The ruins of an ancient city built by mayan traders is centered around a temple of a sacred feathered serpent deity. Nov 30, 2018 this is where things get particularly interesting. However, in the popol vuh, the kiche feathered serpent god tepeu ququmatz is the creator of the cosmos. The pantheon of the people of teotihuacan 200 bce 700 ce also featured a feathered serpent, shown most prominently on the temple of the feathered serpent dated 150200 ce. At temples such as the aptly named quetzalcoatl temple in the ciudadela complex, feathered serpents figure prominently and alternate with a different kind of serpent head. Archaeologists believe that the site where the templecity of chichen itza would later be built was already an important pilgrimage place in the first millennium b. The temple of the quetzalcoatl dragon history the circle. More elaborate depictions of the feathered serpent version are found at the sixtiered pyramid built in the gods honor at teotihuacan, dating from circa 3rd century ad. By 1497, when the sixth temple had been completed, the aztec king. Temple of the warriors in chichen itza mayan peninsula. The actual cult of the feathered serpent was developed by the people of teotihuacan 200 bc700 ad. Perfect symmetry, nine terraces, 365 steps, a temple on top, statues of kukulcan on the stairways, an older pyramid encased inside it, built on top of a cenote make the pyramid of kukulcan one of the new wonders of the world. A secret tunnel found in mexico may finally solve the.
Aztec high priests would even include the name quetzalcoatl in their titles to denote their high rank. Feathered serpent 2012 by junius podrug nook book ebook. Temple of the feathered serpent, teotihuacan project. Built in the 4th century, the adosada platform is located just in front west of the temple of the feathered serpent, obscuring its view. The corresponding mayan god kukulkan was rare in the classic era maya civilization. The temple of the feathered serpentwhich is thought to have been built near the end of the 2 nd century bchas some really mysterious qualities to it. Apr 20, 2019 the stela, dating from some time between 1200 400 bc, portrays a serpent rearing its head behind a person possibly a priest. The most famous single pyramid in latin america is the pyramid of the sun at teotihuacan, mexico. Feathered serpent 2012 kindle edition by podrug, junius. Temple of quetzalcoatl temple, teotihuacan, mexico britannica. Mexican archaeologist sergio gomez chavez and his colleagues discover a tunnel at the teotihuacan site that continues in a straight path, directly to the pyramid of the feathered serpent which. The tunnel below the pyramid of the feathered serpent. The stairway faces the west and has reliefs of feathered serpents whose heads protrude.
It was the olmec who worshipped a rain god, a maize god, and the feathered serpent so important in the future pantheons of the aztecs who called him quetzalcoatl and the maya to whom he was kukulkan. It was constructed between 1050 and 1200 ce and is also unusual in that the sides of the court are vertical and not sloped as in most other courts. A secret tunnel found in mexico may finally solve the mysteries of teotihuacan the chance discovery beneath a nearly 2,000yearold pyramid leads to the heart of a lost civilization. Serpent from the temple of the warriors in chichen itza. The temple of the feathered serpent is the third largest pyramid at teotihuacan, a precolumbian site in central mexico. It is built over a multichambered cave with a spring that may have been the original focus of worship at the site and its source of prestige. Several feathered serpent representations appear on the building of the temple of the quetzalcoatl 150200 ad, including fullbody profiles and feathered serpent heads see below. What is the difference between the great pyramid of giza and. The pyramid of the feathered serpent occupies a prominent place in the ciudadela, a large open space that offers a respite from the massive presence of the pyramid of the sun and pyramid of the moon. Feathered serpent galnet wiki fandom powered by wikia. Hundreds of mysterious yellow orbs discovered under mexico.
The large open plaza with three temples is accessed by a short flight of stairs. The pyramid of the feathered serpent is the central construction of the citadel the complex, making the center of teotihuacan. The temple of the quetzalcoatl can be found in teotihuacan, where it stood from about 150 c. Quetzalcoatl was a bringer of knowledge, the inventor of books, and associated with the planet venus.
When can you see the serpent kukulcan descend the castillo in. The olmec also developed a system of trade throughout mesoamerica, giving rise to an elite class. The chichen itza pyramid is a stepped platform built of smallish stones upon which a modestsized temple to the god kukulcan, the feathered serpent, was built. The pyramid was built of around 765,000 cubic meters of material, consisting of sculpted tezontle, a red coarse volcanic rock of the area. It combines historical fact with theories of alien visitations and time travel and the 2012 phenomenon. Controversial astrobiologist and archaeologist caden montezwho believes teotihuacan is the best site on earth to find alien life forms, such as the serpentis on his trail. The aztec feathered serpent deity known as quetzalcoatl is known from several aztec codices such as the florentine codex, as well as from the records of the spanish conquistadors.
This raises the question why the maya about a thousand years ago built a pyramid in fact their most impressive pyramid with the purpose of worshipping a serpent. Hundreds of mysterious yellow orbs discovered under mexicos temple of the feathered serpent 111816319. Temple of the tables in chichen itza mayan peninsula. As a maya social center, chichen itza began its rise to prominence with the arrival of a seafaring people in the eighth century. It was long thought that the ancient stone pyramid temples of the maya were built by their. The temple of the feathered serpent and the goldcoloured. Discover xochicalco pyramids in xochicalco, mexico. The fabled feathered serpent begins his relentless ascent out of the bowels of the earth, escaping thousands of years of torturous confinement. It was believed that he invented books and calendars and was the giver of maize corn to the aztec people. The relief images on the temple alternate between a.
The lower parts of the walls and the ring on each wall. The pyramid rises in a series of sloping steps to a flat platform, where a small temple once stood. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading feathered serpent 2012. Detail of the pyramid, showing the alternating tlaloc left and feathered serpent right heads. The pyramid of kukulkan, a temple built to honor the feathered serpent god, still stands in chichen itza. There is a squareshaped temple on the base, 21 m per side, leaving a wide platform in front with pilasters decorated with figures of gods and warriors that used to support roof beams. Xochicalco pyramids xochicalco, mexico atlas obscura.
Beneath the pyramid is a series of interconnected tunnels, all leading to a threechamber core in the center. Constructed in 200 ad, the sixlevel step pyramid was built using hundreds of enormous stone blocks that were majestically sculpted, harmoniously integrating the sculpture and the architecture in order to create this unique monument. Teotihuacan actually existed along with its feathered serpent pyramid and was the largest prehistoric city of mesoamerica. Jun 02, 2018 the two pyramids are completely different in style and purpose. Junius podrugs feathered serpent 2012 is a masterpiece of science fiction horror.
Sep 21, 2018 it was a temple dedicated to kukulcan, the feathered serpent of the itza people. A monumental stone stairway led from level to level up the side of the pyramid to the temple platform. Pyramid of quetzalcoatl the third largest pyramid in the pictogram of teotihuacan after the pyramid of the sun and the pyramid of the moon. Temple of the feathered serpent, teotihuacan wikipedia. The friezes of the temple of the feathered serpent youtube. May 02, 20 the temple of the feathered serpent is the third largest pyramid at teotihuacan, a precolumbian site in central mexico.
The first culture to use the symbol of a feathered serpent as an important religious and political symbol was teotihuacan. A lower circular temple devoted to the feathered serpent god quetzalcoatl, who predated the aztecs, faced this main structure. If one were to see the temple in its entirety, there would be exactly 365 heads of quetzalcoatl or tlaloc, which alternate around the tiers. Temple of the feathered serpent, teotihuacan religion. The friezes of the temple of the feathered serpent, located at the teotihuacan archaeological complex, near mexico city, were added at the temple. Architect leopoldo batres, in the course of quickly organized restoration work in 190510, randomly built the 5th terrace, and several of the initial fronting stones were detached. The exquisitely crafted beastly heads were added during the temple of quetzalcoatls initial construction in the 3rd century.
Mystery of glowing orbs discovered under temple of the. The teotihuacan was one of the most dominant societies in mesoamerica. Note the two different heads, they are both representations of quetzalcoatl and alternate across the pyramid temple of the feathered serpent is a step pyramid in teotihuacan dating from ad. The temple of the featheredserpent takes its name from the iconic carved heads that adorn the eastern side figs. Along the balustrades of its frontal stairway and undulating along the taludtablero bodies of each stage of this stepped pyramid are sculptured representations of quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In the 3rd century, the aztecs built a spiritual temple to quetzalcoatl called the temple of the feathered serpent. Like so much else at teotihuacan, the pyramid of the feathered serpent was built in the taludtablero style. Quetzalcoatl was known as the deity of wind and rain, bringer of knowledge, the inventor of books, and associated with the planet venus. May 02, 20 hundreds of mysterious spheres have been discovered beneath the temple of the feathered serpent, in the prehispanic city of teotihuacan, just 30 miles from mexico city. In just over 200 years the pyramid of the sun, the worlds third largest in size, the pyramid of the moon and the temple of the feathered serpent were built by the people of teotihuacan without the use of the wheel indicated or metal tools.
Ehecatl was a wind god sometimes depicted as a version of quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent who had already been worshipped in central mexico for more than 1,000 years by the time tenochtitlan. Sep 26, 2014 the great ballcourt of chichen itza, measuring 146 m x 36 m, is the largest in mesoamerica. Thus, the pyramid of quetzalcoatl is the heart of teotihuacan. The pyramid was built southeast of the intersection of the avenue of the dead and the eastend avenue. Dominating the space is the large platform temple of xochicalco known as the pyramid of the feathered serpent which was constructed sometime prior to 900 ce. The temple of the feathered serpent takes its name from the iconic carved heads.
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