The Tenebrous Teotihuacan! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Aztec

The Aztecs believed that Teotihuacan was the place where the entire universe was created, naming it "place where gods were born". The original name of the city is unknown, and there is still much about its founding that remains a mystery today. Some scholars believe that when the Xitle volcano erupted, sometime between 245-315 AD, many different groups of people moved to the Teotihuacan valley and either founded the city or contributed to its growth.

There is evidence, however, that many of the city's massive building projects took place before that occurred.

Answer: False

At the peak of its power, sometime around 450 AD, Teotihuacan was a city of approximately 150,000-250,000 people; it is believed to have been the largest city in Mesoamerica, and the sixth largest city in the world at the time. The city collapsed sometime around 550 AD, although it appears that many different people continued to live in the area after that time. Spanish explorers first made it to Mexico in the 16th century, and given its proximity to Tenochtitlan (about thirty miles away), first seen by the Spanish under Cortes in 1519, and the fact that it was a site of religious pilgrimage for the Aztecs, one can assume that the Spanish also knew about the remains of Teotihuacan. Archaeological study by Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora began at the site in the second half of the 1600s.

Answer: Spearthrower Owl

The great king of Teotihuacan, Atlatl Cauac, also known as Spearthrower Owl, is believed to have ruled the city at the peak of its power. In addition, he is credited with the spread of the peoples' culture traits to the Mayans, as Spearthrower Owl is also mentioned in Mayan texts. Scholars, however, are still debating the extent of the affect that Teotihuacan actually had on others nearby, especially the Mayans; some believe that the Teotihuacan may have been conquerors who controlled the Mayans early in their development. According to Mayan records, Spearthrower Owl ruled for more than sixty years.

Answer: The Pulque God

Also called agave wine, pulque was made by the Teotihuacan (and still is made in Mexico today) from the fermented sap of the maguey or agave plant. As the plant matures - it takes about twelve years - it produces a bloom; once the bloom stalk is cut off, the plant sap begins to collect in the depression which is left behind, and will continue to do so for a year.

The fermentation process takes 1-4 weeks. In Teotihuacan the drink was considered to be sacred and its consumption was only allowed to members of the upper class.

The agave plant grows wild, however, in Teotihuacan the plant was cultivated and used for many different purposes. Fibers were used for making rope or fabric, thorns were needles or punches, and even the membrane of the leaves was used as a type of paper for cooking. To date, the earliest depiction of pulque in art has been discovered at Teotihuacan, however, many of the people who lived in the area had similar deities.

Answer: Inca

Archaeological evidence suggests that the city of Teotihuacan was occupied by many different groups of people. The city was constructed so that different groups occupied their own sections. Within these sections, it appears that the upper class families lived within the same compound in homes made of plaster with walls that were covered with murals.

Many of these apartment-like buildings were constructed near important religious buildings in a central location of the city. Of course, the presence of so many groups in such a large urban area suggests the presence of a multi-lingual, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural city.

Answer: Pyramid of the Sun

The central avenue of Teotihuacan, a city that covered approximately 11.5 square miles, is called the Avenue of the Dead. Two pyramids, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, along with many temples, have been found there. There are many theories as to the purpose of The Pyramid of the Sun, which is the third largest pyramid in the world today, however, no one knows for sure how the pyramid was used.

The Aztecs, who gave the Avenue of the Dead as well as the Pyramid of the Sun their names, believed the entire complex was used for burials.

It is possible, however, that the Pyramid of the Sun was used for worship, although there isn't a lot of archaeological evidence at this time to support the hypothesis.

Answer: Obsidian

It is believed that Teotihuacan was a great industrial center which included the manufacturing of pottery, jewelry, and other crafts. Most of the archaeological evidence found regarding their industry points, however, to the manufacturing of obsidian arrowheads.

In Mesoamerica obsidian arrowheads were a very important trade good; in fact, it appears that wars were even fought over it. Human figures made of obsidian have also been found in the city.

Answer: They practiced human sacrifice

While both human and animal sacrifices have been found at various sites in Teotihuacan, historians don't agree on who put them there or when it happened. Some say it was the later Aztecs, while others believe it was the Teotihuacan people. At the Pyramid of the Sun, for example, sacrificial burials of children have been found in each of the corners of the pyramid.

It is believed that the sacrificial victims were enemy warriors captured in battle; they were put to death in a variety of ways, including decapitation, being buried alive, or having their hearts cut out in order to somehow bring prosperity to the city as it was expanded and the different buildings were dedicated.

Answer: True

As already stated, the Teotihuacan decorated their city with murals. It took archaeologists quite some time to determine that the murals also contained elements of a writing system. Glyphs, or pictographs, have also been found in other buildings as well.

There are two types of glyphs; while some are similar in nature to the Maya glyphs, others are more similar to much later Aztec glyphs. So what was the purpose of this writing? It may have been just to record names of important people or places. Few examples have been found to date, so who knows what future archaeologists at the site may uncover! It is certain, however, that the people did possess written language.

Answer: Nobody knows for certain

It appears that sometime in the 600s-700s AD some of the major buildings in Teotihuacan were burned. In the beginning, archaeologists believed that this burning was evidence of invasion, however, the entire city was not burned - just some of the temples and areas that were associated with the ruling class, especially along the Avenue of the Dead. Does this mean that there was an internal uprising? There is also evidence of a decline in populations; perhaps there was a drought, and lack of food drove people from the city. Maybe there was a volcanic eruption that coincided with the decline of the city. Even though some people continued to occupy the ruined city, the culture fell into obscurity, waiting to be rediscovered.