
believe they have the answers to some, if not all, of the puzzles surrounding
Teotihuacan. It is thought the city was born of a natural disaster.
Could it have perished by one, as well?
Carbon datings indicate the earliest construction
at the site began about 250 B.C. Also about this time records show massive
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occurring in an area southeast of
Mexico City where the Olmec civilization thrived. The Olmec culture,
with its advance knowledge of astronomy, architecture and the arts,
seems to have been uprooted during this period. Could they have migrated
northward to re-establish their culture at Teotihuacan? If so, this
would explain how the city was planned and built in an orderly fashion
in so short a period of time. Scholars point out that many artifacts
found there show a distinct Olmec influence, lending further credence
to this theory.
Indications are that the city was initially planned and constructed
by priest-architects to be a major religious center. But it gradually
grew to a major metropolis of broad avenues and spacious plazas. At
the peak of its power, during the sixth century A.D., it was larger
than Imperial Rome, with a population of approximately 170,000.
The influence of this culture was extensive.
Although it maintained armed forces as the later day Aztecs did, it
attained superpower status through commercial, religious and scientific
prowess. Artifacts from as far away as Guatemala show that the early
Mayans shared many of the gods and religious practices of Teotihuacan.
Artists, craftsmen and scholars from throughout Meso-america flocked
to the city to learn and practice their skills. And, there are many
indications of widespread trade with the Mayans, Zapotecs, Mixtecs and
other contemporary cultures.
In spite of the importance of commerce,
the basis of the culture of Teotihuacan was an inter-mingling of religion
and astronomy. In its early days the populace enjoyed a fertile area
where rainfall was plentiful as was wild game. Then, as now, maize was
the most important staple in the lives of the people and its cultivation
engendered a religion based on astronomical knowledge that would facilitate
successful planting and harvesting of this vital commodity.
The priesthood focused on the study of
the sun, moon and stars, their interaction with the seasons and the
involvement of the gods, especially those of rain and fertility. The
pyramid of the sun, so named much later by the Aztecs, is now thought
to be a structure devoted to the god of rain. There is evidence of sophisticated
reservoir, irrigation and sewer systems throughout the area which further
indicate the importance of water and rainfall in the daily lives of
the inhabitants. But this mighty culture was eventually destroyed, the
city sacked and abandoned. Several theories have been advanced as to
the reason, including famine, disease, warfare and rebellion.
Scientists now believe they may have a
definitive answer to the ultimate destruction and abandonment of the
complex. Through studies of core samples, they have been able to establish
a pattern of periods of drought in the area, some lasting for ten years
or more. Such cycles have occurred roughly several thousand years apart,
the most recent happening in the mid-eighth century A.D. or about the
time Teotihuacan was abandoned. Could such a drought have brought about
the downfall of so great a metropolis?
Scholars believe that during an extended
drought the religious order along with its symbols, icons, temples,
gods, priests and priestesses would have fallen from grace due to its
emphasis on water and rain. The populace would have ultimately rebelled
against the priesthood for its failures, sacking and burning sites of
religious significance. The ruins suggest such widespread burning and
destruction did take place shortly before the city was abandoned.
As the drought became more extensive,
the city’s infrastructure would have collapsed, forcing most of
the population to migrate to more hospitable areas. So, just as Teotihuacan
was probably established as a result of nature’s fury, it may
have perished as a result of yet another natural disaster.