An hour outside of Mexico City lies pyramids and ruins, including that of the third largest known pyramid in the world. The Teotihuacan people existed as a very small blip in pre-colonial Latin American history. In 1521, Tenochitchlan was found by Cortez. Today, it is thought that it took inspiration from Teotihuacan.
The Aztecs found the ruins of Teotihuacan and decided that these were their ancestors. They named the location as a place of the Gods. Inside the Pyramid of the Moon there were many sacrificial remains, showing that it is possible that these people may have been even more violent than the Aztecs themselves.
Only about five percent of Teotihuacan is excavated and it is thought that the actual size of the city is larger than Tenochitchilan. Many people live unknowing that just beneath their floors exists a whole other world. Sometimes, these ruins are never found, others are disturbed in natural disasters, or during general maintenance.
Tunnels that have been found under Teotihuacan have been found to be 1700 years old. If we go deeper into Mexico, to Cholula, we find that (while not the home of the hotsauce of the same name) there is a pyramid that is under ground– known as the Great Pyramid of Cholula. This pyramid has over five miles of tunnels, alone, and excavations have shown that the pyramids themselves were covered in brightly colored artwork.
Deep inside the pyramid of Cholula, they found green obsidian– the only place this has been found in the world. It is thought that the Teotihuacan people controlled all of the obsidian mines in what is now Mexico and beyond.
More Info:
UNESCO
Live Science
Conde Nast Traveler
Conde Nast Traveler (Cholula)
Discover Magazine (Cholula)
Heritage Daily (Cholula)
