Description
Led by an archaeologist, this interactive discussion will encompass the origins, development, heyday, and downfall of the pre-Columbian city of Teotihuacan, located just 42 kilometers northeast of Mexico City.
Although it is currently the most visited archaeological site in Mexico and it was the largest city in the Americas during its epoch (100-550 AD), Teotihuacan still holds many questions. Who were its inhabitants? What were the connections of this city with other coetaneous cultures in ancient Mexico and Central America? What were the causes that attracted thousands of migrants to settle there? What is the legacy of this city among past and present people in Mexico? Today, famous by its three towering pyramids named after ancient myths and gods (namely Sun Pyramid, Moon Pyramid, and Feathered Serpent Pyramid), Teotihuacan is one of the key places in the world that scholars have been researching since the 18th century in order to develop a better understanding of urbanism and early state formation in antiquity.
After this conversation, guests will come away with a better understanding of Teotihuacan's rise and fall, what the urban and artistic developments of this civilization were and how power and influence swayed all across central Mexico and beyond. In the same vein, participants will leave with a sense of why it is important to know and protect this archaeological heritage, whose history is useful to untangle our present human being proclivity to choose (or be compelled) to live in cities.
Audience
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
Duration
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.