The Teotihuacan civilization develops outstanding ritual sculptures

The great Central American city of Teotihuacan, with its magnificent religious architecture and exceptional sculpture, reached a peak of creativity from the fifth century.

The ancient city of Teotihuacan is one of the most important archaeological sites in Mexico. Situated to the northwest of the modern town of Puebla, the settlement dates back to around the second century. It developed rapidly and, at the peak of its influence (c. 550), it was believed to be home to as many as 200,000 people, which would have made it the sixth largest city in the world at the time. Teotihuacan remained a dominant force in the region until c. 800, when it was largely abandoned. Even as a ruin, though, it exerts a powerful influence on the imagination. The Aztecs incorporated it into their mythology, and it became a place of pilgrimage for their rulers.

Despite extensive excavations, there are still many unanswered questions about the nature of the earliest settlement. The ethnic origins of the inhabitants are unclear, while the name of the city and its buildings have only been filtered down through the records of the Aztecs. Even so, it is evident that the city functioned primarily as a religious centre. Teotihuacan means "the place of those who have the road to the gods." A long, straight avenue, known as the Way of the Dead, linked its three main buildings — the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Temple of the Plumed Serpent. This avenue was evidently used for ritual processions, and was also deliberately aligned toward Cerro Gordo, a mountainous, dead volcano.

At Teotihuacan, archaeologists have identified the workshops of around 500 craftsmen, who produced goods that were exported throughout Mexico. The city itself was notable for its brightly painted murals and its sculpture, representing religious practices, which revolved around the gruesome business of human sacrifice.

7 Priest of the Cult of Xipe Totec

Artist unknown, c. 400-500