MESOAMERICA CHIRANTAN JAIN

MESOAMERICA

OLMEC
MAYA
TEOTIHUACAN
TOLTEC
AZTEC
MAYAN CIVILIZATION

City of tikal

CHARACTERISTICS: DWELLINGS
CITIES BUILT AROUND COMPLEXES. REGULAR HOMES PERISHABLE MATERIALS
FT. MONUMENTAL ARCHITECTURE - PYRAMIDS, TEMPLES,
PALACES AND BALL COURTS
TEOTIHUACAN
EMPIRE
1-250CE

ANCIENT MESO-WALL
ART
 City of teotihuacan
Location: Northeast of present-day Mexico City in the Valley of Mexico.

Size: Covered over 20 square kilometers, making it one of the largest

ancient cities.

Population: Estimated over 100,000 inhabitants at its peak.

Layout: Meticulously planned with a grid-like street pattern.

Ceremonial Complexes: Positioned along the Avenue of the Dead.

Surroundings: Included residential areas, markets, and workshops.

Significance: Strategic hub for trade and cultural exchange in

Mesoamerica.
 CITY LAYOUT DIAGRAM

Teotihuacan’s Avenue of the Dead formed

a powerful axis, leading to the
monumental Pyramid of the Sun at one
end and the Pyramid of the Moon at the
other. Flanked by the Cerro Gordo volcano
and intersected by the San Juan River, it
embodied the city's spiritual and
symbolic significance.
 Only one western entrance.
Open space enveloped by walls, platforms and
Large open space and scale of
temples. Form - quite defensive, can be assumed that
monument- suggests that the
it was closed to public on most days. Active during
ciudadela served as a public
events or ritual.
space.
Platforms : rituals and
The Ciudadela sacrifice
Open space : gladiatorial sport
 TEMPLE OF THE
FEATHERED SERPENT

LOCATED A SOUTHERNMOST TIP

OF AVENUE.
 Temple of the serpent was little
more human scaled

Therefore, can be assumed that the

platforms were used for
sacrificial/ritualistic purposes.
Reconstructed img
Of temple facade

Human scaled -> heavily ornamented

PYRAMIDS OF SUN AND MOON
LANDSCAPE - structures planned in accordance with the natural
landscape

Form of the monument: echoes the

volcano (cerra gordo) behind it.

Creating a landscape of its own, within

the city
 Why build such massive structures ?

Astronomical Marvel: In a
display of ancient astrological
TEMPLES MADE OF
knowledge, the Pyramid of the PERISHABLE
Sun at Teotihuacan becomes a
celestial spectacle during the
MATERIALS,ONCE
spring equinox: STOOD AT THE SUMMIT.
Sun aligns with the apex of the
pyramid - giving the illusion
that one can ascend the stairs
and reach the heavens.
Structure and material
archi-elements

Primary building
material : limestone
Filler: adobe,
rubble,etc.
Plaster: stucco

Large base + tapering

mound ( a stable
structure) 1.