Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan

A Huge City More than six hundred years ago, a group of Native Americans found a very old city. There were two huge pyramids but no people. No one knows who built the city. They named the city Teotihuacán (tay-oh-tee-wah-KAHN). That was their word for “ place where the gods were born. "

A Mysterious City When it was built almost two thousand years ago, Teotihuacán was one of the biggest cities in the world. At that time, most people lived in small communities. What made Teotihuacán grow so big?

The people who ruled the great city left few clues about themselves. We do not know who they were. They wrote with pictures, but no one knows how to read the pictures today. Experts must search the area for clues about the people.

Clues about the City We know the rulers found a good place for farming. The soil was rich, and water flowed from the mountains. There were caves there, too. Evidence shows that the people believed their gods were born in caves.

The city grew slowly at first. That changed when two nearby volcanoes erupted. Thousands of people had to run for their lives. Many came to TeotihuacÃn. These people were from other cultures, but they were welcomed. They helped the city grow.