Though the ancient civilizations of Mexico and Central America are long gone, their legacy endures in the pyramids they constructed. Several different pyramid-building cultures have flourished in Mesoamerica over the millennia. Let's look at the great Mesoamerican pyramids through time.
The Great Pyramid Of The Olmecs
The Olmec culture is recognized as one of the earliest advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica. The archaeological site at La Venta in southern Mexico contains what many argue is the oldest Mesoamerican pyramid. Known as the Great Pyramid, it is 110 feet high, and is dated at around 400 BC. Early researchers assumed the structure was a mound entirely made of packed earth, but it is now considered to have once had square corners that were since eroded away.
Mariordo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pyramid Of The Sun At Teotihuacan
The ancient city of Teotihuacan 25 miles northeast of Mexico City contains the largest of the Mesoamerican pyramids. The centerpiece is the Pyramid of the Sun which towers more than 230 feet high. Built around 200 AD, it is aligned to the similar 140-foot-high Pyramid of the Moon in an incredible complex at the heart of the ancient city. The tiered structure has a central staircase that leads to what used to be a temple complex at the top. The stones of the pyramid were once encased in plaster that was painted with murals, but this coating is long gone to the ravages of time. It's not known who built the ancient city, but they may have been related to the Toltecs.
Tula
The terraced pyramids of Tula de Allende are monuments to the civilization of the Toltecs, who flourished in central Mexico after the decline of the culture of Teotihuacan. The five-tiered pyramid of Quetzalcoatl is a particular marvel, with numerous ornate sculptures dedicated to the winged serpent god of Mesoamerican mythology.
The Pyramids Of The Maya
The Maya people were the most prolific pyramid builders of all the Mesoamerican peoples. The best known are the spectacular El Castillo in Chichen Itza, and the steep-sided temple of the Great Jaguar at Tikal in Guatemala. These pyramids date from between 700—1100 AD.
Aztecs
The Aztecs dominated central Mexico until their downfall at the hands of the Spanish conquistadors. Aztec pyramids are not as numerous as those of the Maya, but there’s a well-preserved one at Acatitlan a few miles northwest of Mexico City.
Round Pyramids
The Purepecha people lived in present-day Michoacan state in the 1400s. They built five unusual stepped pyramids with rounded sides called the yácatas. Though they have a different form, they still had the same function as traditional Mesoamerican pyramids, hosting a wooden temple structure on top.
Arian Zwegers, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mesoamerican Pyramids Vs Egyptian Pyramids
Mesoamerican pyramids differed from the Egyptian pyramids in some interesting ways. First, Mesoamerican pyramids were built for public ceremonies with a stairway up to a temple at the top. Egyptian pyramids were built as tombs for the pharaohs with stone passageways in the inside of the pyramid. This required all stone construction in the pyramid’s interior, whereas Mesoamerican pyramids commonly had earth and other loose material filling the inside of a solid structure.
Continuing Fascination
Archaeologists are still studying the riddles of the Mesoamerican pyramids in all their diverse shapes and ages. While they are a window onto a mysterious past, these incredible structures are also proof that even if these civilizations have disappeared, they left something wonderful behind.
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