Ancient Aliens: Aztec God's Visit (Season 12, Episode 7) | History
Summary
TLDRThe Teotihuacan complex, located near Mexico City, is a mysterious ancient city dating back to the first century AD. Known as the 'Rome of Mesoamerica,' it predates the Maya civilization and was once the largest city in the Western hemisphere, supporting nearly 100,000 residents. It featured the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and a temple to Quetzalcoatl, alongside the Avenue of the Dead. Despite its grandeur, the city's origins and the fate of its inhabitants remain unknown, with no hieroglyphs or clear historical records. Some theories suggest it was built by divine beings, as indicated by local lore and the Aztec name 'City of the Gods.'
Takeaways
- 🗺️ Teotihuacan is an ancient city complex located 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, covering nearly eight square miles and dating back to the first century AD.
- 🏛️ It is considered the oldest and most sophisticated city in Mesoamerica, which stretches from northern Mexico to Central America.
- ⏳ Predating the Maya civilization by at least 100 years, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the Western hemisphere before the 15th century.
- 🌆 At its zenith, Teotihuacan supported a population of nearly 100,000 residents and served as a major commerce and religious center.
- 🌟 The city is often referred to as the 'Rome of Mesoamerica' due to its significant influence on subsequent city-states.
- ⛰️ The central features of Teotihuacan include the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and a temple dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent.
- 🏡 The Avenue of the Dead is a prominent thoroughfare lined with over 200 smaller buildings, platforms, and pyramids.
- 🤔 Despite its grandeur, the identity of Teotihuacan's builders and the fate of its inhabitants remain a mystery.
- 📜 Unlike other Mesoamerican cultures, Teotihuacan lacks hieroglyphs, making its history and rulership unclear.
- 👽 Ancient astronaut theorists, influenced by local lore, suggest that Teotihuacan may have been built by non-human entities, such as sky gods or extraterrestrial beings.
- 🌐 The Aztecs named the city 'Teotihuacan,' meaning 'city of the gods,' raising questions about the divine beings possibly associated with its origins.
Q & A
Where is the Teotihuacan complex located?
-The Teotihuacan complex is located just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City.
How large is the Teotihuacan complex?
-The complex encompasses nearly eight square miles.
When was Teotihuacan established?
-Teotihuacan is dated to the first century AD.
How does Teotihuacan compare to other Mesoamerican cities in terms of age?
-The civilization predated the Maya by at least 100 years, making it one of the oldest cities in Mesoamerica.
What was the peak population of Teotihuacan?
-At its peak, Teotihuacan was said to have supported nearly 100,000 residents.
What was Teotihuacan's significance in the Western hemisphere?
-It was the largest city in the entire Western hemisphere prior to the 15th century and served as a major commerce and religious center for the region.
What are the central features of the Teotihuacan complex?
-The central features include two large pyramids known as the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, as well as a temple dedicated to Quetzalcoatl.
What is the significance of the Avenue of the Dead?
-The Avenue of the Dead is a thoroughfare alongside which over 200 smaller buildings, platforms, and pyramids are found.
Why is there a mystery surrounding the builders of Teotihuacan?
-Despite its size, Teotihuacan has no hieroglyphs, unlike other Mesoamerican cultures that were using writing systems, leaving no clear history of its builders or rulers.
What theories exist about the origins of Teotihuacan's advanced architecture?
-Some suggest that the technology required to build Teotihuacan's structures was greater than what was possessed by the people of the time, leading to questions about the origins of such sophistication.
What is the local lore regarding the founders of Teotihuacan?
-Ancient astronaut theorists and local lore suggest that the original builders of the site may not have been human but divine beings or gods, as the site is considered sacred and connected to a divine realm.
What is the meaning behind the name 'Teotihuacan'?
-The name Teotihuacan translates to 'city of the gods,' which raises questions about the identity of these gods and whether they were a product of imagination or actual visitors who influenced the civilization.
Outlines
🗺️ Teotihuacan: The Ancient City of Mesoamerica
Located near Mexico City, the Teotihuacan complex is an expansive archaeological site dating back to the first century AD. It was the earliest and most advanced city in Mesoamerica, a region extending from northern Mexico to Central America, predating the Maya civilization by a century. At its zenith, the city was home to nearly 100,000 people, making it the largest in the Western Hemisphere until the 15th century. It served as a major hub for commerce and religion. The city's central features include the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and a temple dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, all situated along the Avenue of the Dead. Despite its grandeur, the origins of Teotihuacan and its builders remain a mystery, with no hieroglyphs or clear historical records. The city's advanced engineering and craftsmanship suggest a level of technology that challenges conventional beliefs about ancient civilizations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Teotihuacan
💡Mesoamerica
💡Pyramid of the Sun
💡Pyramid of the Moon
💡Avenue of the Dead
💡Quetzalcoatl
💡Ancient Astronaut Theory
💡Totonac
💡Venus
💡Hieroglyphs
💡Engineering Principles
Highlights
Teotihuacan is located 30 miles northeast of Mexico City and is dated to the first century AD.
It is the oldest and most sophisticated city of Mesoamerica, predating the Maya by at least 100 years.
At its peak, Teotihuacan supported nearly 100,000 residents and was the largest city in the Western hemisphere before the 15th century.
The city served as a major commerce and religious center for the region.
Teotihuacan is referred to as the Rome of Mesoamerica, setting patterns for all other city-states after it.
The central features of the complex include the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and a temple dedicated to Quetzalcoatl.
The Avenue of the Dead is a thoroughfare lined with over 200 smaller buildings, platforms, and pyramids.
Thousands of living quarters are found just outside the complex.
Despite its grandeur, the builders of Teotihuacan remain unknown, and its history is unclear.
Teotihuacan lacks hieroglyphs, unlike other Mesoamerican cultures that used writing systems.
The site's sophistication in engineering, craftsmanship, and art raises questions about its origins and the technology used to build it.
The absence of smaller versions of Teotihuacan suggests a missing link in its evolution.
Ancient astronaut theorists suggest that the original builders of the site may not have been human.
Local lore and nearby Mesoamerican cultures associate Teotihuacan with divine beings and extraterrestrial origins.
The Aztecs named the place Teotihuacan, meaning 'city of the gods', raising questions about the identity of these gods.
The name Teotihuacan implies a connection to gods, possibly indicating that civilization was jump-started by visitors.
Transcripts
NARRATOR: Located just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City,
the Teotihuacan complex encompasses
nearly eight square miles and is dated to the first century AD.
It is the oldest and most sophisticated
city of Mesoamerica, an area that
extends from northern Mexico down through Central America.
[music playing]
The civilization predated the Maya by at least 100 years.
At its peak, it was said to have supported
nearly 100,000 residents.
It was also the largest city in the entire Western hemisphere
prior to the 15th century, and served
as the major commerce and religious center
for the region.
EXPERT 1: The significance of Teotihuacan
cannot be overstated.
It is the Rome of Mesoamerica.
The things that Teotihuacan did set the pattern for
all other city-states after it.
[music playing]
NARRATOR: The central features of the complex
are two large pyramids known as the Pyramid of the Sun
and the Pyramid of the Moon, as well
as a temple dedicated to Quetzalcoatl,
the feathered serpent.
These structures stand alongside a thoroughfare referred
to as the Avenue of the Dead.
Over 200 smaller buildings, platforms, and pyramids are
found adjacent to the avenue.
And there are thousands of living quarters
just outside the complex.
But as incredible as Teotihuacan is,
no one knows exactly who built this metropolis
or what happened to its occupants.
EXPERT 1: Teotihuacan, despite its size,
has no hieroglyphs whatsoever.
There are other cultures in Mesoamerica that
were using writing systems.
There's nothing like that at Teotihuacan.
So we don't really have a clear history of what happened
at Teotihuacan, and we can't really
find evidence of their rulers.
WILL HART: We have such a sophisticated site
that embodies engineering principles, craftsmanship, art.
Where did it originate?
Where are the smaller versions of this?
Well, we don't find any.
So we don't have a progression, an evolution,
to show where this came from.
So we have to ask, where did it come from?
DAVID WILCOCK: We've become conditioned
to look at these awesome works of stone architecture
and think, oh, primitive people did
that, in these primitive methods and primitive technology.
But we have to rethink the fundamental assumptions
and come to a greater and greater level of understanding
that the technology required to build these artifacts, in fact,
is greater than anything that they possessed.
NARRATOR: But based on the local lore of the region,
ancient astronaut theorists suggest
that the original builders of the site
may not have been human at all.
JONATHAN YOUNG: All of the people in this area
felt this city was a sacred site connected to a divine realm.
The population along the coast were the Totonac.
They believe that the place was founded by a dozen
sky gods, the lords of thunder.
[music playing]
Other nearby Mesoamerican cultures
had their own theories.
One associated the site with the feathered serpent
god, Quetzalcoatl, who was said to have come from Venus.
[music playing]
It was the Aztecs who gave the place its name,
Teotihuacan, city of the gods.
[music playing]
EXPERT 2: The name speaks for itself.
So one has to ask the question, what gods?
[music playing]
Who were they?
Were they just a figment of our ancestors' imagination,
or did they see someone?
Did somebody visit them to essentially
jump-start civilization?
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