Teotihuacan: Where One Becomes a God

The ancient city of Teotihuacan is one of the greatest cities ever constructed in the Americas. It was a city that was remembered by subsequent cultures long after it was abandoned. Because it was never inhabited again, archaeologists can explore the entire city and try to reconstruct the life and history of this magnificent site. Let’s find out what made Teotihuacan such a spectacular city and culture.
Special thanks to MajoraZ and Hunter Itzkowitz for assisting in research and in photo use. Thank you to Daniel Parada and David Romero for their digital reconstructions. Also thanks to Yan Garcia of the channel CanalNahuatl for all the Nahuatl reading.
Patreon: / ancientamericas
Facebook: / ancientamericas​
CanalNahuatl: / @canalnahuatl3539
Sources and Bibliography: docs.google.co...

[@velociraptor68]

Much better than previous misinformation (by others), which clearly confused Teotihuacan with Tenochtitlan, which was a different culture over a thousand years later. I was embarrassed to watch that earlier posting, which had hundreds of thousands of views. Thank you for this more accurate historical rendering.

[@electroflame6188]

lmao What video was that?

[@MajoraZ]

Which video? Point me to them and I'll post corrections in the comments.

[@dazdavis7896]

Tenochtitlan is supposed to be the Aztec ancestors’ homeland, their home city. It wasn’t later it was earlier.

[@dylancan69]

Tenochtitlan was the more ancient of the 2 however?....in fact I've heard it speculated by researchers and in lectures done by Rob Shiba and the like that it might even be the 1st city ever built by man...Cain built a city and named it after his son as soon as he left The Lord's presence tENOCHtitlan

[@velociraptor68]

@@dylancan69 Teotihuacan was much older by many centuries. Check your facts, sir or ma'am.

[@electroflame6188]

Did you _double_ your subscriber count in a single month? Congrats!

[@AncientAmericas]

The algorithm has been kind to me.

[@user-mp3eq6ir5b]

On a more Contemporary Note, there is now a WalMart nearby...

[@jmjjg00]

I was happy to learn so much updated information about Mexican history, having been an Aztec-loving HS Spanish teacher, now retired. The last time I was in Mexico, my husband and I went to Yucatán and toured Chichén Itzá. I noticed much sculpture there with a Teotihuacán influence and asked the tour guide if there had been any trade between Teotihucán and Chichén Itzá; he replied a firm NO. Imagine my delight to learn that I was on track! Thank you so much for this invigorating research and video.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I think there might have been some misunderstanding with the guide because you are both half right. You are correct that Chichen Itza does have a lot of contact with central Mexico. It's an unusual blending of Mexican and Maya styles. However, Chichen Itza's heyday is after Teotihuacan's decline. The city that was really exerting an influence on them at that point is Tula, the Toltec capital, which is what I think the guide meant when he said no. The Toltecs were very influenced by Teotihuacan, so there is an indirect influence from Teotihuacan and that explains the similarities.

[@MajoraZ]

​@@AncientAmericas FYI, the links between Tula and Chichen Itza are pretty disputed now, tlatollotl on tumbl has a great overview on it. If Tula was actually the "Toltec capital" or if the Toltecs as described in Nahua accounts is also pretty contentious. Even I try to not get into it too much because it's such a mess and it's hard to wrap my head around.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@MajoraZ I have yet to research it in depth but I'll definitely connect with you when we get to the Toltec!

[@VictorAdad]

thanks so much! amazing

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@garykeenan8591]

This is a superb presentation. I am so grateful you took the time and effort. Pre-Columbian America is one of most important and most neglected areas of study in American education. I hope this video is part of a change in that. Many thanks.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you. I hope that education catches on soon.

[@Teporame]

It is not a coincidence that México was one of the cradles of civilization.. Mexico culture is one of the richest in the world, no doubt.

[@AncientAmericas]

It sure is!

[@robertchandler2124]

And it’s no coincidence these Mexicans were worshipping African Gods like in this city Teotihuacan. This narrator explains none of that like his other videos. Which makes it inaccurate. The Mayans agreed they did not build Pyramids but thought ‘God built it’ when they found it. Mexicans or this narrator cannot explain that with ‘conspiracy theory’ or ‘they don’t know’. That’s ignorance. #TheMoreWeKnow

[@nicholaslaport3354]

@@robertchandler2124 what in hell are you talking about? Please do elaborate ahahhahahha

[@robertchandler2124]

@@nicholaslaport3354 Y’all on KZbin dumb it seems: Pesky fact is Olmec Gods ARE African Gods. Olmec heads are wearing helmets wore in Africa in BC when there were no Aztecs around. Aztecs admit it. You welcome. #TheMoreYouKnow

[@robertchandler2124]

@@nicholaslaport3354 Haha! The joke is on you: These Olmecs were African. Olmec Gods were African Gods. The City is named after an African God, too! Olmecs wore African head gear. Haha The joke is on You idiots! #TheMoreWeKnow

[@fredriks5090]

America is one of the great centers of civilization and has brought us some of the best things ever; Chocolate, Maize, Chili and Potatoes

[@martasuyapacruz184]

Tomatoes, vanilla, avocados...

[@Fgway]

​@@martasuyapacruz184 please. We were convinced already and then you state vanilla

[@rustyshackelford1413]

Baseball

[@bristleconepinus2378]

soccer

[@rustyshackelford1413]

Mini Golf

[@stevenv6463]

I have to say as a Mexican that we have some of the most interesting history. I just wish we had more prehispanic written records.

[@AncientAmericas]

I agree.

[@N8_R]

You did. It was on clay pots. My Conquistador cousins ordered all the pots broken and piled up, then brambles plantes on top. I am sorry. We will all be poorer forever because of this crime.

[@dcl505]

"some of the most efd up history'', the entire culture built on killings and sacrifices, those pyramids are nothing but giant altairs, where ppl were..., whatever. Spanish did good thing stopping this insanity, absolute hell on earth.

[@grioulaloula8594]

As an American, I have always thought Mexico had a richer history than the USA. And you gave the world chocolate!

[@stevenv6463]

@grioulaloula8594 and tomatoes, corn and avocados.

[@gamertrub]

Just discovered this channel yesterday and I'm hooked. Sending support from Kenya 🇰🇪

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@JonnoPlays]

Pretty much same story for me. Very good quality channel and the narrator had a nice voice

[@avecam875]

Much Love to mother África from Mexico.

[@spooky686]

Greetings from Chicago, Illinois. This is my people's history. 🇲🇽

[@AncientAmericas]

@@spooky686 nice to see a Chicago guy here! Go white sox!

[@dewycocoa]

A topic I'd be thrilled to see is the relationship Mesoamerica had with southwestern cultures like Chaco Canyon! Btw, I write Maya glyphs back in my channel if ur interested, I'm planning to do more things with the beautiful script there ✨

[@doctorgothicc]

Hi! I checked out your channel based on this comment. I wasn't sure where to comment this so I just came back here. You have beutiful penmanship and a wonderful voice. Your passion comes across very clearly over video and made me excited to learn more about Maya glyphs. I couldn't help but have a huge smile watching your videos. Will definitely be keeping an eye on your video going forward ☺️

[@AncientAmericas]

Well then you should like the next episode!

[@AncientAmericas]

Wow! Thank you for such a glowing compliment!

[@OlWolf1011]

Agree with Jerson. The land mass was one thing, geopolitical borders where different. Also Trade was a big deal between peoples in this hemisphere was going on for centuries before Europeans showed up and thought folks on this side where too primitive for such endeavors. Archeology and Native stories prove that idea all wrong - so discovering how ancient peoples interacted has become a fascinating subject to explore! MORE, PLEASE!

[@magtovi]

You mean, northwestern cultures, don't you?

[@FF-pi9fq]

When I think of native Americans I've never thought of "Huge urban centers with ethnic neighborhoods." Just fascinating stuff.

[@AncientAmericas]

Not all Native American live in tipis.

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

@@AncientAmericas or longhouses

[@Daysleeper3]

Yeah, that is basically most of Mexico City still today, tho'...

[@octaviogutierrez9158]

And there's more cities like Teotihuacan in the timeline of Precolumbian america, like Tikal, Tenochtitlan, Cahokia, Cusco, Chan Chan, Wari, Uxmal, Caral, La danta, Palenque, Calakmul, Tollan xicotitlan...

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

@@bunnihanni in the US they mostly did Those that didn’t were dead and buried by the time English speakers arrived

[@little.bear344]

The ancient Greeks had a concept known as _apotheosis_ and that's when man becomes more than just a man through his acts, he becomes a myth, a legend, he becomes a god. This culture undoubtedly had the same concept.

[@JonnoPlays]

Thanks so much for posting this! It's very hard to get information about this place that isn't full of conspiracy stuff. There are some crazy interesting features of the site that still hold mysteries we need to solve. I'll be watching closely to see if any of it is mentioned in the video and how non conspiracy archeology explains it 👌 💯

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! Yeah, there's definitely more that will be uncovered. Teotihuacan is a huge site and there plenty that hasn't been investigated.

[@JonnoPlays]

@@AncientAmericas I noticed you didn't spend much time on the lake of mercury found below the site. Also the outer casing of the pyramid seems to have been made with stone that contains electrical properties. Also at the site huge blocks were found that act as electrical insulators. One was even broken up and sold to an electric company because the electrical insulation was better than any material they could find. I'm curious about these anomalies but since they don't really have any archeological value I can see why you skipped past them. I'm speculating they could make the pyramid glow or something they found visually appealing similar to how the pyramids heads flow water under certain conditions too.

[@AncientAmericas]

I didn't come across that in my research. If you got a good source, shoot it my way. I'd love to check it out.

[@JonnoPlays]

@@AncientAmericas Archeologist Sergio Gómez spent 6 years excavating the tunnel culminating in the reveal of new underground chambers in 2003. Lots of interesting stuff found in the tunnels.

[@JonnoPlays]

Basically from what I understand the pyramid is very old. It predates many societies that used it along the way to current time. So there are a lot of human and animal sacrifices inside the tunnels however those appear to be left by a later culture who discovered the pyramids and used them but not the culture who built them. Lots of traces of other chemicals down there too. Pyrite balls etc. Mostly it appears to be used as decoration to simulate stars. Interesting though.

[@chucklearnslithics3751]

All the way down by Chichen Itza there is a cave that archaeologist found a sealed chamber in recently - Balankanche cave. It was dated at having been sealed around 100 CE, during the time of Teotihuacan. I have been in there and pottery abounds. Much/most of it Teotihuacan style and had clearly visible sculpture of Tlaloc and his iconic goggles. Centuries before the Chichen it would appear the Teotihuacan influence was being spread all the way to the eastern end of the Yucatan and Mayan lowlands along with the well documented "incursions" into the southern ends of the Mayan Highlands.

[@AncientAmericas]

Ooo! I was not aware of that! Thank you!

[@virgiljjacas1229]

Correct !!! And those are the post - Teotihuacan cultural influences that academia INSIST and STILL " pushing " as the " Teotihuacan culture " 🤯🤯🤯🤪🤪🤪😜😜😜👎👎👎

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

@@virgiljjacas1229 Makes you wonder how far the cultural influences actually go.

[@virgiljjacas1229]

The origen of " real Ancient America ", could be found across the ocean, before and after Sumer and the other typical " stone builders (manipulation?) as the Hittites and pre - Egyptians, not forgetting the ancient Chinese structure's extremely similar to the " so - call Pyramid of the Sun " and the rest of the complex, the Olmec cities, not mention it in regular history texts and FULL of evidence to be discover. The story is long

[@chucklearnslithics3751]

@@virgiljjacas1229 I find your hypothesis very unlikely. You might be right, BUT you'll need BIG evidence to back up a BIG hypothesis like that. Given the DNA studies coming out now, there's not much or any hint of your â assertion being the likely. Furthermore, both the DNA and linguistic regression models seem to be close in their dating of the American First Peoples splitting off somewhere around ~22k-24k years ago. Sumer is much more recent than that.

[@mrniceguy7168]

It’s not surprising that the average Teotihuacano had a relatively high standard of living after hearing about how there was a lot of economic specialization and presumably trade. The ancient central Mexican economies are increasingly interesting to me. The Aztecs seemed to have continued in that direction, I know they had a large merchant class.

[@MajoraZ]

The Aztec absolutely had a lot of economic power, but the standard of living for Aztec commoners was much lower then for the Teotihuacanos, at least in termsof housing. Most Aztec commoners lived in small adobe homes/huts that were only 1-2 rooms large and not particularly well furnished: only nobles and royalty would have had residences akin to the sort of Villa compounds that were the norm at Teotihuacan.Granted, "Aztec" is a pretty vague term and can mean a few different things(the broader Nahua civilization which is the "Aztec culture", the specific Nahua subgroup in Tenochtitlan, the Mexica; or the "Aztec Empire" as a political unit, which is the alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, Tlacopan, and their collective subject states, which included both Nahuan and non Nahuan cities/towns) and Tenochtitlan/the Mexica in particular had stricter class divides then some other Nahua cities, but even for the more egalitarian Nahuas like in Tlaxcala, my understanding is the level of housing equality was still nowhere close to what is seen at Teotihuacan.

[@thatdude3977]

Well most of the world depends on their crops s tier agriculturual knowledge and much more... that should say enough i mean even bill gates cums when toting his "corn" plant. He found a new god....

[@Tortolo-fs5gx]

Love to learn , I feel that for latin Americans , they erased our history , because in culture being indigenous is a reason to be bullied at school , . I want to feel proud of my ancestors and where I come from 😎

[@BlazRa]

Well in Mexico everyone is basically half Spanish and half indigenous it varies the different degrees for some but as much as you don't like it the Spanish conquistadors are also your ancestors

[@EmergencyChannel]

The superior culture won.

[@elaracuan]

Ishkan kema kuate, me parece de perlas.

[@luizy6701]

I disagree. Latin governments always look to exalt (classic) natives culture to keep their narrative of oppressed-oppressor

[@hou1381]

@@BlazRa not all Mexicans a lot of Mexicans are full indigenous

[@habitualforeigner]

So well done! I was at Tikal in 1982 when they had just opened (like, just a few weeks earlier) the district that was probably the Teotihuacano enclave. It had endured long enough for the pyramid temples to have acquired a few layers, and the area was definitely larger than any Mayan delegation precincts in Teotihuacán. ... It is so interesting that the watery underworld theme would be prevalent in the Valley of Mexico, when that theme is so much more akin to the natural environment of the lowland Maya (and maybe Olmec as well?) with karst topography, caves, cenotes and explorable underground waterways. Where in the Nahua heartland is there such a thing? Several sites purported to have inspired Aztlán have multi-branched caves under the principal pyramid, but it seems the watery part is missing.

[@Rafael_Mena_Ill]

Tipically I don't give "Americas" youtubers much time of day because they frequently aren't up to snuff with the current data, so I admit I had ignored you up until now, but I have to say I'm impressed with this video and a lot of others you've done! Great Content, instant follow and I'll be anxiously awaiting new content!

[@AncientAmericas]

Wow! Thank you for giving me a chance and for sharing such praise.

[@Rafael_Mena_Ill]

@@AncientAmericas You do need a pronunciation coach though, if I'm allowed a little bit of criticism ;)

[@AncientAmericas]

@@Rafael_Mena_Ill yes I do.

[@eleveneleven1865]

@@Rafael_Mena_Ill *typically* Check your grammar before dishing out criticism

[@smashypeople]

@@eleveneleven1865 oh pish

[@josephjarosch8739]

28:00 They should make a movie about this! A warlord named *fireborn* leads an army on a long, dangerous slog through the jungle, against a crafty and well-armed foe, yet emerges on top, slaying a king and replacing him with another. Fireborn and his crew return, triumphant, a train of war-trophies in tow. Hollywood would jump at this!

[@xdeser2949]

7:40 I live in Arizona so I often try to take trips to Native American ruins around the state, and something mentioned at pretty much every single one of them is evidence of trade connections with Mesoamerica because of artifacts such as Obsidian, parrot feathers etc, something someone may not expect when ancient Arizona was pretty sparsely populated when compared to Mexico, Central, and South America at the same time. In that same vein of thought, I was reading something else recently that was pretty striking - In Egypt, an artifact called the Narmer Palette, which commemorates the Pharaoh Narmer (who first united upper and lower Egypt) and was made at a time at very least roughly contemporary, is decorated partly with motifs that strongly suggest a Mesopotamian artistic influence, and this is on something dated to around 2900 BC. It's pretty striking to me how early *extremely* extensive trade networks and knowledge of neighboring (and not so-neighboring) cultures form between human societies, even without the ability to quickly transport goods long distances like across an inland sea or with access to pack animals (like Native American societies lacked).

[@thatdude3977]

They did not lack but excelled. You are blinded, remember who taught americans (whites) a better life. History is but a envious lie

[@Halocon720]

There was not contact between ancient Mesoamerica and Egypt. Neither culture had the shipbuilding capability to create vessels that could cross the Atlantic-early dynastic Egypt was probably limited to fairly small boats (this isn’t the late Bronze Age, when trade flourished in the eastern Mediterranean) and it’s likely that no pre-Contact American culture possessed sails.

[@robertleon4323]

​@@Halocon720🙄 is saying that ancient civilizations had very extensive trade networks and knew each other. He never said that the Mesoamericans knew the Egyptians, he only used it as an analogy

[@xdeser2949]

yup, well aware@@Halocon720, I was simply comparing the example of ancient Egypt having obvious contact with Mesopotamia very early on in its history to evidence of ancient sites in Arizona having extensive contact with Mesoamerica, and commenting on how early those links seem to develop between societies.

[@raider_reaper_4194]

Recently went to Arizona and saw Montezumas Castle and the Tahootie Pyramid , real neat stuff 👌

[@rotomfan63]

Imagine if the main road of your home city that basically everyone uses at least once a day was called "The Avenue Of The Dead"

[@nicholaslaport3354]

That was the Aztec (Mexica) name for it. We don't know what the Teotihuacanos called it

[@TanyaH97]

omg...hearing the nahuatl (assuming).....makes me sad. i wish it could have been preserved and taken care of. my ancestors. other people, like the chinese, know all of their history. they know everything. and when they look into their past, they know and understand the language and the imagery because it was never taken from them. what a feeling that must be. im so envious of that. they can produce these beautiful shows about ancient stories and see who they are and where they come from on screen. they can pull poems or novels from the past and understand thousands of years of ancestors words and feelings, but we cant. that was taken from our ancestors AND from us. we speak spanish now. we have to study to understand the words of our ancestors unless we are lucky enough to be born into families so ancient that theyve kept it alive for generations. its just so sad to me. everytime i hear someone speaking nahuatl it makes me long for my ancestry to have survived. i want to understand their words too. i want to feel a part of who we once were too. its sad to know theres a part of you that resonates with something so deeply and it will never be answered. i am them. i have one of their faces. its been passed down to me over so many years and yet...i will never know or understand them. :(

[@finnericson4392]

I love the way you worded that "I have one of their faces" 😁👌 I feel the same way about my own heritage (n Europe) and the physical traits that I have. It's a feeling of like " ha wow, I'm actually one of these guys.." and knowing that people have looked eerily the way I do for a very long time

[@sheepbaad]

The youtube algorithim has bestowed me a beautiful bounty. I really appreciate the framing, format, and sources. Great work, and I appreciate putting the context of the city's development in to the video lecture!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@thetalamhclisteach1848]

I think I've been waiting for a Teotihuacan episode ever since I learned about this channel

[@AncientAmericas]

I hope it was worth the wait.

[@thetalamhclisteach1848]

@@AncientAmericas It most certainly was

[@robertchandler2124]

It’s inaccurate because he does not explain how these Mexicans are worshipping African Gods. Olmec were if African Origin who bought there knowledge & built Mexico civilization. Scientists in the 1800s & 1900s knee thus but hid it in museums in the name of Eurocentric White hegemony like this narrator does: Cite history in Anglosaxon vein. It’s undeniable: Teotihuacan Pyramids & Mexico was established by Ppl of African origin (Black). You welcome. #TheMoreWeKnow

[@Ea-Nāṣir1750BC]

@@robertchandler2124 what

[@Ahuizotl_Yolotl]

@@robertchandler2124 Ok buddy, put down the drugs.

[@chrisball3778]

Grid patterns seem to have been a common layout in planned cities in ancient times as well as modern- there are grid-patterned cities found in other ancient cultures as well- e.g. in the Indus Valley. I think we sometimes associate them with modernity because so many European cities evolved organically from small villages and have a chaotic street plan as a result, but where cities have been planned from an early stage, they frequently follow a grid pattern.

[@MajoraZ]

I can't speak for other ancient and medieval Eurasian or Andean civilizations, but in Mesoamerica it IS extremely atypical. The majority of Mesoamerican cities had a layout where there was a central urban core, and then radial suburbs: The urban core had ceremonial, administrative, and communal structures, like royal palaces and noble homes, plazas, temples, marketplaces, ball courts etc. Most of the structures here would usually be made of stone and richly furnished and painted, and were laid out in a planned fashion, though usually around plazas rather then a grid or a central road like Teotihuacan, with the placement of specific structures aligned for communal flow and ritualistic alignment so structures lined up with stellar bodies or specific temples could be seen from specific other structures (an example at Teotihuacan for this is how the San Juan river was aligned prependicular to the CIudadela and Feathered Serpent Pyramid, running along one the city's main west-east road, so it would appear to be springing forth as if from the pyramid/ciudadel). In contrast, the suburbs, which surrounded the core, contained things like commoner residences, interspersed with agricultural land/landscaped agroforests/groves, and smaller mini-cores with local "neighborhood" shrines, noble homes, etc. These were usually NOT organized/planned, and spread out haphazardly, though residences tended to still be organized in what's known as a patio group, with 3-4 small residences facing one another around a small patio/plaza. The suburbs radiated out from the urban core and gradually decreased in density, often without a clear end-point, which often makes determining when a given city ended and an adjacent hamlet or town started pretty difficult: Large maya cities in particular had giant sprawls covering dozens to hundreds of square kilometers, linking multiple major cities together into a larger megalopolis. This is obviously not universal, Teotihuacan is one such exception (organized around a central road, on a grid layout; though the urban grid still somewhat represents a "core" and the more scattered structures and agricultural land around it as seen in 3:40 roughly represents the "suburbs" still). Tenochtitlan is another: It was one of the only other Mesoamerican cities, perhaps THE only other Mesoamerican cities, with a grid layout, which Dr. Micheal Smith, an expert of Mesoamerican urbanism, argues is an intentional revival of Teotihuacano urban elements. As it was built on an island (or rather, built on an island and then expanded with a grid of artificial islands), it also had a obvious clear definable boundary for the city limits which is unusual, though Dr. Susan Toby Evans argues that other cities and towns around the lakeshore and on other islands connected to it via causeways can arguably represent a megalopolitan sprawl. There is also still a clear ceremonial district surronded by other adminstrative and religious structures which then you had the commoner residences and agricultural land around on the artificial chinampa islands. Palenque is a third exception. It was founded on a relative flat area on the side of an otherwise steep mountainside/hill, and as such, only really had so much usable land. As a result, the commoner residences were built tightly packed together on a series of acropoli complexes (which you occasionally see in Mesoamerican cities, especially Maya ones, often as part of urban cores with multiple noble homes, temples, or palaces built on top of or out of one another. These are built in an interesting iterative, almost fractal manner, if you want me to clarify on this let me know) around the a few urban cores, and as such it almost looks like a typical "haphazard" medieval european city on maps. One last thing before I post some visual references: At a talk Dr. David Carballo gave, he showed a diagram argueing that Teotihuacan's urban design in a way has a sort of fracal-plaza setup: The apartment/villa compounds often have rooms and patios around a courtyard (which were common in mesoamerican palaces in general, to be clear), and then multiple of these compounds around a communal plaza, and then many of those compoumd-plaza units around...well, what's labeled in the diagram as the "town plaza", which teotihuacan didn't really have, so maybe it's argueing that for other Mesoamerican cities? but they didn't tend to have so many multiroom palaces with courtyards, so it doesn't work for those either... I'll have to email him about it I guess! :p Anyways, some visual references/diagrams for you: - A painting by Quino Marín of the city center of Copan, and then with "zoom out" structure/settlement maps of the surronding suburbs and adjacent hamlets showing the sprawl around it: i.imgur.com/kUHx6o3.jpg . Note the Patio groups of commoner/lesser noble residences in the art. As a disclaimer, there would probably have been a bit more managed/landscaped tree cover then this, though perhaps not much so. In general the further out you go from the city center and the further out from sattileite suburbs inside the sprawl, likely more of it would have been managed/landscaped forest or then entirely untamed jungle rather then entirely cleared land. Mexico, especially the Yucatan is HOT, though, so keeping at least some tree cover even in heavy traffic areas was important. Gardens were a big deal in mesoamerican socities in general. Also, I believe the color scheme and accent/archexctural style of the buildings may be off: the Rosailila temple at Copan is painted primarily red and green with more ornatre stucco/stone sculptural facades and reliefs, but it was also a prior stage/buried underneath structure 16 so i'm not sure if it's style represents what Copan's structures would have looked like at it's height. This cross sectional recreation gives that style to everything though: i.imgur.com/W011rn8.png - Map of Tenochtitlan and Adjacent cities from/for BigRedHair's Aztec Empire webcomic: i.imgur.com/F9LQK3O.jpg . Note that this is partially speculative: While we do know the exact/relative positions of some structures in the city, different maps show contradicting locations, and we don't know the exact locations of most random residences. The locations marked here in the key are mostly known exactly, bar the aformentioned occasional slight contradiction between sources (this is a synthsiis of multiple maps), but otherwise it's speculative. Still, the overall layout of the city, causeways, etc is authentic, and still gets you the general idea of what I described above. - This map of Palenque's layout: www.latinamericanstudies.org/maya/Palenque-Map-complete.jpg ; not gonna get into it here but Palenque is also notable for the sheer amount of aquaduct, canal, resvoir, drainage network, and plumbing systems it has due to there being dozens of springs or or nearby the city and 9 steams/rivers that ran across it. Mesoamerican cities in general often had complex waterworks systems and it's one of the best examples. - "Aztec City Planning" and "The Teotihuacan Anomaly" by Dr Micheal Smith. www.public.asu.edu/~mesmith9/1-CompleteSet/MES-08-AzCityPlan-Encyclopedia.pdf and www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/opar-2017-0010/html . Smith (and Susan Toby Evans, she has a lot of stuff out on Aztec palaces and gardens) are really good about posting their work online for free. Susan Toby Evans even has an entire 200+ page book on Precolumbian Palaces online for free! - The "fractal plaza" diagram I mentioned: i.imgur.com/U41QKsK.jpg

[@nicolewildman8976]

Hello. I think what really impressed me was the fact that this civilization had no access to our modern machinery such as drills, tractors or even cranes yet they were able to build this complex of huge, impressive and beautiful structures, move heavy blocks most likely weighing tons and excavate tunnels deep in the ground. They had expert architects and masons. I visited Teotihuacan a few years ago and the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon are surprisingly well intact considering their age. Thanks for sharing. It was a great video.

[@greatskytrollantidrama4473]

#wherethewatergo I've always felt that the city is far too dry, I think if we had the water handling canals properly mapped we could better understand what buildings and courtyards were actually used for. I suspect there were many more water features than is obvious. The reverence of water is almost ubiquitous, but I don't see much in the way of water features there, which is exceptional, in itself. Especially if that culture altered a river to build a city.

[@e.777.r2]

Its interesting how the drawing style of Teotihuacan looks very similar to Mixtec and Aztec codices, a video about the writing system that was used in central Mexico, including the Mixtecs would be cool.

[@AncientAmericas]

We will get to the mixtec in due time.

[@laurellussen3512]

Thanks for this great trip to one of the most striking places this sometime traveler has visited. I found it moving and lingered longer than planned. For some reason I found peace there. I climbed the pyramid to Quetzacotal. I saw broken pottery and shards everywhere. The sunken courtyard decorated with butterflies on the stones echoes the stories of a chorus of human brothers and sisters who lived by sacred beliefs.

[@changopardomuzik4953]

I love how he says AMERICAN history, people seem to think that only the US is America. Wrong!!! The whole continent is AMERICA therefore Mexicans Salvadorians Chileans, Brazilians, Argentinian etc are all AMERICAN

[@AncientAmericas]

When did I say that only people in the united states are american? Anyone in north or south america is american.

[@changopardomuzik4953]

@@AncientAmericas u misunderstood my comment. I said I love how u say AMERICAN history as it should be properly called. Alot people only see the US as America. Basically I'm saying you are correct in calling that. And that most people (not you included) only consider US America

[@AncientAmericas]

@@changopardomuzik4953 ah, my apologies. Thank you!

[@changopardomuzik4953]

@@AncientAmericas no worries amazing content you are putting out👌

[@decem_sagittae]

Hey, I just discovered your channel and watched a bunch of your videos. Great stuff! I'm a historian and (non-practicing) archeologist. My focus is on East-Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe in the middle ages. But I've always been fascinated by pre-Columbian American history. Keep up the good work. Cheers from România 🇷🇴

[@Smoug]

that is super interesting, im mexican but would like to be a medievalist. Are there any books you recommend for medieval eastern europe?

[@decem_sagittae]

@@Smoug yes. Check out The Other Europe in the Middle Ages series from Brill edited by Florin Curta.

[@DeHeld8]

So Meso-american pyramids are more like Mesopotamian ziggurats rather then Egyptian tombs.

[@AncientAmericas]

Generally, I'd say that's a better analogy although there are examples of pyramids in mesoamerica containing tombs.

[@jastermereel4946]

so it was basically the nyc of classic mesoamerica. i wanna see a sitcom set in teotihuacan featuring a diverse cast, like a a maya guy, a zapotec chick, etc

[@nikhtose]

Surprised you didn't mentioned the climate disaster of 536 CE, when multiple sources around the world chronicled a prolonged darkening and cooling that devastated agriculture and ultimately caused the Justinian plague in the Eastern Mediterranean. This moment corresponds to the period of decline at Teotihuacán you describe.

[@Chef_Alpo]

Their carbon footprint exceeded the earths tolerances. Should have switched from fossil to electric, and now we see history repeating itself 🙄

[@capitalg4112]

👀 how convenient.

[@doctorgothicc]

Thanks so much for the great videos! I think the editing and narration styles you employ are very effective for communicating both the enthusiasm and level of mastery you have for your subjects. I also really appreciate the work you put in to your citations. I've had a really easy time using your videos as a touch point for my own supplemental research on the topics your videos have introduced me too. Thanks again!

[@AncientAmericas]

No problem! I wouldn't call myself a master of these, just an avid learner who likes to share what I've learned. And thank you for noticing my citations and bibliographies! I put a lot of work into those so that that knowledge is public.

[@ozlemkarahasanoglu1064]

Thank you for this very good video.The poem at the end is very impressive also.

[@Carloshache]

I wonder how the apartments were aloted to people. Were there a kind of "rent" you'd had to pay? Such as doing services to the city and doing public works in exchange for a high living standard. Egalitarianism in housing might point you in the direction that the city lacked slavery. Pretty unique for this kind of civilization!

[@AncientAmericas]

That's a really good question and I wish I had a good answer for you.

[@MajoraZ]

I don't think it would work the same, since as we note in the video, the quality of life for commoners was so much higher in Teotihuacan and it probably had adminstrative differences, but how it worked in Tenochtitlan 1000 years later in the same areas is that the city was organized into wards or neighborhoods called capulli (there were other subdivisions but those were the main ones), the capulli communally owned the land and elected local judges and had their own police forces, etc. Commoner families worked the land they were granted in exchange for being able to live there. Not taking good care of it might mean being ejected. Nobility, on the other hand, could actually own land/property themselves, or land grants could be given to commoners who did sufficient military feats.

[@soyplebe7]

I'm a world History instructor (I studied literature and culture, not history) I have to say, that as a Mexican I was ready to criticize this video, as often do with other videos similar to this one. I have to say, I was impressed, very detailed and very informative. I was watching and I was wondering if you were going to talk about the invasion to Mayan cities, and boom, you did 😂, I was very impressed. Thank you very much for this video, I really enjoyed it. By the way, just a little something. The Aztec did went all the way to El Salvador, not what whole country as we know it to day, but a part of it, that is why you can find a dialect of Nahuatl in that country called Nahua.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you for your lovely words! They were very pleasing to read. I actually left some info of the Maya invasion out of the video. I figured it would be best to cover it later when we discuss the Maya. And yes, the Aztecs did get into San Salvador but to my knowledge never penetrated the Maya heartland so dramatically. Maybe with more time, they would have but that would have been a very tough campaign to pull off. The Maya are one of history's greatest survivors and they fight to the bitter end.

[@soyplebe7]

@@AncientAmericas thanks for your response, very kind of you. I grew up in Michoacán, but I live in L.A. now. Just to give you a tip (for when you have time). In Michoacán there was and there's a Nation called the P'urhépecha. It was a kingdom (not an empire) that was very powerful, it was the only that were equal to the Aztec (in terms of military might). They were in some type of cold war, but the only two times they fought, the P'urhépecha were victorious. We don't know where we come from, there's a book called "La relación de Michoacán" that kind of tells the story, but not many believes it. We had tools made of metal, we worked with metal actually and we speak a language (I don't speak it) that has no relationship to any language in the whole continent. Some people say it has some similarities with quechua, the language of the Incas, but many linguistics experts say that there's no connection. I don't, is just something curious about the people of Michoacán that find weird and it has something of mystery. Have a great day and thank you for all the work you do, I'll be watching your videos.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@soyplebe7 thanks! Oddly enough, the Purépecha are probably the most requested episode from the comments and they've been on the topic list from day one. I do want to cover them and I'll probably do so next year.

[@soyplebe7]

@@AncientAmericas The P'urhépecha are a mystery like I said, because no one knows where we come from or why our language has no relation to any language in the continent. There's a book by J.M.G Le Clèzio (French Nobel laureate) called "The Divine Conquest of Michoacán", that is the closest thing we have as a "History", but again, no one is certain.

[@tim.a.k.mertens]

i really love the level of detail you get into, as it not only paints a better portrait of these places, but it gives me as sorts of specific things to investigate to further develop my understanding. keep up the great work

[@at-the-joslen]

I've been binging your videos and they're great, but I have to wonder, how to do manage to put up with all the pseudo-science fanatics that run rampant in your comment sections? It's like half these commenters are living in a completely different reality.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I look at those comments like I look at Statler and Waldorf from the Muppet Show. They may be here to troll and complain but they attend every show and pay for box seats. At the end of the day, views are views.

[@at-the-joslen]

@@AncientAmericas Fair enough, and thanks so much for the opportunity to learn so much more about the history of the Americas

[@Hecker9974]

I just think of the dead internet theory nowadays, surface level internet it's all just chatgpt and it's cousins taking over for engagement everywhere

[@natbvm1880]

I am so happy to find this channel. My interest in ancient American culture was sparked when I visited teotihuacan. Thank you for this awesome vid

[@AncientAmericas]

You're welcome!

[@wimokaharawira8443]

"as far as we know" and "dear I say" are the perfect sentences for historical content. Great work 👍

[@alejandrocanasortiz9205]

Well done! You did your research quite well. Perhaps you introduce yourself only as a KZbinr, but your slides and information is even better (and up to date) that some stuff in Mesoamerican academic meetings! Let's hope Teotihuacan's legacy endures for future generations. Kindest regards from Mexico!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I'm flattered.

[@JenniieeFurrRobles]

I felt the same way! I feel like I’m back in my Latinx Philosophy & Religious Thought class, listening to a lecture by my profe!

[@Gangamathr]

Hey love your content always informative and relaxing to watch and listen to! Had a small comment on your pyramid comparison, the Egyptian pyramids were originally covered in a layer of white slabs of limestone decorated with hieroglyphs and other colorful imagery according to some Greek sources. If true I find it fun that even though they are vastly different they still share interesting similarities.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I did not know that.

[@stephaniev3.083]

YAY!!!!! A new one!!!! 👏👏👏

[@AncientAmericas]

Enjoy!

[@jorexthox4330]

No wonder they were elevated above ground… you could take a restroom 🚽 dump inside at the corner and FLUSH it down with water from a pot into a pit outside… hmm 🤨 plus it guards against flooding 😮

[@maykonjunkes6027]

Just bingeg the whole channel, thanks for such fine content!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@troygaspard6732]

The first North American cosmopolitan city.

[@AncientAmericas]

The first that we know of at least.

[@rigo1124]

I definitely want my child to have a badass name like that.

[@alangivre2474]

As a latin american, I am extremely impressed by the quality of the research!! There are a lot of youtubers of history, from roman history to chinese history, but this is wonderful!!!! And hard!!!

[@ultravolt4555]

Roman's and chinese wrote things down

[@rodrigoe.gordillo2617]

​@@ultravolt4555the mesoamericans too 😂

[@anasevi9456]

Brilliant video as always! I learned so much, love the design of the coyote/wolf warriors at 27:15, interesting contrast to the jaguar and eagle warriors of later cities in the region.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@LGDGuy]

Hey I love what you do, I just wanted to point out that Teotihuacan was inhabited and a city-state well into the Post-Classic; although in a much smaller scale (~12k-15k people) and by a different ethnic group, the Acolhuas. Christopher Garraty has a paper on this, "Aztec Teotihuacan: Political Processes at a Post-Classic and Early Colonial City-State in the Basin of Mexico"

[@MajoraZ]

Thanks for this! Do you do content on Mesoamerican history yourself? Seems like it based on the username, but there's no videos on your channel or links to other accounts on your about page?

[@LGDGuy]

@@MajoraZ Haha, actually you might remember me from Discord, I'm Pixel. I have considered making this channel about Mesoamerica content in the past but to be honest Ancient Americas here does a better job than I ever could, as I somewhat lack the resources apart from knowledge to make a quality production.

[@MajoraZ]

@@LGDGuy Ahhhhhhh, okay. I actually need to get back to you about your map and the Emperotigerstar stuff still, i've still been dealing with IRL stuff but I haven't forgotten. I also have a potential in with Tigerstar now too via somebody else I collabed with. Also, keep me updated if you do decide to make a channel! I've thought about making one two and I know a few other hobbyists that are interested, so maybe we could all share one/cross contribute.

[@mpforeverunlimited]

@@MajoraZ this channel has a discord?

[@Katnip452]

Went there once and took a balloon over the site- I’m uneasy with heights, but it was totally worth it. An impressive place. However: I am not a god! False advertising! 😂

[@AncientAmericas]

Good to know! I'll be sure to adjust my expectations accordingly!

[@9786oof]

I recommend this channel to all of my friends. It’s so so so good, I listen and relisten to the episodes every night when I’m falling asleep and when I need to take my mind off of things. The narration is so interesting and calming

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@sciencebfdiamondproscpelog1]

I find Ancient History (specifically the Ancient Americas especially mesoamerica) as a side interest. Cool and interesting.

[@legionofyuri]

Question: how did they discern the identity of the sacrificed persons found near the pyramids as warriors? Were they differently built or did they have some other characteristic that hinted at their caste?

[@AncientAmericas]

Good question! They conclude that based on the age and sex of the skeleton along with their burial goods. Also, scientists can analyze their bones and teeth to figure out what they were eating and compare it to locals to see if they were from the same area.

[@legionofyuri]

@@AncientAmericas ah that makes sense. Thank you for the answer. And goodluck with the channel, it's top notch content.

[@someguy8732]

Also warriors will often have signs of extreme physical exertion and injuries on their skeletons

[@Nunyabiz923]

No leaders because people went there to learn skills, to become a god or like the gods. I wish scholars would not write off the people’s very own declarations - those who actually dwelt there. Scholars immediate dismissal of these statements as mere mythologies may seem logical but they have no problem speculating their own deductions and allowing those speculations to harden into so called facts. Consider this - for all locations worldwide with similar mysteries: The reason the sophistication of the organization, planning and building isn’t reflected in the descendants is because the gods eventually left. The people eventually disperse elsewhere while those who stay maintain some tradition. Eventually understanding is forgotten and religions replace gods with kings and the people fall under lower dominions which is where barbarism and so called sacrifice is introduced. I personally believe it’s very possible that the people who began such traditions did so in hopes they could manipulate their gods to return as they told the people they would one day return. Eventually it was morphed into the idea of appeasing gods from afar. Just some of my own thoughts after reading and studying ancient advanced cultures over the past 40 years.

[@JamesonWilde]

Your channel is spectacular. Thanks for your work! Can't wait for the videos on aztec culture. Do you have any plans on videos on the native cultures in Florida? I live in FL now and am very interested in learning about sites here that I can visit. Subscribed!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! I do want to cover the Calusa at some point. I'm sure I'll touch on Florida sites as they come up.

[@historicalfootnotes]

Who else misread the title as Tenochtitlán?

[@AncientAmericas]

Easy mistake to make.

[@gusjones5642]

We natives need our heritage back and our culture! They've withheld from us for so long!!!

[@JohnDoe-rk7ej]

Go within ✊🏽

[@GringoLoco]

As always, another entertaining and informative AA episode!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thanks!

[@alexandruianu8432]

Talud-tablero just means slope-deck.

[@AncientAmericas]

Is that what is literally means? Makes sense!

[@alexandruianu8432]

@@AncientAmericas Oh, yeah. It's very similar in Romanian as well if you're curious: taluz-tablier. They're very construction engineer-y terms, so they caught my eye immediately.

[@arturogonzalez-barrios8206]

The purpose of Talud-tablero was so that the slopes would not be as visible, creating an illusion of floating decks.

[@felipemendez1582]

This is a very awesome place.my wife is originally from West of Pachuca .I visit this place every time I go back to visit her family. I love this place I am always amazed. How this place was built. If you are ever in central Mexico do not pass this up.

[@alansalazarortiz-braden4677]

Still waiting for a video on the Zapotec or Mixtec.

[@AncientAmericas]

All in good time.

[@alansalazarortiz-braden4677]

@@AncientAmericas Yes, no rush.

[@infinitegodaikinbrent8174]

Wow! Great video! I did not know they had included other cultures as that is certainly not taught much in basic US/Mexico ancient history. I’m glad I found your video. Thank you, merry Christmas and Happy New Years.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! Happy holidays to you too!

[@shibolinemress8913]

The Mesoamerican pyramids remind me much more of Mesopotamian ziggurats than Egyptian pyramids.

[@AncientAmericas]

They definitely have more in common with ziggurats.

[@joshuaharper372]

Multi-stage structures with temples on top? Yes, ziggurats and these Mesoamerican pyramids are certainly quite similar.

[@shibolinemress8913]

@@joshuaharper372 😊👍

[@LeBehemoth]

I have a confession. I had relatives living a couple kms away from the site. When l was 10 years old l got to see a small part of a room interred in one of their properties. The walls were painted red with figurines in yellow and maybe blue, in what l remember to be a repeating pattern. They said there was also some pottery inside. In the end, the room was interred once more, undisturbed. Just like this, there’s a lot of things left uncovered in that area.

[@thor3399able]

The tallest pyramid in mesoamerica is in Cholula. Cholula pyramid was found by Spaniards by accident because for long thought it was a mountain. The base of the Aztec religion was the Underworld and the Upperworld each with levels. Scholars deduct in a modern way of thinking, that is completely different than the way they saw the world, life and death. As the Mayans were interested in Time and Space, and had other goals rather than being accepted, loved or wealthy. They were interested in the cycle of life and death. Teotihuacán had no rulers per se, but just as time passed, rulers worshipped as links with the high levels of upper world. Teotihuacán did war all around the center of the country, asking for tribute and taking slaves, but the fact that an invasion from Teotihuacán to Mutal can be true, but then the mystery arises in Chichen Itzá where the city shows Aztec and Mayan elements in harmony, taking away an idea of violent invasion and more as a Roman - Greek culture encounter. The decline of the city was due of increased population and poor environment for cultivate any, or hunt. They ended up as Mayans, leaving cities. The translation of theeaning changes, the place were humans become God's is the more accepted.

[@Galbex21]

I'm originally from Mexico and many times I heard the original language of Teotihuacan is lost. Is this accurate? Thank you.

[@AncientAmericas]

No one knows what language was spoken at Teotihuacan. There are several theories but there's no way to be sure.

[@Galbex21]

@@AncientAmericas Thank you for your replay. That is so mysterious. I have been there around 5 times and its crazy to think all that was built and we don't know a lot about them. I subscribed to your channel. Thank you!

[@oskarblonde1]

Maybe otomí but the city was so multiethnic that is difficult to know what lenguage was.

[@urielantoniobarcelosavenda780]

Its good to know this stuff, in the mexican education system we barely grasp over the pre colonial cultures, we don't really understend them, so Im gratefull with you

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@diamondtiara84]

I had never heard of Teotihuacan before. For that matter, I never knew about those lakes Mexico once had. There's a lot I don't know and I'm glad for the chance to learn. This was the first video on this channel I watched, and it won't be the last.

[@stephaniev3.083]

The Copper Culture video will blow your mind 😁 And the Popol Vul one is the best explanation I've ever come across.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@L.P.1987]

Basically, the Trade Federation (from Star Wars) of the Mesoamerican world. A huge trade power, but if someone dares to challenge them, they would've sent their armies to collect tributes!

[@anotherone5926]

It has a very large, rounded pyramid that reaches 23 meters, eh.

[@AncientAmericas]

It's taller than my house.

[@giuseppelogiurato5718]

I was just waiting for him to try saying "Chalchiutlicue/Chalchihuitlicue".... "chal-CHOO-tli-kway/chal-chi-WEE-tli-kway"... He almost got it right, but no... EPIC Fail.

[@BlazRa]

I had a very Vivid dream Once . In the dream I was on top of the Black Pyramid and all of a sudden a fire started on the top of the pyramid and I looked into the fire . Then I began speaking in a very loud voice speaking some language that has long since been lost . Everyone else there looked away and seemed to be nervously trying to avoid looking at me. Then finally one of them did indeed look at me his eyes went solid black and he began to walk against his will to the edge and jump off.

[@manuelramirez-qd2mz]

With ongoing studies, excavations, etc. Teotihuacan has it's population re-calculated and area expanded. This is not a huge city, a metropolis is more for it. The population is estimated to be between over 800,000 and cover 80-120 sq miles. There are hundreds of large buildings and thousands of smaller foundations indicating the large population. Travelling 8 miles south from the Pyramid of the Sun, excavations have hinted in hundreds of small buildings and a road or roads connected to the metropolis.

[@jamisojo]

Do you have a link to a formal study in that regard?

[@gustavovillegas5909]

I knew I recognized Yan García’s voice! His content and books are what have been allowing me to learn my ancestral language of Nahuatl, very nice touch!

[@NathanaelFosaaen]

This was good! I really like how you handled academic debate. Wish I had been able to see this sooner.

[@Back4WhatsMines]

Great work… will you do all the pyramids in North America (southeast)including mounds? Maybe not ALL that would be a tremendous feet… but thanks for video alot of what you say correlate with my research but I’m still digging 😂 oh I JUST SUBSCRIBED 👍

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! Yes, we'll be covering many other pyramid sites.

[@Back4WhatsMines]

@@AncientAmericas Bilbo mounds?

[@cheguevara5940]

28:56 min 😂 😂 😂 Yes! Absolutely right! The name rocks ✊🏻 But the Imperial hand was deciphered by one of the few guys who can read the glyphs, and Teotihuacan placed their people on the thrones!

[@darklord7069]

This channel is amazing. Keep up the good work, man. You shed light on the beauty and sophistication of the americas 🌎

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@Iknowknow112]

Can anyone point me to a source that attempts to explain how/why agricultural states formed at roughly the same time in both the Old and New Worlds. The list of similarities is long; grains as primary food, hierarchical power structure, pyramids, writing, taxation, divine kings usually identified with the sun etc.. Of course there are differences, no wheels or hard metals in the Americas. But with supposedly no contact it's still quite a coincidence.

[@arturogonzalez-barrios8206]

I think it comes down to economics, politics and symbolism. Why? Because agriculture was discovered, not invented by different people across the world at different times and it changed society where it happened. The similarities of how the dynamics of power, management of resources, organization, etc. to me seem like environmental pressures that shape this type of cultural convergent evolution. Similar to how animals that inhabit similar environments but unrelated by genetics develop similar traits. Divine kings linked to the sun, that's just the sun shines for all human civilizations and if you want to justify your monopoly on force and government, you say you're descended from the most magnificent thing (the fucking sun haha) and you can do whatever you want

[@jamisojo]

I don't believe that corn is a grain. It is certainly a lot different than wheat and barley, for example. And rice is surely different than all of the above. These foods are still primary foods in their areas because they are what people want to eat and what is easy to grow. So, the choice of these foods is a product of their environment. So, I don't see any similarity there. Hierarchical power structure comes with larger settlements. It would make no sense in tiny villages. So, that isn't a similarity. It is just a product of urbanizing. "Divine" Kings are just we have validating the head of the hierarchy. One ancient people would believe in. So, a product of urbanizing again. Reading, taxation,.... All parts of a more complex society. Complexity being more necessary and more able due to urbanizing and the more stable food sources that don't move around. Pyramids, in some places. Another tool of the power structure. A product of urbanization. Hunter gatherers wouldn't need any pyramids because they aren't going to gather in groups that large or stay in one place.

[@jamisojo]

The driving force seems to be agriculture. This allowed people to stay in one place and form cities. The only opportunity I see for is diverse civilizations being connected is the timing of the development of agriculture. I think if you looked at that closely though, you would find that agriculture developed in these places many hundreds or thousands of years apart. Of course, we see in many places in Africa that agriculture never really took off at all. Maybe they just like their hunter gather lifestyle too much. Or, other environmental factors limited their development of agriculture (bad land, little rain, as examples). Still, I understand why it seems like they are still relatively close compared to the long history of human existence. I think that's an interesting question also. Maybe it had something to do with both human beings being ready to advance into those technologies... And the end of the previous ice age? Maybe? I'm not sure. I might have to look into that subject more and see if anyone has a more confident answer. I suppose the density of humans on the planet might have had something to do with it. In many places, moving into uninhabited areas might have gotten more difficult. In which case, people figured that settling down was a better idea than coming into conflict with other groups of people over hunting and gathering areas.

[@Iknowknow112]

@@jamisojo Where in Africa didn’t agriculture take off other than the Kalahari desert? Do you know anything about African history?

[@Iknowknow112]

@@jamisojo Sir, corn ,rice, oats, rye ,wheat barely and millet ( extensively grown throughout Africa) are all grains.

[@jr3753]

Any purepecha videos on the way

[@AncientAmericas]

Eventually!

[@Scarysmileyxx]

@@AncientAmericas CANT WAIT 🙏🏽🤎

[@STxFisherman]

Outstanding documentary on Teotihuacan life and culture. Thank you for sharing.

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@urielleyva7245]

Pure quality content

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!

[@crazy8sdrums]

Our understanding of the earlier Americas peoples and the artifacts they created is in constant evolution.

[@ronmani9476]

thank you for these very informative videos.... they are well presented and really help to "connect the dots" between various cultures and influences without being too "dry".

[@AncientAmericas]

You are most welcome!

[@larrypicard8802]

I've climbed the Pramid of the Sun three times. Beautiful view at the top.

[@madisonham5384]

Am I the only one bingeing this channel?

[@devilsown5892]

Twice Ive stood atop the Pyramid of the sun and beheld the Moon and the Dragon across the avenue of the dead. Nothing can compete with the feeling. Behold our insignificance in the grand scale of things.

[@HistoryExplained]

Awesome channel! It just popped up for me and I can already tell that I’ll be binging all your videos!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you! Flattered to see another esteemed history channel leave a comment. I remember when I watched your guys' first video on Narmer last year. It's stuck in my memory because you released it around the same time when I dropped my first video.

[@HistoryExplained]

@@AncientAmericas I’m happy that you remember me from way back then! I just checked out your channel on Social Blade and I’m thrilled for your recent rapid growth! I experienced something similar last September, but I stupidly didn’t feed the furnace and it all disappeared after about 6 weeks. I highly recommend that you don’t make the same mistake I made, but I see that you don’t have much of an issue with consistency so that’s fantastic! Keep up the great work!

[@freealter]

My new favorite history channel just uploaded!

[@AncientAmericas]

Enjoy!

[@freealter]

@@AncientAmericas also your production value is amazing for these long long videos. Thanks for being the best.

[@freealter]

@@AncientAmericas also what do you think about the claim that the city might be named “Teohuacan” rather than “Teotihuacan”.

[@AncientAmericas]

@@freealter I remember seeing one of my articles mention that in passing but I didn't really dwell on it so I don't really have much of an opinion on it and I'd rather not comb through my material to find it. Sorry for the boring answer.

[@marcelacardenas7729]

You now have 24k subscribers :O

[@AncientAmericas]

I'm just as surprised as you.

[@perretti]

When I think of Meso America I always think of the Phoenician and Achean artifacts seen through the artifacts.

[@agm2726]

it's really weird learning my own culture through american videos

[@connormurphy683]

Mexico has a lot of resources about this stuff too, sometimes more

[@AncientAmericas]

I hope I'm doing it justice.

[@agm2726]

@@AncientAmericas I'm enjoying it a lot

[@SOLR333]

Thx for your vids. It seems you are incorrect here tho. When I input shared astronomical properties and the way Pi is incorporated in the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of the Sun I asked Chat GPT to calculate the probability of coincidence. Here is the answer. "The likelihood of purely coincidental similarities would be in the low single digits (e.g., 1% to 5%) if you consider the complexity of the designs and mathematical constants."

[@treetoker420]

This place is something else...just beautiful energy!!

[@sagēzin1111]

Water scarcity resulting in a massive migration? Sacrificing law breakers to the water goddess?

[@Operador2281]

Another excelent video!

[@AncientAmericas]

Thank you!