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Teotihuacan is especially famous for its large pyramids dedicated to the Sun and the Moon. The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan and one of the largest in Mesoamerica.

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Introduction

Mesoamerica is a region in the Americas, extending from central Mexico out to Honduras and Nicaragua. The cultural history of Mesoamerica is divided in three distinct periods: The Preclasic, the Classic, and the Postclasic, which stretch from the 2000 BC., to the Spanish conquest. Over the course of these periods, Mesoamerica witnessed the birth and fall of many civilizations. Of these, perhaps the greatest indigenous civilization is Teotihuacan. Founded around 200 BC, this huge metropolis dominated Mexican life for nearly half a millennium. Reaching it's height in the 5th and 6th centuries, its influence towered over both the Maya and Zapotec alike. Teotihuacan is most remembered today for the legacy it left Mexico, not just Mexico's, but some of man's greatest achievements to this day, the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. ...read more.

Middle

Its slight northwest orientation from the horizon allows the view of many important astrological events that were believed to affect agriculture and belief systems of the ancient society. The Pyramid of the Sun was constructed in two stages: the first construction stage, around 100 C.E, brought the pyramid to nearly the size it remains today. The second stage resulted in its completed size of 738 feet across and 246 feet high, making it the third largest pyramid in the area. It also consisted of the construction of an altar on top of the pyramid, which has not survived to present day. Only a few surviving artifacts have been found in and around the pyramid. ...read more.

Conclusion

The most recent discovery is a tomb made to dedicate the fifth phase of construction. Containing four human skeletons, animal bones, jewelry, obsidian blades, and a wide variety of other offerings, archeologists estimate that the burial occurred sometime between 100 and 200 A.D. As archaeologists dig beneath the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, they find various clues to the history of this mysterious culture. Since so little is known about the Teotihuacan civilization, the artifacts left behind provide archaeologists with links to their origins and way of life. In addition, the pyramids are tremendous feats of architecture for their time. One of the largest structures ever built in the ancient Americas, its aspect today is the result of reconstruction and consolidation carried out in the early part of the twentieth century. ...read more.

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