Tenayuca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pyramid of Tenayuca |
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The Aztec pyramid of Tenayuca
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| Region | Valley of Mexico |
| Status | preserved, with museum |
| Location | |
| Location | Greater Mexico City. |
| Municipality | Tlalnepantla de Baz |
| State | Mexico State |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Temple |
| Architectural style | Aztec |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | West |
| Length | 52 meters |
| Width | 60 meters |
| Website | |
| Tenayuca at INAH | |
Tenayuca (pronounced teh-nah-YOO-kah) is an ancient site in the Valley of Mexico. It was built long before Christopher Columbus arrived. During the Postclassic period, Tenayuca was a town right on the edge of Lake Texcoco. It was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) northwest of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City.
Tenayuca is thought to be the first capital city of the Chichimec people. The Chichimec were nomadic tribes who traveled and settled in the Valley of Mexico. There, they created their own kingdoms.
Contents
What Does Tenayuca Mean?
The name Tenayuca means walled place in Nahuatl. Nahuatl is the language spoken by the Aztec people.
Where is Tenayuca Located?
The pyramid of Tenayuca is found in San Bartolo Tenayuca. This area is part of Tlalnepantla de Baz in Mexico State. It is now within the large urban area of Greater Mexico City.
A Look into Tenayuca's Past
Some historical stories say that Xolotl founded Tenayuca around 1224. He was a legendary ruler of a Chichimec tribe. This tribe settled in the Valley of Mexico after the Toltec empire collapsed in the 12th century.
Xolotl was followed by Nopaltzin, who made the Chichimec Kingdom stronger. His son, Tlotzin, then became the lord of Tenayuca. When Nopaltzin died, his successor Quinatzin moved the main Chichimec power to Texcoco. This made Tenayuca a less important place.
However, archaeological finds at Tenayuca show that people lived there much earlier. They were there during the Classic Period, long before Xolotl's time. The population grew in the early Postclassic period. It kept growing after the fall of Tula, making Tenayuca an important regional power.
In the late 1200s, after the Chichimecs arrived, Tenayuca's ruler, Tochintecuhtli, formed an alliance. He teamed up with Huetzin, the lord of the Acolhuas from Coatlichán. Their alliance controlled the central Valley of Mexico, reaching as far as Tulancingo.
By the mid-1300s, Tenayuca's power had decreased. It was conquered by nearby Azcapotzalco, which became the new regional power. Around 1434, Tenochtitlan conquered Tenayuca. This brought Tenayuca into the powerful Aztec Empire.
When the Spanish arrived, Tenayuca was still inhabited. Fighting happened there in 1520. The Spanish explorer Bernal Díaz del Castillo called Tenayuca the "town of the serpents."
At some point, the site was left empty. Mexican archaeologists rediscovered it during excavations in 1925.
How Aztec Temples Began
Aztec temple building styles mainly developed at Tenayuca. This site has the earliest known example of the typical Aztec double pyramid. This design features two temples built on a single, joined pyramid base. After Tenayuca became part of the Aztec Empire, the Aztecs adopted this new style. They used it to worship their own gods.
The temple of Tenayuca is better preserved than the similar temple of Tlatelolco. Its wall of serpents is still mostly complete on three sides of the pyramid's base.
Exploring the Site
The site has a huge pyramid platform. A double staircase goes up the western side. At the top, the twin temples of Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli once stood. The temple of Tlaloc was on the northern part of the pyramid. The Huitzilopochtli temple was on the southern part. Some of the temple steps have carvings of year-symbols, like knives, circles, and shields.
South of the staircase, at ground level, is a platform. It has sculptures of crossed bones and skulls.
Like many ancient temples in Mesoamerica, different parts were built one on top of another over time. At Tenayuca, the building grew bigger through six construction phases. However, its basic shape stayed the same. The original double pyramid was made larger five times. The first time was probably in 1299, and then every 52 years after that. The last building phase was likely around 1507. At this point, the pyramid was 62 meters (203 feet) wide and 50 meters (164 feet) deep.
Aztec influence can be seen from the third stage of building in 1351. The later stages were completely Aztec in style. This is shown by the sloping layers of the pyramid, instead of the straight walls seen in earlier stages.
The pyramid's base is surrounded by a coatepantli. This Nahuatl word means wall of serpents. It is a low platform holding 138 stone snake sculptures. Their bodies were once covered with plaster and painted in many colors. Their scales were painted black.
On the north and south sides of the pyramid, at ground level, are two sculptures of coiled serpents. The crests on their heads have markings that look like stars. These identify them as Xiuhcoatl, which means the fire serpent. All the serpent sculptures around the pyramid were connected to the worship of fire and the sun.
Several altars and shrines were also found nearby. Some of these also have serpent sculptures.
About 200 meters (656 feet) from the main pyramid are the remains of what seems to have been a fancy living area. Some rooms still have their plaster floors. Archaeologists call this area Tenayuca II. It also appears to have been built in different stages over time.
The pyramid of Tenayuca is cared for by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History). It is open for people to visit.
Photo gallery
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View of pyramids north side
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East side of pyramid
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Section of serpent wall or coatepantli on the northwest side of pyramid
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Inside of pyramid museum
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Museum exhibit of settlements glyph
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Coiled snake sculpture at north altar
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North altar to the side of the pyramid. The snake sculpture is between the two platforms
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This altar, decorated with skulls and crossed bones was found in the pyramids base with human bone fragments remaining
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Southwest portion of the coatepantli
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Coiled serpent on south side of pyramid
See also
In Spanish: Tenayuca para niños
