Teotihuacan is an old city in ruins and is roughly 30 miles from Mexico City. In contrast, Tenochtitlan is the name of the Aztec capital that was formerly in the Historic Center of Mexico City and was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. In central Mexico, significant socioeconomic changes occurred throughout the eight centuries between Teotihuacan’s destruction and Tenochtitlan’s creation (Carrasco, 2006). Tenochtitlan was established significantly later than Teotihuacan, from about 100 to 600 CE. At the time of its construction, it had a population of about 100,000, making it the largest city in all of Mesoamerica and the seat of a little empire. As a result, this essay looks at the development of Mesoamerican cities’ early civilizations. It compares Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan’s social stratification systems and how they played a part in the symbolic development of the cities.
Tenochtitlan was established significantly later than Teotihuacan, from roughly 100 to 600 CE. At the time of its construction, it had a population of about 100,000, making it the largest city in all of Mesoamerica and the seat of a modest empire (Carrasco, 2006). The city’s streets were grid-based and inclined roughly 16 degrees east or north. The Aztecs dubbed a long boulevard in the city’s heart the Avenue of the Dead. To the south and east of the Avenue lies the considerably grander Pyramid of the Sun. The Great Compound is located west of the Ciuduadela (citadel), which is located even further south and contains the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpents inside.
It is crucial to remember that most of these names were given to the structures by the Aztecs and are not necessarily indicative of what they were or were intended to represent. Along with Teotihuacan’s language, the structures’ original names have been lost. In apartment buildings spread out around the city, the residents cohabitated. Their dwellings are exceptional not only in Mesoamerica but also around the world: while most historical city dwellings were claustrophobic tenement buildings, these were large and elegant (Carrasco, 2009). There were murals and miniature temples inside the apartment buildings, which were more significant than some Mesoamerican palaces. Based on the dwellings, Teotihuacan probably had a more equitable society, with most people belonging to what would be regarded as the middle-class today. Offerings and sacrifices were left in open temples, maybe so that the general populace could also take part in these presents to the gods. Numerous of these features were exclusive to Teotihuacan in the area, at least for almost a thousand years.
Teotihuacan stood out socially and aesthetically from most Mesoamerican towns at the time it was built. It did not adhere to the standard other Mesoamerican cities followed during the period. In particular, it did not resemble Tula. This ancient metropolis was so regular in its application of traditional Mesoamerican city-planning techniques that many other cities mimicked Tula when they were built. Tula features a temple pyramid, a palace, a ballroom, and a central plaza. One of these, temple-pyramids, was all Teotihuacan had. As opposed to Teotihuacan, Tula also had platforms with skulls and circular pyramids. In contrast to Teotihuacan, where most families had spacious apartments, they also left their residential zones undeveloped. Teotihuacan’s grid system and central highways were absent from Tula and other ancient Mesoamerican towns.
Like Tula and Teotihuacan, Tenochtitlan was a capital city from 1300 to 1520 CE. With a population of roughly 210,000, it was, like Teotihuacan, the largest metropolis in Mesoamerica when it was founded (Carrasco, 2009). The city had a similar layout and style to other Mesoamerican cities, and Tula served as its model for the epicenter. There were pyramidal temples, a palace, and a ballroom there. There were also platforms made of skulls and a circle of pyramids.
Nevertheless, when the Aztecs discovered the Teotihuacan ruins, they decided to bring back some of the once-lost architectural elements. Tenochtitlan’s shrines were built in the Teotihuacan style, and just like Teotihuacan, offerings were put in the city’s public buildings. Tenochtitlan is even a grid city. However, this might be due to other considerations like ease of construction or efficient use of a small amount of space – Tenochtitlan was once two cities sharing the same island. Thus room was restricted. Tenochtitlan ultimately combined the city planning style that had dominated Mesoamerica for about a thousand years prior to its founding with a reintroduction of Teotihuacan practices and architecture (Luján et al., 2006).
Similarly, moving from Teotihuacan to Tenochtitlan was not an easy transition in society or culture. Numerous various social dynamics were at work, changing many facets of society. In terms of population density, urbanization, and political influence, Teotihuacan was the pinnacle of its era in central Mexico. However, after Teotihuacan fell, all of these characteristics drastically decreased. A more gradual transition from Teotihuacan to Tenochtitlan constitutes the opposite kind of societal trajectory. The low point in these areas, social inequity, commercial growth, and intercultural exchange, occurred at Teotihuacan rather than during the reigns of Tula.
Finally, many different Mesoamerican peoples lived in the multiethnic city of Teotihuacan. They most likely spoke an early dialect of the later Aztec languages, such as Totonoc and Nahua. Like other Mesoamerican nations, Teotihuacan did not utilize an alphabet but instead relied on a hieroglyphic system based on pictorial representations of words’ semantic content. It resembled ancient Egyptian writing in this manner and other Mesoamerican written languages. Teotihuacan’s art and architectural style quickly extended throughout Mesoamerican and even to the far southern Mayan regions, indicating that Teotihuacan was a center of culture during the classical era (Luján et al., 2006). A huge Mesoamerican commercial network was centered in Teotihuacan. In the area, artifacts from this city have been discovered. Teotihuacan had a monopoly on mining and processing obsidian in particular. The city prospered thanks to the usage of this material in art. It is possible that Teotihuacan employed obsidian blades in their macuahuitl swords, which the Aztecs later used.
In conclusion, the ancient civilization in Mesoamerican during the classical era was primarily influenced by Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan. About 30 miles from Mexico City is an ancient city called Teotihuacan. At the same time, Tenochtitlan is the name of the Aztec capital that was once in the Historic Center of Mexico City but was utterly destroyed by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. This essay has examined the social stratification of both Teotihuacan and Tenochtitlan and their roles in the city’s symbolic construction.
References
Carrasco, D. (2006). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures. Oxford University Press.
Carrasco, D. (Ed.). (2009). the history of the conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz del Castillo. UNM Press.
Luján, L. L., Nadal, L. F., Fash, B. W., Fash, W. L., & Hernández, P. (2006). The destruction of images in Teotihuacan: Anthropomorphic sculpture, elite cults, and the end of civilization. RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics, 49(1), 12-39.
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