7 CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE TEOTIHUACAN CULTURE TO HUMANITY - HISTORY - 2025

Some of the most outstanding contributions of the Teotihuacan culture are the ball game, art and ceramics, gastronomy, textiles and clothing, or agricultural techniques.

The Teotihuacan culture is an important reference of the Mesoamerican pre-Columbian cultures that were present between the 1st century BC and the 8th century AD. The population settled in the current Valley of Mexico, between the municipalities of Teotihuacán and San Martin de las Pirámides.

The pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacán was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987 with the reference that "this was the place where the gods were created."

The culture and architecture of Teotihuacán was influenced by the Olmec culture, which is considered the "mother civilization" of Mesoamerica. The first constructions of the Teotihuacanos date from 200 BC and the Pyramid of the Sun, which is the most representative and largest, was completed in 100 AD.

The Teotihuacanos lived off agriculture, trading arrowheads, and donations from other peoples.

The priest was the one who exercised political power, considering himself the highest hierarchical authority; hence the ornaments and objects found in the excavations are considered of great historical and religious value.

At present, this region awakens a great tourist, historical and anthropological interest due to the ruins, monuments and great pyramids.

It also currently faces problems of contamination, deterioration of the pyramids and insecurity. The current groups in this area are the Nahuas and the Ottomans.

For the modern world, the cultural and historical contributions of the Teotihuacanos on architecture, novel crops and their goldsmithing are very important.

Most representative contributions of the Teotihuacanos

1- Myths

The archaeologists' studies suggest that the pyramid of the feathered serpent is intended to represent heaven, earth and the underworld for the Teotihuacanos, it was used for ceremonial acts to favor agricultural cycles.

The underworld, which is the place where the dead go, is represented by an underground tunnel that was used only for ceremonial acts.

Shiny metal inlays that symbolize the stars were also found on its walls, paintings of the origin of life, plants and animals were recreated on its walls.

2- They invented the ball game

The Teotihuacanos devised a ball game called by them as Tlachtli that consisted of inserting a ball, made of rubber, into a ring, which was on the wall.

It was played between two teams made up of 7 players each, who were placed in the central part of the court, who threw passes with the ball without touching it with their hands, feet or head; They could only touch it with the shoulder, back or hips to be able to insert it in the ring.

The players protected themselves from blows with cloth belts.

3- agriculture

The Teotihuacan settlers based their economy on agriculture, sowing grains, fibers, and legumes. They created novel drainage and irrigation systems, planted terraces, built canals to make better use of water, and devised chinampas.

The Chinampas were artificial islands built with trunks, branches and fertile land, which anchored to the bottom of the lake and planted trees and plants on them; generating greater extension of the lake and more land for their crops.

4- Fabrics and dresses

The Teotihuacanos were skilled in weaving and used the fibers that they extracted from the maguey or agave, to make clothing. They also used other raw materials such as cotton, henequen and rabbit hair.

In addition, they used plants and fruits, such as the shell or kermes, to give an intense red color to the fibers and made costumes, capes and headdresses adorned with colorful feathers, which were used mainly by the chiefs.

Teotihuacan society, notably stratified, marked differences in social position with clothing and ornamentation.

5- Art and ceramics

Teotihuacan artisans were recognized in Mesoamerica because their vessels, pots, plates, glasses, knives, and ceremonial masks stood out from those made by other cultures due to their color and decoration.

They used black volcanic glass and obsidian to make tools and work instruments.

One of the main characteristics of his art is the colorful wall painting, which depicts the stories of his civilization in a joyous way.

6- the food

The Teotihuacans included armadillo meat in their food, however, the main ingredients they used in the preparation of their dishes were: Beans, chili, corn, mote mushrooms and others such as tolonche, pinole, quelites, magueyes, capulines, axolotls, pulque, charales, huitlacoche, maguey worms and capulín.

One of the favorite foods of the Teotihuacanos was the Xoloitzcuintle, which is a hairless breed of dog, which they prepared on the grill.

7- The

The Teotihuacanos stood out for being great architects and engineers; It is not only seen in the magnitude of its constructions, in the geometric lines of the structures, in the drains and in the irrigation channels; but it is appreciated in different elements created or perfected by them.

The greatest legacy of Mesoamerican architecture is the inclusion of the masonry pillars that support the classic flat roof, which is still used in many regions of the Mexican highlands.

References

1. Britannica, TE (nd). British Encyclopedia. Retrieved from britannica.com
2. Cartwright, M. (2015). Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from ancient.eu
3. National Institute of Anthropology and History. (sf). Obtained from teotihuacan.inah.gob.mx
4. Jarus. (sf). Life Science. Retrieved from livescience.com
5. National Geographic. (sf). Obtained from nationalgeographic.com.es
6. Teotihuacan, P.-HC (sf). Unesco. Obtained from unesco.org.