[hanamizu]

Teotehuacan, as you may know, predates the Aztecs by hundreds of years. It was so old that even the Aztecs were clueless as to who built it. The Aztecs get all of the credit for the Mexican civilizations, even though they were latecomers to central Mexico.

I visited Teotehuacan some 40 years ago. Still have some sharp obsidian “razor blades” I dug out of one of the unrestored mounds. The best part was climbing the two big pyramids, huffing and puffing to find a ten year old kid selling cold bottles of Coke. Then realizing he had hauled up the soda and ice himself.

[davius]

I love that story. But the payoff on so many different levels is how much did he charge?

[ChicagahAl]

...to find a ten year old kid selling cold bottles of Coke.

He couldn't get away with that here.

Several BigGov agencies would shut him down.

[gleeaikin]

You are right, I think the Toltec civilization ended around AD 800, so a lot older. The Aztecs had come in around 200-300 years before Spanish. I visited Teotehuacan some 55 years ago. Went alone on a bus so not tied to a tour group timetable. Climbed the Pyramid of the Moon, I seem to recall still undergoing some degree of restoration. Looked out over the countryside with the Pyramid of the Sun, the bigger one to my left. Saw a causeway leading off into the distance straight ahead and a large structure near the left a half or one mile down that causeway. There were many small unrestored mounds on either side of the causeway leading away from the Moon Pyramid. I suspect they have since been excavated and rebuilt. I walked down the causeway until I came to the large structure. It was an elevated platform, very long and wide, actually more impressive in volume than either pyramid. Then I walk to the right across stony uneven ground. Got very thirsty and spotted “tuna” fruit on nopal cactus. Cut some open, they were ripe and juicy and tasted very good. What a great memory. Hiked back to the bus station. It was a very large city.

[gleeaikin]

Decided to see if memory served. It does, this link in addition to having a lot of archeological info, also has a recent map of restored area. Layout just as I remember, except the bus came in at the Museum behind the Pryamid of the Sun. The large plateau was the foundation for the Temple of Coatzcoatl and much larger in area and probably in volume of the major pyramids.

http://www.philipcoppens.com/orionimage.html

[blam]

"I dug out of one of the unrestored mounds. The best part was climbing the two big pyramids, huffing and puffing to find a ten year old kid selling cold bottles of Coke. Then realizing he had hauled up the soda and ice himself."

Yup. That was a surprise to just about everyone...it's tough going up those steep pyramids. I and most stopped and 'rested' on the way up.