Whenever people think of pyramids, most of them will probably think of the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Closer to home here in the Americas, ancient Mesoamerican civilizations have made their stamp on the world by leaving behind the ruins of their once great cities that had their own versions of pyramids and other structures. One of the most impressive and well preserved ruins of these ancient Mesoamerican civilizations is a place that the Aztecs called Teotihuacan which means “Birthplace of the Gods” (Metmuseum.org). The ruins are located around 30 miles northeast of Mexico City and have become a very popular tourist attraction in Mexico. Apart from being a tourist attraction, there is more to the city and pyramids than meets the eye. …show more content…
Unlike other ancient Mesoamerican cities such as Chichen Itza which were built by the Mayans during the Pre-Colombian era, not much is known about the language or writing system of the Teotihuacanos who moved into the area around 500 BC. However, there is some evidence around the city that tells us a little on who they could have been. The website Sacred Destinations states that murals were found on the site that indicated that the civilization may have been made up of warriors that captured prisoners as a form of warfare instead of capturing their territory. The Teotihuacanos used these prisoners as sacrifice so that the end of the world would be adverted. They believed that the world had 5 sun cycles and since they were on the fifth one, they believed that the world would end soon with earthquakes if they didn’t do sacrifices to their deities (Sacred). Some of these deities named by the Aztecs can be found as wall murals and sculptures throughout the ruins such as the Rain God Tlaloc or the god Quetzalcoatl represented by a serpent with feathers. The strange thing about this civilization is that even to this day, no one knows why the Teotihuacanos abandoned the city but some speculate that overpopulation combined with low resources may have contributed to the gradual decline of the number of citizens. Fortunately, the Aztecs discovered the city many centuries later and called it “Teotihuacan”. According to Sacred Destinations, the Aztecs praised the ruins of this city so much that the Aztecs made pilgrimages from their center of Tenochtitlan (Modern Day Mexico City) to
During 1325 a newly homeless Aztec tribe who were chased away by the angry ruler/father of a princess they sacrificed to the sun god, were traveling through swamps . they saw a small island with an eagle perched on a cactus eating a snake. This was told to be a sign of where the tribe was to create their new home. This new city was named Tenochtitlan. Soon this will become the capital of the Aztec empire. Tenochtitlan started out with only a temple to worship the war god Huitzilopochtli, and huts for the tribesmen.
The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican people that lived in the area of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th century. It is said that Aztecs came from a place called Aztlan. Aztlan was the Aztec's homeland, nobody knows exactly where it was, but it is believed that Aztlan lies somewhere to the north of Mexico. Some experts claim that Aztlan is a mythical place. According to Aztec legends Huitzilopochtli, their god of war and of the sun, told them to leave Aztlan and to wander until they saw an eagle on a cactus budding out of a rock and eating a snake. The Aztecs traveled many years to find the legend that Huitzilopochtli had told. They left Aztlan in the 12th century. They built their settlements in the Valley of Mexico by Lake Texcoco. There were other Indian tribes living in the area when the Aztecs arrived. The Aztecs called their settlement Tenochtitlan. By the time they settled after two centuries of voyage they called themselves by a different name, the Mexica, but the term Aztec has been used as a ...
What is a pyramid used for? This is the question many people want to know. In this article I will answer this question and a few more related questions like: What is a pyramid, What is inside and why, and How does the structure compare to the structure of modern day buildings? These questions will all help solve the original question.
Throughout the years, technology has changed the way live. This has included the way we build magnificent buildings. Old wonders like the Pyramids at Giza have fascinated people for years. There is another building concept that has attracted people’s attention for ages as well, domes.
Triangles are an important shape when it comes to the construction of buildings. They're a sturdy, simple shape, so it's no surprise to see that ancient civilizations built pyramids. The most notable being the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, as well as the Mayan Pyramids. But, what sets them so much apart? What are the similarities? What key parts make them so unique?
The Mexica, or more commonly known as Aztecs, were a small tribe searching for a new place to settle during the 12th century. Before the Aztecs came to the Valley of Mexico, the area had already been inhabited by other tribal groups wandering the land. One of these groups of inhabitants built the city of Teotihuacan. An empire was made due to the expansion and growth of Teotihuacan. At about 600 A.D., the empire of Teotihuacan was overthrown by other tribes. Centuries later, another empire was created by the people of the city of Tollan. They were known as the Toltecs. Their empire lasted from about the 10th to 12th century. At the end of the 12th century, Tollan was captured and destroyed by its enemies (Watkins). The Aztecs did not migrate
The Aztec civilization was a very complex society that was feared and known well for their various gory sacrifices done to please their many gods in their polytheistic religion. The much feared civilization began by the exile of one of the two Toltec leaders, which lead to the decline of the Toltec state that was later replaced by Mexica, or the Aztecs. According to the Aztecs, the land chosen to build their main city was chosen by the portrayal of an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. Through military might, the Aztecs managed to become the most powerful civilization in the mid-fourteenth century. They maintained their power through military might and the fear they caused other civilizations because of the human sacrifices they performed on their captured victims.
The pyramids of Teotihuacan are amazing. The largest pyramid of Teotihuacan is called The Sun, it is 233.5 feet tall. The name Pyramid of the Sun comes from the Aztecs, who visited the city of Teotihuacan centuries after it was abandoned.
A land dominated by two colossal pyramids and an extensive sacred avenue, Teotihuacan became considered a spiritual land to most inhabiters. Teotihuacan itself means, “the place where the Gods were created” or “where men became Gods”, reflecting the belief of the Aztecs that the creation of the universe occurred on that very land. (Jarus, Owen. 2012) The Temple of Quetzalcoatl along with the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon, all stand out as the monumental distinguishing characteristics of Teotihuacan. Standing sixty three meters tall and two hundred and fifteen meters square in the heart of the city, shadowed by the massive mountains of Cerro Gordo you’ll find the Pyramid of the Sun. (History.com Staff. 2009) It’s no secret that to this day it is one of the largest structure ever erected during the ancient Americas. Traveling west among the silhouettes of the mountains lies the second largest structure in Mesoamerica, the Pyramid of the Moon. Holding equal historical and religious value as the ...
The Great pyramids of Egypt are undoubtedly one of the most recognized and admired landmarks in the world. Built to pay tribute to gods and pharaohs, the pyramids were of great importance to the Egyptians, and the mystery of their construction continues to amaze us today. Many theories pertaining to how the pyramids were built have been suggested, however, none are as well supported or intelligible as the heave-ho method of quarrying and cutting limestone. Joseph Davidovits’ theory disproving this, in which states the pyramids were moulded, is not plausible. Substantial physical evidence which is consistent with the Egyptologists’ portrayal of the heave-ho method has been found. The entire process of building a pyramid with this method is possible, as demonstrated by thorough experiments and analysis of the Egyptian culture. Indisputably, the Great Pyramids of Giza were constructed by quarrying limestone, and the use of ramps, sleds, and cutting tools, owing to the ingenuity and strength of highly organized Egyptian workers.
Brazilian Architecture is very elegant and beautiful; I did not realize this until starting my research on Brazil. The oldest structure in Brazil is a pyramid, and yes I am talking about Brazil not Egypt. Contrary to what you make believe Brazilian pyramids were actually built several hundred years before Egyptian pyramids. The Brazilians and Egyptians had no contact at the time so these pyramids had to be built independently. These Brazilian pyramids were built in 3000 BC.
One of the greatest cultural successes of Ancient Egypt was certainly in their architecture related with religion. Fumeaux mention, "Temples, tombs and pyramids - all have witnessed this earth for thousands of years. What better than to say that these architectural achievements show us that Egypt's greatest virtue lay in its architecture"[1]
The pyramids of Egypt are fascinating, however, they remain to be a mystery. The well-built architecture is located in Giza, Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile River. The pyramids of Egypt are the oldest and only surviving member of ancient wonders. It is also the pride and one of the most important factors in Egyptian culture.
...y developed pre-Colombians people know as the Mayan civilization. The lost temples all traces carrying from the Mayan cultures. Chichen Itza is a very famous archaeological and a tourist site in Mexico. Approximately 1.2 million visit the Mayan ruins every year. The Castillo is probably the most known image of Chichen Itza. The monument is in a shape of a 79 foot pyramid, it consists of 365 steps same as the number of days in a solar year. All the building in Chichen Itza is made out of stone.
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient masonry structures with a square. base and four sloping triangular faces located in Egypt [1]. were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. As of 2008, 138 pyramids have been built. discovered in Egypt.