Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-01
SAN JUAN TEoTIHukCAN.
a BURIED CITY, TWENTY MILES
SQUARE.
MicOatli, the Path of the Dead,''
and Pyramids to the Sun
and the Moon.

iSpecml Correspondence of the REooRD-UNIoN. I
MExIco December D. 1885.
Within seven days journey from New
York, Chicago, or San Francisco, is San
Juan Teotihuacan, one of the most
interesting places in the world to
the historian, the antiquarian or
the curiosity-hunter. 1t is the site
of buried city, twenty miles square,
whose foundations were laid so long in the
past that neither records nor traditions re-
main of the builders. 1t is proven to have
been of pre-Toltec origin, and the Toltecs,
we know, disappeared from the Valley of
Mexico before the coming of the Aztecs.
According to Prescott, who closely follows
the native historian, Clavigero, the Toltecs
arrived hereabouts in the year CHS, and
after four centuries vanished as mysterious
ly as they came Their capital was Tula-
about Us far north of the CITY of
Mexico as this is south of it F:
but in some migration they found a
city here and took possession of it, whether
by conquest or because the original nabi-
tants had deserted it there is no means of
knowing. Shadowy accounts, that SAVIOR
more of tradition than of history, tell us of
the disruption of the Toltec nation and
their final dispersion from the sacred city,
lula. This was long after their great hero,
Quetzalcoatl, since deified as God of the
All" or Plumed Serpent, had developed
among them an advanced civilization for
that early period, and had left them at the
bidding of the evil-minded god Tezcatli-
poca, first to reign at Cholula and thence
over the Gulf of Yucatan to some unknown
eastern region called Tlapallan. The In
dian historian, Ixtlilxochitl, tells us that
seeds of disturbance were sown in the hith-
erto peaceful kingdom of Tollan through
the illicit love of the then reigning mon
arch, Tecpancaltzin, for the beautiful daugh-
ter of one of his mobiles. Punishment came
speedily-though neither the gods nor the
people of that day were especially noted for
virtue-and during the reign of Tecpan-
caltZinS natural son
THE ToLTECs WERE DESTROYED
AS a nation. Most of them wandered
southwark, and finding at Teotihuacan
some artificial pyramids they made them
the nucleus of a second sacred city. the
name, Teotihuacan, bestowed by them,
meaning Habitation of the Gods" Here
their kings came to be crowned, here dwelt
chambers lately discovered within the
pyramids were the burial places of their
dead. When one is in Mexico, the easiest
way to explore Teotihuacan is to go out
early every morning by the Mexican rail
way, returning at night to the capital, and
repeating the process as many times as NAV
be desired. To be sure there is a village
called San Juan Teotihuacan, a couple of
miles from the pyramids, and covering a
portion of the buried city, but the accom-
modations are poorer than one cares to en-
dure, unless necessity compels it. As for
myself, when in the wilderness, when
nothing better is procurable, | can wrap
myself in a Serdpe and sleep upon the
ground with greatest ease, but never from
choice when the comforts of civilization
are at hand. Betsy and have spent many
days prowling about the pyramids, have
poked over nearly the whole twenty
area with sticks and umbrellas, assisted by
the gamin of the village, whom we EN-
ploy as escort and aids and on several oc-
casions, being so lucky as to find freshly
plowed fields, were rewarded by discover
ing a great many arrow heads of obsidian
broken idols, bits of pottery and the clay
faces for which this place is famous, I'M
earthed apparently for our benefit.
THE TWO PRINCIPAL PYRAMIDS
Here were called Tonatiuh Itzacuatl, or
House of the Sum- and that of Meztli
the Moon. The former has base of over
700 feet, and is $50 feet high. Its platform
to-day is only about IS feet square and the
middle point of it is marked by a modern
cylindrical monument of stone The
Pyramid of the Moon, about 800 feet dis
tant, has hight of 1877 feet and base of
426x511 feet The summit of each was
orc "a odd l.ra ta,, al.
made of solid stone and wearing golden
heart-plates, and we are told that outside
the edifice on Tonatiuh Itzacuati was a
figure of the presiding deity, the Sun, COW
cred with FURNISHED gold, which glowed
so brightly in the sunshine as to guide
worshiperS on their way to the valley to
visit this ancient Mecca. Both pyramids
are composed of rocks, stones, cement and
pottery, and the flight of centuries has
softened their outlines till to-day they are
hardly more sharply defined than an ordi-
nary steep-sided hill. The chaparral and
century plants, which cover their sides.
contribute to hide the pyramidal outline,
and time has entirely removed the facing
of dressed stone which probably once
encased them. Three terraces are still dis
tinctly traced around the Pyramid of the
Sun, and two around that of the Moon.
No vestige of image or statue remains, save
a great carved block called sacriticial
stone," lying about 200 yards from the
Pyramid of the Moon, said to have been
overthrown by order of the Spanish
Bishop, Zumarrago, whose vandal hands
destroyed many treasures of antiquity.
The Pyramid of the Moon was doubtless
PLACE OF HUMAN SACRIFICE,
And lis interior a sepulcher for priests
or kings. NJ. Charney, the French ex-
plorer, is said to have found wonderful
idol inside of it, and poor Macmillan
spent much time and money in searching
for more. In the western face of the
smaller pyramid is an opening, supposed
by some to lead to hitherto unexplored
treasure-vaults deep down in the body OF
this vast structure. Fred ODER saws: BY
creeping on the hands and knees through
this narrow passage, down an incline for
about twenty four feet, one has the salts
faction of reaching a POGO, or well. about
fifteen feet deep. Further than this. no
one has yet penetrated; but il is safe to
say that the aperture was left by the an
cient builders of the pyramid, and not
made by treasure-searchers, as shown by
the CAREFUL -ssit aud snoothed walls and
the passage and well. 1t is coniectured
that the Pyramid of the Sun has similar
opening, as yet unknown, because hidden
by the accumulated debris of centuries
and if this should be found it is thought
that larger chamber will be discovered
than in the Pyramid of the Moon, owing
to the greater length of base approximate
ing nearly to that of Cheops. Two great
peaks rise from the distant ridge of inclos-
ing hills, one exactly south and the other
north, and line drawn from one to the
other of these pyramids passes exactly over
the apices of both" One may ascend to
the summit of either pyramid, if good al
scrambling, by winding path starting al
the southern base. There are
MANY SMALLER MOUNDS
And pyramidal elevations which nearly
surround the larger ones, and line broad
roadway called the Path of the Dead. y
Micoatli, or in the language OF modern
neighbors, El Canine dc los Muertos This
wonderful avenue is lined on both sides
with tumuli, most of them having origin
ally been about twenty-five feet in hight.
Their long dead builders dedicated them 10
the stars and used them as places OF
burial; and all along this Path of the
Dead may be found an unusual number OF
arrow-heads and broken blades of obsidian
or It'll, volcanic glass indigenous to the
locality, from which material were made
the knives used by the priests in their
bloody sacrifices. Antiquarians have puz-
zled themselves over these mounds more
than over the larger pyramids. but il