Traces of numerous ancient earthquakes have been discovered in Teotihuacan. The first of them contributed to the prosperity of the city, the last to its collapse. Teotihuacan (100 BC – AD 650) was one of the most influential cultures in Mesoamerica. Around the 2nd century AD there was only a small settlement at this place. However, after several volcano eruptions, people left the previous regional center (Cuicuilco city) and came to Teotihuacan. However, the settlement received its name (translated from Nahuatl – City of the Gods) much later.
In its heyday (AD 250-600), it covered an area of 22 square kilometers with a population of more than 100,000 (up to 200,000 according to some estimates). So it was one of the largest cities of its time. In the center of the city was a place called the Citadel, a square that could accommodate up to 100 thousand people and was bounded by four large pyramids.
The central part of the complex is the temple of Quetzalcoatl (the Feathered Serpent), a god who would later become a central figure in the Aztec pantheon. However, despite all this magnificence, archaeologists talk about the decline of Teotihuacan, which began in the mid-6th century. According to the findings, people were dying of hunger and houses were burning and collapsing. By the middle of the 7th century, the city was completely abandoned.
Scientists do not have a full understanding of the reasons for Teotihuacan’s decline. They previously assumed that external enemies came to the city, plundered and smashed the sacred statues in the temples. It later became clear that the city center, where the administrators lived, was largely destroyed. A hypothesis emerged that people were starving (perhaps due to droughts linked to climate change) and were hungry for social justice.
Authors of the new study published Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, put forward their own version of events. They hypothesized that several large earthquakes occurred simultaneously during Teotihuacan’s heyday and decline. And each of them in his own way influenced the fate of the city.
The first occurred in 100-150 AD; researchers estimate its intensity as points VIII-IX of the MMI and EMS macroseismic scales. According to geologists, such serious tremors forced Teotihuacan residents to think about the durability of the buildings they built. The most famous temples of the city, the Moon and Sun pyramids and the Quetzalcoatl temple, were built to withstand earthquakes. They are all square in shape and have a wide base.
The next major earthquake occurred between 225 and 275 AD. And it was serious enough to damage the giant pyramids. They didn’t fall, but some boards fell off the walls. Residents of the city then took into account the experience gained and fixed the slabs during repair in a slightly different way, giving the buildings greater stability.
At least one other earthquake occurred between 400 and 525 AD, scientists said. But since reliably dated archaeological traces of earthquakes from this period are extremely few, perhaps there were two. And they have already caused serious destruction of urban buildings.
If the houses are destroyed and the temples remain standing, this may raise questions among the population and lead to attacks on the buildings next to the temples (residences of the rulers). Let us remind you that the first cases of starvation among the inhabitants of Teotihuacan date back to the mid-6th century.
According to the authors of the study, the last seismic disaster happened to the ancient city around the year 600. However, researchers emphasized that the archaeological evidence for the earthquake of this period is small but large-scale. For example, the western steps of the temple of Quetzalcoatl were completely destroyed.
Scientists write that their proposed “seismic” version of the fall of Teotihuacan does not contradict other hypotheses. Against the background of social tensions in society due to the food crisis, the earthquake may have been a factor that triggered the explosion. Internal turmoil may also have pushed the external enemy, who eventually plundered the weakened city.
Source: Port Altele
