Wikimedia CommonsThe creation of the Fifth SunTemple / RuinsUNESCO World HeritageMythology
TeotihuacanAztec / Mexica Mythology
The ancient city where the gods sacrificed themselves to create the Fifth Sun
Cultural sensitivity notice
Teotihuacan holds active significance for contemporary Indigenous communities in the Valley of Mexico. Nahua communities maintain ceremonial connections to the site and conduct ritual observances there, particularly around the spring equinox. The site is not only an archaeological monument but a living sacred landscape. Visitors are encouraged to approach it with corresponding respect.
Images via Wikimedia Commons
The Myth
In Aztec/Mexica mythology, Teotihuacan is where the current world began. After the Fourth Sun was destroyed, the gods gathered at Teotihuacan to create a new sun. Two gods — the wealthy Tecciztecatl and the humble Nanahuatzin — were chosen to sacrifice themselves by leaping into a great bonfire. Tecciztecatl hesitated. Nanahuatzin leaped without flinching and became the Fifth Sun. Shamed, Tecciztecatl followed and became the Moon.
But the new Sun did not move. It demanded the sacrifice of all the other gods. Quetzalcoatl cut out their hearts, and the Sun began its journey across the sky. This is why the Aztecs understood the Sun as requiring continuous sacrifice — it was born from sacrifice, and only sacrifice could keep it moving.
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Themes
The Place
Teotihuacan lies 30 miles northeast of Mexico City in the Valley of Mexico. The site covers roughly 8 square miles and includes the Pyramid of the Sun (the third-largest pyramid in the world), the Pyramid of the Moon, the Avenue of the Dead, and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. At its peak around 450 CE, the city held an estimated 125,000-200,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in the world.
The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Mexico's most-visited archaeological zone, receiving over 2 million visitors annually.
The History
Teotihuacan was built beginning around 100 BCE and reached its peak between 150 and 450 CE. The builders of Teotihuacan were not Aztecs — the city was already 600 years in ruins when the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the 13th century. The Aztecs found the ruins and, awestruck by their scale, named the place Teotihuacan ('birthplace of the gods') and wove it into their own origin mythology.
The city's original name and the identity of its builders remain unknown. It collapsed around 550-600 CE, likely due to internal unrest. Evidence of deliberate burning has been found along the Avenue of the Dead.
Mythological Connections
Frequently Asked
The ancient city where the Aztecs believed the gods sacrificed themselves to create the current sun — and where a civilization of 200,000 people rose and fell centuries before the Aztecs arrived.
Sources
Hirth, Kenneth G., David M. Carballo, and Barbara Arroyo (eds.). Teotihuacan: The World Beyond the City (2020). Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. View source → Edited volume bringing together two decades of work on Teotihuacan's regional and inter-regional reach. Current standard reference.
Tier 2Cowgill, George L.. Ancient Teotihuacan: Early Urbanism in Central Mexico (2015). Cambridge University Press. View source → Single-author monograph synthesising the Teotihuacan Mapping Project and subsequent urban-scale research.
Tier 2UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan — Inscription Documentation (1987). UNESCO. View source → Official World Heritage listing (inscribed 1987) and management documentation.
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Mythic Grounds acknowledges that many sites documented here are sacred to Indigenous peoples and living cultural communities. We strive to present information respectfully, drawing only from published and authorized sources. If you are a member of a community represented on this site and believe any content is inaccurate or culturally inappropriate, please contact us.