Posted on 04/09/2025 8:43:29 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
According to a statement released by Brown University, an international team of archaeologists discovered an altar in the Maya city of Tikal that is characteristic of the Mesoamerican culture centered at Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan, located outside of present-day Mexico City, thrived between the first and eighth centuries a.d., when it had a population of as many as 100,000. The new discovery is some of the strongest evidence to date that they had cultural interactions with Maya cities more than 600 miles to their southeast. The four painted panels of the late fourth-century altar, which was found in an elite residential complex, feature images depicting the central Mexican Storm Goddess with a feathered headdress. The altar's adornment was likely not the work of a local Maya artist but an individual who had been trained in Teotihuacan. The relationship between Tikal and Teotihuacan may not have been overly cordial, however, as experts believe the Teotihuacanos' presence in Tikal may have resembled something closer to occupation. "It's increasingly clear that this was an extraordinary period of turbulence at Tikal," said Brown University archaeologist Stephen Houston. "What the altar confirms is that wealthy leaders from Teotihuacan came to Tikal and created replicas of ritual facilities that would have existed in their home city. It shows Teotihuacan left a heavy imprint there." Read the original scholarly article about this research in Antiquity.
(Excerpt) Read more at archaeology.org ...
The origin and language of the Teotihuacanos are yet unknown. Their cultural influences spread throughout Mesoamerica, and the city carried on trade with distant regions. Perhaps two-thirds of the urban population were involved in farming the surrounding fields. Others worked with ceramics or obsidian, a volcanic glass that was used for weapons, tools, and ornamentation. The city also had large numbers of merchants, many of whom had immigrated there from great distances.Teotihuacán | Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by Teagan Wolter | Last Updated: Apr 7, 2025
Thanks. I’ve been looking for my Teotihuacan altar. I knew I left it out somewhere….
Oh, I thought it was Tenochtitlan ...
The steps on that pyramid are treacherous. Specially coming down after a brief rainstorm.
Teotihuacan Altar Uncovered in Maya City
What's in *your* city?
It’s even more dangerous after drinking all the tequila they give you at the visitor’s center.
I still get into arguments with people on Facebook who claim the tribes never sacrificed anyone. All made up by “Colonists” they say.
Still beats getting murdered at the top and being thrown down the steps. :^)
They want to impress me? Take all that stone and build churches.
Yeah, ‘cause everyone was just relaxing in chaise lounges, sipping umbrella drinks, in a tropical paradise before the Spanish got there. No war, no one starving, perfect teeth, no disease... ;^)
The Spanish did that and tore down lots of megalithic architecture. What a crime.
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