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Teotihuacán

Teotihuacán was the center of a state that extended over much of present day México and further south. Its ruins are a World Heritage Site. The remains line the Avenue of the Dead and include the Pyramids of the Sun, the Moon and Quezalcoatl, and temples to Quezalmariposa, Jaguars and Yayahuala. Its early development included contributions from the Cuicuilco culture, with immigrants to Teotihuacán probably fleeing the volcananic erruptions near the older city. Internal strife contributed to Teotihuacán's decline.

YearPopulation1Political entity
100 CE45,000Teotihuaán2
361 CE90,000Teotihuaán2
500 CE125,000Teotihuaán2
622 CE60,000Teotihuaán2

External references

Pyramid of the Moon seen from the Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacán

Historical maps

map showing part of Teotihuacán, 100 to 622 CE

Footnotes

1. Estimate for pre-20th century population in Tables of the World's Largest Cities, in Tertius Chandler, Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth, 2nd ed. (The Edwin Mellen Press, 1987). In 100, 361, 500 and 622 it was the largest city in this part of what is now México (México State, Morelos, Federal District, Querétaro, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Colima, Michoacán and Guanajuato). In 361 it was ninth, and in 500 the sixth largest city in the world.
2. The city and state's real name are speculative, given the culture's pre-literacy. Teotihuacán is the Aztec name.