Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-27
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WILL UNCOVER
ANCIENT CITY
OF AZTEC RACE

vi HLllU hHUl
San Juan de Tcotphuacan, Mexico.
March 26.-Prospecting for the habi-
tations of a lost race in virtually the
same manner as miners dig for gold,
federal employees here have just started
to uncover the remains of a city of at
least 100000 inhabitants which flour
ished 1000 or more years ago. Here
and there over the confines of the
buried city have been sunk shafts to
find streets, houses and temples known
to exist below the level of the mountain
valley in which lies the little village
of San Juan de Teotihuacan, the name
of which means in the Nztcc tongue,
city of the Gods.
The Mexican government has appro-
priated funds for this work of cXca-
walton which is in charge of Manuel
Gamio, director of anthropoloEy of the
department of agriculture. The gov
ornment hopes eventually to make the
spot one of the show places of Mexico.
Dominating the area are the two
pyramids, one to the sun and the other
to the moon. which for centuries have
defied the efforts of archcooEists and
historians TO trace their origin. The
pyramid TO the moon is still untouched
retaining an appearance 10 the lay
eye of n huge mound of irregular
shape, oyergrown with grass and rub
bish.
Senior Gamio says the city now un-
der excavation at one time covered an
area of Is square miles with "a popula-
ton of more than 100000. Its build
crs are unknown to history but, Sr,
Gamio believes they were a portion of
an Indian tribe which wandered into
Mexico from the north and finding the
valley fruitful and the climate salu-
brious, decided to settle.
The presence OF volcanic rock as ono
of the top strata covering the ruins
indicates that one of the nearby noun
tains eruptod and inundated the city
with lava
Entry to tho grounds Is made facing
the "Tcmple to the Goddess of the
Winds, which was discovered less
than n year ago. when erosion un-
covered well defined walls and dccora-
tions typically Indian and Egyptian in
their conception. This temple has now
been dug GU. and reconstructed on the
exterior. The inside is reached at
present thru n series OF subtcrrancan
pa ssa-cs. Inside, the visitor trcads
over massive stairs with ornate dec
orations of huge serpcnts with obsidian
eyes and ErotesGue conceptions rem
inisccnt OF Egyptian art. The work
OF Interior cxcavatio and rcconstruc-
llfll ~ lIT from VitnIlHl's
Between this temple and the pyramid
to the sun is a stretch OF onc-quartcr
OF a mile which is at intervals pierced
by the shafts OF tho diggcrs and in
some places by the uncovered remains
of a house or public building with the
paint still bright and the frcscocs as
intact as the day they were placed
there several thousands OF years ago.
Between the two pyramids is a well
defined plaza on one side OF which a
street has been uncovered known as
the Path of the Dead, fTsnking
the plaza arc hundreds OF mounds
which Sr. Gamio assured the corro-
spondent contained either houses or
temples,
Immense stories OF valuable archie
illogical material have been taken from
the various excavations. Human bones.
terra Gotta heads, obsidian knives,
arrowhcads, chiidren's toys OF clay.
cooking utensils, incense burners and
crude musical instruments form the
bulk OF the find and all arc preserved
in museum which has just been
erected on the grounds
Tho two pyramids, however, are tho
dominant structures OF the city. The
pyramid to tho sun measures fsixTsl
at the base and is 2is feet high mar
rowing to a level summit.
Unlike tho pyramids OF Egypt with
its huge jutting blocks Of stone form
ing an endless stairs to tho top, the
sun Pyramid is built with smooth
surface in five distinct tiers. Ascent
is made by steps built into the side
and to the uninitintcd the undertaking
is almost pcrilous because OF the
steep incline with no supporting
halustradcs. It differs from its
Egyptian counterparts also in tho
respect that 1t contains no interior
passages or rooms.
The pyramid OF tho Moon Is smaller
with a base measuring about 5i1N42s
feet. II rises Isl feet with n crown
ing platform about 10 feet square.
In connection with his supervision OF
the excavations, Sr Gamio has inter-
estcd himself in the Indian life OF tho
valley and one OF his first effort, has
been to establish schools with special
attention paid to manual training.
Originally. tho valley contained
100000 indians. but these had been re-
duccd to 10000 in colonial days and
now number less than 5000 They
earn but a poor living when crops are
good and when there are failures
starvation and widespread death
cnsuc
Groups of Indians at pottery maxi
ing, a new Industry in tho valley,
were evidence that a portion Mt least
or Sr Gamlu's program is being car
rtcd out.