Lee Payton

Beginning with works from approximately 30,000 years before the common era until the modern era, the Indigenous people of the Americas established a long and intricate history of artistic expression. The earliest of these works include anthropomorphic figures and portable art carved from rock and bone. The architectural history of the Indigenous Americas is no less varied and complex. Depending on location and climate, types of architecture that developed varied. Southeastern nations such as the Cherokee and Muskogee lived in wood framed homes covered in lath, plaster, or bark. On the other hand, the Seminoles of Florida tended to construct open air platform homes, covered in palmetto leaves. Further to the South in Central and South America, due to the difference in climate, culture, and spiritual practices, artistic and architectural expression, in some cases, took on drastically different forms. Unfortunately, access to historical understanding of many works is impacted by the erosion of time and the conquest of foreign invaders. However, we are left with magnificent monumental structures in locations such as Teotihuacan, Mexico, which is home to the Temples of the Sun and Moon. The temples are large pyramidal structures made from building materials including hewed tezontle, which is a coarse volcanic rock. Even when there are no written accounts from the people who originally inhabited these locations, through the observation of the works they left behind we can study their artistic legacy. 

The Pyramid of the Sun

Located along the avenue of the dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico, is the Pyramid of the Sun, or the Temple of the Sun. The name of this site was given to it by the Aztecs centuries after the fall of the civilization that erected it, meaning we do not know its original name. The construction of the pyramid is believed to have taken place in approximately 100-200 AD. It is composed of mainly red volcanic rocks and its form consists of four stepped platforms covered with lime plaster.  The outer surface is thought to have been brightly painted with murals and motifs, possibly of some of the principal deities worshipped by the inhabitants of the region. One of the most remarkable features of the pyramid is its sheer size. At approximately 75 meters tall it is the 3rd tallest pyramid in the world. Visitors to the pyramid would have to climb 248 stairs to reach the peak of this magnificent structure. The true height varies, as it was rebuilt with a 5th platform during reconstruction in 1910.

Beneath the pyramid lies a man-made tunnel that leads to a cave that sits directly beneath the center of the structure. The tunnel resides within a clover shaped structure that may have been linked to the creation stories according to the belief systems the people of the time. It is possible the temple was constructed where they believed to be the birthplace of humanity. Though not much is known about the inhabitants of this area, scientists and archaeologists surmise that the pyramid had great spiritual relevance to the people of the land. It is thought that fire and water rituals were conducted beneath the pyramids. Unfortunately, there is not much evidence to confirm these beliefs other than the influence they had on later civilizations. Originally the pyramid of the sun perhaps had an altar on the top, the destruction of which is believed to be the result of both natural and man-made causes.

The Pyramid of the Sun, Photography by Oscar Peñalva

The alignment of the pyramid is significant as each side faces a cardinal direction. This is a strong indication of a civilization that was a tune with the astrological realm. Many civilizations of the time were planning their cities and temples according to the heavenly bodies. Each side may have faced a specific arrangement of stars at that time that aligned with the principal deities worshipped by the inhabitants. Buildings such as these were also excellent tools for tracking time. The amount of time passed since the construction of the pyramid could be tracked if one knew which stars faced which side of the pyramid at its construction and could compare those positions with the current location of said stars. This lends the pyramids a sense of permanence and by association immortalizes the builders of these structures. If a generation decided to add to the structure, they subsequently became a part of the legacy that the pyramid holds.

The measurements of the pyramid are said to correlate with the form and structure of the surrounding universe. In the case of the Pyramid of the Sun, the units of measure were about 83 centimeters. Each side was about 260 units long which corresponds to 260-calendar days, and a 365-day solar calendar. Oddly enough, the 83 cm unit of measurement also corresponds with the average length from the center of the human body to the tip of the outstretched hand. This displays a both practical and deeply spiritual understanding of measurement. The building of these structures might therefore be said to be a replication of the human body, the world in which we reside, and the surrounding universe.

The pyramid is also thought to have been a place of great spiritual significance. The temple at the top of the pyramid is an obvious indicator, but there have also been artifacts found at the base end beneath the pyramid. Among the things found there are the skulls of a puma and a wolf, green stone masks, an eagle with a pyrite disc on its back, and what seems to be the remains of a human sacrifice in the form of four children and two adults. The puma skull is believed to be connected to a sun deity, but the name of the deity worshipped at the time is unknown and whether worship took place there is still speculation. The eagle with the disc on its back may be related to the Aztec symbol of the eagle with the world on its back. This Aztec principle may have been influenced by the earlier civilization. The structure of the pyramid is indicative of the element of fire, and as such is often closely linked with sun gods and fire deities. Of course, much of this kind of speculation from scholars has historically been based on comparisons with civilizations elsewhere in the world such as the Ancient Egyptians and the Ancient Chinese.

The Pyramid of the Sun is not a lone structure in a sparsely inhabited land, in fact it is not the only pyramidal structure in the immediate area. The Pyramid of the Moon is Located on the northern side of the Avenue of the Dead. The Pyramid of the Moon was built like the Pyramid of the Sun, except that it had a large plateau extending from the southern side of the structure. The Avenue of the Dead is one of two main highways that crosscut the city, along which major and minor sites lie. The center of the city contained a citadel, which was a sunken platform that was surrounded by temples. Within the center of the citadel was the supposed Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. Decorating the temple are images of the fire serpent, the bearer of the sun. Within the city was a quarter that contained the ruling elite, as well as areas that the people resided within. Lining either side of the Avenue of the Dead are residences of the elite. Each home is surrounded by a high stonewall whose only allowance for entry was a small inconspicuous door. The roofs were built using a large cedar beam and the inner walls were plastered and painted with intricate scenes of the procession of the gods.

Pyramid of the Moon, Photography by Polimerek

On the eastern side of the city were the common dwellings. Here, the architects and artisans and those who made the city resided. The craftsman of this city produced a specialized version of ceramics and green obsidian figures that were traded throughout the region. One of its signature exports is a symmetrical vessel with three slab legs and a cover painted with scenes that mimic the walls of the homes of the elite. The skills necessary to create these forms indicate an advanced artistic culture.

Due to the lack of information, it is not currently known which deities were worshipped, or even the original name of the pyramid of the sun. It is also not known what caused the fall of said civilization, only that they must have been a highly advanced people capable of developing a complex and enduring culture. While the reasons for the fall of the civilization that built the pyramid are unknown, we do know that the pyramid itself was burnt at one point, possibly in a ritualistic manner. It is also probable that the pyramid was burnt by an invading force, as was a common practice of the time. Before the fall of the Teotihuacan civilization, it is said that the city that the pyramid lies in contained a population of approximately 150,000 to 250,000 inhabitants.

Teotihuacan means City of the Gods. The influence of the city in Mesoamerica was likely profound. The legacy of the civilization can be observed directly though the art and architecture that was produced by later civilizations such as the Maya and the Aztecs. The importance of structures like the pyramid of the sun and what they symbolized cannot be overstated. This is especially true since we have no records written by the original inhabitants. 

References

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Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. “Teotihuacan: Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/teot2/hd_teot2.htm

“Teotihuacan Pyramid of the Sun.” Mexico Archeology. Accessed April 29, 2022. http://www.mexicoarcheology.com/teotihuacan-pyramid-of-the-sun/.

Berlo, J. C., & Phillips, R. B. (2015). Native North American Art. Oxford University Press.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Pyramid of the sun. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved April 29, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Pyramid-of-the-Sun

Citation: Payton, Lee. “Study of the Architecture of Teotihuacan,” Journal of Art & Theatre, vol. 1, no. 2 (2022): 30-34.