0:00:13 > 0:00:17We live in a decade when, for the first time in human history,
0:00:17 > 0:00:21more people live in cities than in the countryside.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28Cities are thought of as shining beacons of progress.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32As they grow, they draw people to them, in search of prosperity,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35security or a better life.
0:00:39 > 0:00:4121 million people live in Mexico City.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45It's one of a handful of global cities that define our modern era.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50It's the political, cultural and economic driver of all Mexico.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55But its size is one of its biggest problems.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59How do you maintain order and control so many people?
0:01:01 > 0:01:03This is not a modern problem.
0:01:03 > 0:01:062,000 years ago, another metropolis dominated
0:01:06 > 0:01:10this part of the Americas, what we call Mesoamerica.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And this ancient city grew to dominate its population
0:01:13 > 0:01:15and influence distant empires.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21That city was called Teotihuacan.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25For hundreds of years, it was the biggest in the New World.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Its rulers built monumental structures
0:01:28 > 0:01:32and then went on to build a vast empire.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Yet, the identity of the people
0:01:34 > 0:01:38who led this civilisation remains a mystery.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45My name is Jago Cooper...
0:01:45 > 0:01:48I'm a specialist in the Archaeology of the Americas.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51In this series, I will be exploring
0:01:51 > 0:01:55the rise and fall of forgotten civilisations,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58from the crystal blue seas of the Caribbean,
0:01:58 > 0:02:02to the New World's most impressive pyramids,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05over the smoking volcanoes of Costa Rica
0:02:05 > 0:02:09and deep underground, in the caves of central Mexico.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16I'll travel in the footsteps of these peoples,
0:02:16 > 0:02:20to reveal their secrets, to unearth the astonishing cultures that
0:02:20 > 0:02:24flourished amongst some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32So, what lay behind the rise to power
0:02:32 > 0:02:36and influence of this great city of Teotihuacan?
0:02:36 > 0:02:39What drove this city and its people was a powerful
0:02:39 > 0:02:43ideology of conquest, trade and religion.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48And what I want to understand is how this once-powerful civilisation
0:02:48 > 0:02:50went up in flames.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14This is the Basin of Mexico.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17It's a high plain valley where Mexico City lies.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26But just 30 miles north-east of the capital
0:03:26 > 0:03:28lies the remains of Teotihuacan,
0:03:28 > 0:03:33Another great capital, that grew into an enormous city state
0:03:33 > 0:03:35almost 2,000 years ago.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Little is known about the origins of Teotihuacan,
0:03:40 > 0:03:45but, by 100BC, its population could have been as high as 20,000 people.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54It was significant and one of many settlements in the Basin of Mexico.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57But within 200 years, there was a huge change.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02This is the Basin of Mexico in 100AD.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08Teotihuacan stands out as the largest settlement in the region.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14So, why did Teotihuacan grow so rapidly
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and what happened to those other settlements?
0:04:20 > 0:04:24I've come almost 50 miles southwest of Teotihuacan, to see what
0:04:24 > 0:04:28became of one settlement whose growth came to an abrupt halt.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33This is all that remains of the city of Cuicuilco.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37It's well placed in the valley for rainfall and agriculture
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and this circular temple is the first piece of monumental
0:04:40 > 0:04:43architecture in the Basin of Mexico.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Started around 700BC,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49it's completed in 400BC and during this time
0:04:49 > 0:04:52when Cuicuilco is rising to prominence, Teotihuacan is
0:04:52 > 0:04:54still just a provincial village.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03But Cuicuilco had one major disadvantage.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09It lived in the shadow of the Xitle volcano.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13And a series of eruptions forced its people to leave,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16looking for somewhere safe from this danger.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23By 50BC, most of the city was covered in ten metres of lava.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38What happened to Cuicuilco wasn't isolated.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Elsewhere in the Basin of Mexico, there's another volcano,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52the smoking mountain of Popocatepetl,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55that looms menacingly over the landscape.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59We know that, in the first century AD, it erupted catastrophically,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03forcing the people to migrate, looking for a more secure future.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Volcanic activity was a major reason for the big population shift
0:06:12 > 0:06:16in the Basin of Mexico in the first century AD.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22People were moving north, where they could be free from
0:06:22 > 0:06:25these violent natural forces.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28But those who were moving to seek safety were following
0:06:28 > 0:06:32in the footsteps of those who had moved in search of opportunity.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Together, they had uprooted, to seek out a place that might
0:06:36 > 0:06:38allow them to build a better life.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43And there was one likely destination,
0:06:43 > 0:06:48a city growing fast in size and prestige, Teotihuacan.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53At its height, around 200AD, there were over 100,000 people
0:06:53 > 0:06:56living in the city and, as these migrants headed north,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00they became part of an unprecedented, urban cultural
0:07:00 > 0:07:02and economical explosion in the New World.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06And, as they approached, they would have seen something remarkable.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33This is Teotihuacan and it's enormous,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35covering eight square miles.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Spatially, it's all organised around three monumental structures.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Archaeologists have discovered that these buildings were covered
0:07:43 > 0:07:47in bright facades, with exquisite architectural motifs, all conveying
0:07:47 > 0:07:50an extraordinary sense of opulence.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01The city then sprawls out from the centre, with palaces,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05temples and housing for its massive population.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15The city is dissected by the Avenue of the Dead,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19a street that runs for more than four kilometres north to south.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27The whole site is built on an orientation of 15.5 degrees east
0:08:27 > 0:08:29of astronomical north.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Possibly, in alignment with the Pleiades constellation,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36one of the most visible clusters of stars in the night sky.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43The city's origins could lie underground, in a cave.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Caves in Mesoamerica were thought of as places of creation
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and emergence, so had religious significance.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57One cave was considered so sacred by the Teotihuacano
0:08:57 > 0:09:01that a structure was built on top of it, to mark its significance.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05This is the Pyramid of the Sun.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08It's the largest structure in Teotihuacan
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and the most impressive pyramid in the New World.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Even without the wooden temple
0:09:19 > 0:09:21that would have stood on its top platform,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24it's still over 200-feet tall.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29It faces west, towards the setting sun
0:09:29 > 0:09:32and is the focal point of the entire site.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37But it doesn't stand alone.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41At the end of the great Avenue of the Dead is the Pyramid of the Moon.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45It may have been built in honour of the god Tlaloc,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49the bringer of rain and fertility,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51which may also be the reason
0:09:51 > 0:09:54why it mimics the shape of Cerro Gordo, the sacred mountain which
0:09:54 > 0:09:58lies behind it and whose springs provided the city with its water.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04It's not just the scale that's impressive, it's the order,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07because you can't help but feel small, standing in its midst.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10For the people living in this city, these structures
0:10:10 > 0:10:13must have made them feel privileged.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16But why was architecture on this scale undertaken?
0:10:21 > 0:10:26Saburo Sugiyama has led numerous excavations at Teotihuacan
0:10:26 > 0:10:30and has been trying to discover what lay behind this city's construction.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34We don't know really very much about
0:10:34 > 0:10:37the early stage of Teotihuacan formation.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45This city was created as a brand city
0:10:45 > 0:10:47from the very beginning.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49If you look at this,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53the scale of the city formations,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56we have to propose...
0:10:56 > 0:11:00that there is a very organised
0:11:00 > 0:11:05political structure here.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Otherwise, you can't control 100,000 people.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12There must have been a very strong political organisation.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15So, to what extent do you think that the architectural layout here
0:11:15 > 0:11:20reflects a level of rulership or level of control at the site?
0:11:20 > 0:11:25I think that there is very strong rulers, perhaps,
0:11:25 > 0:11:31charismatic rulers, who created, who invented, New World views
0:11:31 > 0:11:35and they materialised these ideas -
0:11:35 > 0:11:38how worlds consisted,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42how we were created -
0:11:42 > 0:11:45with God, you know, with suns,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47moons and other stars.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52All these movements, it's, kind of, interpretations of world views.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58These new world views formed the religion that the rulers
0:11:58 > 0:12:00used to control Teotihuacan.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08The beliefs were incorporated into the very foundations of the city.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11The measurements that dictated the dimensions of their buildings
0:12:11 > 0:12:15were embedded in their religion and in their physical bodies.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Teotihuacan had a standard unit of measurement,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24which was exactly 83 centimetres long.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26And it is thought the origins of this unit of measurement
0:12:26 > 0:12:28came from the median line of the chest
0:12:28 > 0:12:31out to the edge of the fingers of your average Teotihuacano.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33And what's amazing is that the entire urban plan
0:12:33 > 0:12:38of Teotihuacan is planned out using this standard unit of measurement.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41So, if we look at the base of the Pyramid of the Sun,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44it's exactly 260 times 83.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49And 260 represents the ritual calendar of Teotihuacan.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52And if we look at the Pyramid of the Moon,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56the base is exactly 105 times 83 centimetres.
0:12:56 > 0:13:02And if we add 105 to 260, we get 365, the annual solar calendar.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11The 260-day ritual calendar at Teotihuacan
0:13:11 > 0:13:14was most likely based around significant religious events.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20That it formed the dimensions of the Pyramid of the Sun underlined
0:13:20 > 0:13:24a link between the construction of the city and its belief system.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32But the belief system was not just reflected in the buildings.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Throughout the city, there is extraordinary artwork,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38that aimed to bind a people together through religion.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46David Carballo guided me through one of Teotihuacan's
0:13:46 > 0:13:49most distinctive, and important, murals.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52It seems like this is more than just
0:13:52 > 0:13:56artistic representation for decoration. This is telling a story.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01It seems to be a Teotihuacano projection of what might
0:14:01 > 0:14:05seem like a paradise, a place of plenty and abundance.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08We have to remember, of course, we are in a semi-arid environment,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11with a really defined wet and dry cycle.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15And so, this, sort of, watery paradise would be very appealing.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20The state leaders were keeping the rains coming,
0:14:20 > 0:14:26courtesy of the storm god up here, and keeping good harvests.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29So, we see these flowing canals that are feeding
0:14:29 > 0:14:33agricultural fields that have crops that we can possibly identify,
0:14:33 > 0:14:37like maze, but also flowering plants, that are being harvested.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40So, this is a scene of abundance and prosperity.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44One thing to really focus on here is that the emphasis is on
0:14:44 > 0:14:47the religious system and not on individuals.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50So, you know, there are individuals here,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53but they're subordinate to the storm god, who flanks them all around.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57And then, this motif up here, which is larger, where there
0:14:57 > 0:15:00is two personages, but they are virtually identical,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04and they're priests. They're dutifully making offerings
0:15:04 > 0:15:07to the central personage, who's debated.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Some believe that it's a female image - a goddess.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15I think the state imagery seems to be conveying, over and over again,
0:15:15 > 0:15:20this message of, the religious system matters, the deities matter,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22attending to them matters.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Individual roles do not matter. Your social roles,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29as a priest or a warrior, are what's critical to the society.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33We can't pinpoint one individual ruler in this whole corpus
0:15:33 > 0:15:35of mural art for the city.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40It may offer no clue as to the identity of the rulers,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44but the mural is preaching their religious message.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52If the people followed, then all would be well in Teotihuacan.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56But ensuring the wellbeing of Teotihuacan required more
0:15:56 > 0:15:59than religious observation from the people.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03One violent public ritual appeased the gods,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06while demonstrating the power of the leaders
0:16:06 > 0:16:10and the strength of their belief system - human sacrifice.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17In the year 2000, archaeologists were excavating inside
0:16:17 > 0:16:20the Pyramid of the Moon and what they found inside
0:16:20 > 0:16:23was a series of different burials.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26This little collection here comes from burial number four, which was
0:16:26 > 0:16:3217 skulls found collected together, without the rest of the skeleton.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35What's interesting about these skulls is that they were
0:16:35 > 0:16:38all found with three cervical vertebrae, which tells us that
0:16:38 > 0:16:42the human skull was fleshed when they were deposited,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45cos otherwise the cervical vertebrae would have fallen off.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50If you look here, you can see cut marks on the back of the vertebrae.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54The way that we think these people were killed was with a hard blow
0:16:54 > 0:16:58to the back of the head, but it is clear from the way this is
0:16:58 > 0:17:01being cut is that they didn't get removed in one blow, but there has
0:17:01 > 0:17:06been a sawing process coming through here, to help remove the head.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09What's interesting, though, is, if we look at the mandible at the jaw
0:17:09 > 0:17:13bone, you can see it would normally be in this position on the jaw.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18But underneath the jaw, just in here, you can see a cut mark
0:17:18 > 0:17:21coming in, which is coming from the other direction.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25So, we are seeing heavy blow on the back, a sawing process,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29as the head is cut from behind, but also a blade, a very sharp blade,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33judging by these cut marks, coming from the front to remove the head.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37So we are seeing a laborious process to remove these heads from the body.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41And it gives us a sense that these are definitely people having
0:17:41 > 0:17:45their heads removed specifically for the object of placing them
0:17:45 > 0:17:49in some sort of ceremony within the heart of the Pyramid of the Moon.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57These skulls could have been dedications
0:17:57 > 0:18:00to the construction of the Pyramid of the Moon.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04But sacrifice was also used
0:18:04 > 0:18:08as a political tool, to control the city's diverse population.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14But the religious compliance of the people depended upon
0:18:14 > 0:18:17their everyday needs being met.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21And in a city this size, that required a huge amount of resources.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Even though Teotihuacan was the dominant power
0:18:26 > 0:18:31in the Basin of Mexico, by the third century AD, it needed more
0:18:31 > 0:18:35than local resources to sustain its population.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36It had to expand.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52I need to go 50 miles north, to the State of Hidalgo,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55to begin to understand how Teotihuacan expanded
0:18:55 > 0:18:57into an empire, using trade.
0:18:57 > 0:19:04And how, when it came to precious resources, it had one big advantage.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14It had access to an abundant source of one of the most
0:19:14 > 0:19:16valuable commodities of the time.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19It was this - Obsidian or volcanic glass.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23It can be styled into artefacts, but most importantly,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27fashioned into the sharpest cutting tools in Mesoamerica.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38At the time of Teotihuacan's rise, metal wasn't worked
0:19:38 > 0:19:43in Mesoamerica, so obsidian was an essential item for everyday tasks.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Because of its value, the supply of obsidian was controlled
0:19:48 > 0:19:52by the state, not just for its use in the city, but for trade.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06I've got the opportunity to explore an ancient obsidian mine
0:20:06 > 0:20:08that is still worked today.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14In 2,000 years, almost nothing has changed.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19You can still see old mine shafts,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22as well as the burn marks from Teotihuacan torches.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27They're claustrophobic and remain extremely hazardous.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Mining in this type of soil is very dangerous, cos it's very loose
0:20:33 > 0:20:37and light, you can see how easily you can get collapses of tunnels.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39So, erm, I'm sure that in these tunnels,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42which have been blocked up, the pre-Hispanic tunnels,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45there must be skeletons underneath, from cave collapses.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Alejandro Pastrana is an expert in the importance of obsidian
0:20:52 > 0:20:54to Mesoamerican cultures
0:20:54 > 0:20:58and has been studying the mines in this area for over 20 years.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29This unique green obsidian was prized for its high quality,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33but also its religious significance.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Throughout Mesoamerica, green was a colour associated
0:21:36 > 0:21:39with fertility and with water.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Even though these miners worked a considerable distance
0:21:42 > 0:21:45from the city, Teotihuacan's religion
0:21:45 > 0:21:49transformed their manual labour into a symbolic act.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28As well as the constant threat of collapse, miners only had
0:22:28 > 0:22:32torchlight and stone tools to dig for the obsidian
0:22:32 > 0:22:36that supplied Teotihuacan with its only cutting tools.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39So, this is a block of really high-quality obsidian.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43You can see on the one on the wall, the pressure of being underground
0:22:43 > 0:22:45has fractured this block of obsidian.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47But this one is clean and you could make
0:22:47 > 0:22:50some absolutely lovely artefacts, particularly knife blades.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59The obsidian blocks could weigh anything up to 500 kilos
0:22:59 > 0:23:04and would have to be broken down by hand into more manageable chunks.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07After being carried to the surface, the obsidian then entered
0:23:07 > 0:23:09the next phase of production.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17The obsidian mines are just over that hill
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and here we have a Teotihuacan workshop.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24This is where the obsidian blocks, being brought out of the mines,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28would have been transformed into preforms and artefacts.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32And what's particularly interesting about this workshop is that
0:23:32 > 0:23:34it is laid out in exactly the same orientation
0:23:34 > 0:23:36as the city of Teotihuacan, itself.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44The obsidian was knapped, to create blades and artefacts.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Knapping is an ancient and unique skill that transformed stones
0:23:49 > 0:23:53into tools and took a lifetime to perfect.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12And here is the flake and you can see it, it's a beautiful,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15translucent obsidian.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17And you can see where the percussion has hit down,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20the fracture marks come down, and create a perfect blade.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22And this edge is incredibly sharp.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27These razor0sharp blades were used
0:25:27 > 0:25:30for more than just domestic cutting tools.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38The obsidian mines and workshops were worked continuously,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41to supply Teotihuacan with weapons.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Thousands of obsidian blades were needed for Teotihuacan's forces,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50the largest army in Mesoamerica.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Marco Cervera is an archaeologist, who is going to show me
0:25:55 > 0:25:58the Teotihuacan's weapons of choice.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01That's good. That's good.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04The atlatl is one half of a weapon.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06The other half is an obsidian-tipped dart.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10In the right hands, the atlatl
0:26:10 > 0:26:13can launch the dart more than 100 metres, in all weathers.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20So, we've hung up a leg of beef, in order to simulate human flesh,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23cos I'm quite interested to find out how the technology
0:26:23 > 0:26:27of the armaments of Teotihuacan gave them a tactical advantage in war.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00So, the atlatl is a piece of technology
0:27:00 > 0:27:02which has been around in Mesoamerica
0:27:02 > 0:27:05for thousands of years, going right back to the Lithic age.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08But what the Teotihuacan did was put it into an industrial scale.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12If you can imagine an army of 10-15,000 throwing these atlatls,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15it would have been like a rain of darts
0:27:15 > 0:27:17landing on the opposition army.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23So, where and when was this fighting force deployed?
0:27:24 > 0:27:28It was used primarily to achieve the goals of the state.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30And those goals were economic.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Teotihuacan had an extensive network of trade routes.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40The bulk of the activity was carried out in what is called
0:27:40 > 0:27:42the Teotihuacan Corridor.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Regions that were rich in resources were targeted.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I'm heading to the site of Las Pilas, in the state of Morelos.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04It's over 100 miles southwest of Teotihuacan,
0:28:04 > 0:28:06which is a considerable distance
0:28:06 > 0:28:10when you imagine that the only form of transportation is on foot.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13But Teotihuacan didn't want to just trade resources,
0:28:13 > 0:28:14they wanted to control them.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24This is Las Pilas.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28It was a small settlement that came under the direct control
0:28:28 > 0:28:29of Teotihuacan.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Their presence can be seen throughout the site.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41The structures copy a Teotihuacan architectural style,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45called Talud-tablero - a platform on top of a sloping base.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49The layout of the buildings is similar to those
0:28:49 > 0:28:53back in the capital, with a common platform linking enclosed plazas.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Below ground, archaeologists found more evidence
0:28:58 > 0:29:01of Teotihuacan's influence.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Burials excavated in this central plaza contained
0:29:08 > 0:29:12extensive evidence of Teotihuacan-style ceramics.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14In several instances, individuals were found
0:29:14 > 0:29:19with offerings of over 100 vessels of both imported and local wares.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25There was a strong reason for this heavy Teotihuacan presence
0:29:25 > 0:29:29at Las Pilas - to ensure large quantities of a precious crop
0:29:29 > 0:29:33that couldn't be cultivated in the Basin of Mexico.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36The climate around Teotihuacan wasn't hot enough
0:29:36 > 0:29:40to grow this, cotton. The Teotihuacano needed a lot of cotton,
0:29:40 > 0:29:41to spin it for their clothes,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45their vibrant textiles, even the armour fibre they used in war.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49So, they need to guarantee a reliable supply.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Because of its size,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Las Pilas would have offered little resistance to such
0:29:59 > 0:30:01a powerful force.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Local people would have been used
0:30:04 > 0:30:08to work the land, to ensure enough cotton was produced to satisfy
0:30:08 > 0:30:11the demand back at the centre.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16But the demand for raw materials was only going to increase.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27As Teotihuacan got bigger, it needed more resources.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Existing trade routes were maintained,
0:30:30 > 0:30:32to sustain the power and wealth of the city,
0:30:32 > 0:30:34but new areas had to be explored.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41They sent out people to conquer and exploit new territories.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48I'm driving 300 miles southeast, to the Oaxaca Valley,
0:30:48 > 0:30:52which was the stronghold of another ancient civilisation, the Zapotecs.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59There had long been peaceful contact between the two civilisations,
0:30:59 > 0:31:03but around 250AD, Teotihuacan's insatiable demand
0:31:03 > 0:31:07for resources brought that relationship to an end.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20This is Monte Alban, the hilltop citadel of the Zapotecs.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24From this vantage point, the Zapotecs could rule over the valleys
0:31:24 > 0:31:28around or, at least, until the forces of Teotihuacan arrived.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Hundreds of well-armed warriors had marched on Monte Alban,
0:31:38 > 0:31:40prepared for conflict.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45By the time they isolated the Zapotec elite,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49on top of the city's north platform, the battle was already won.
0:31:54 > 0:31:5770 of these were found at the top mound of the site.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00They're obsidian and they are different types of obsidian,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03coming from the mines of the central highlands of Mexico.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05So, these come from the area of Teotihuacan.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07You can't find obsidian in this part of Mexico.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11Many of these points, probably uses as atlatl points,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14have broken off at the tips and snapped off at the shaft,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17which tells us that they have been broken on impact.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20So, this tells me that the contact between Teotihuacan
0:32:20 > 0:32:22and Monte Alban is a violent one.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32The violence continued after the conflict.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35In the wake of their victory, the new rulers of Monte Alban
0:32:35 > 0:32:37sacrificed 18 children.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46All this bloodshed was over a resource that the Zapotecs
0:32:46 > 0:32:49didn't even use, but was coveted by the Teotihuacan...
0:32:51 > 0:32:55..a fragile and delicate mineral, called Mica.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58The Teotihuacan prized its translucent
0:32:58 > 0:33:01and reflective qualities and used it to decorate
0:33:01 > 0:33:03their religious buildings and ceramics.
0:33:12 > 0:33:17I met up with Marcus Winter, to discover, what were the factors
0:33:17 > 0:33:20really driving this aggression?
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Do you think the Teotihuacano are expanding for practical reasons,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26they need to bring in more resources to sustain their expansion?
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Or is it more ideological, that they are trying to dominate
0:33:29 > 0:33:31their ideological world view on the rest of Mesoamerica?
0:33:31 > 0:33:35I'd say that they wanted to expand, to bring in more resources.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39I think, as cities grow, all over the world, what happens
0:33:39 > 0:33:42is they have too many people, they need more resources to feed
0:33:42 > 0:33:47the people, they need more activities for people to participate in.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51Sometimes, they have too many young men with nothing to do and a good
0:33:51 > 0:33:55thing to do with them is to send them out to take over other areas.
0:33:55 > 0:33:56How do you think life changed here
0:33:56 > 0:33:59when the Teotihuacano were in control?
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Do you see a thriving community, which is capitalising
0:34:02 > 0:34:04on Teotihuacano innovations?
0:34:04 > 0:34:08Or do you see a repressed population suffering from a dominating force
0:34:08 > 0:34:14- overcoming them?- I'd say it was a repressed population.- Yeah.
0:34:14 > 0:34:15Because a lot of things stopped.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18There was a trajectory that had gone on for about
0:34:18 > 0:34:22500 years or more, 700 years, of growth and development,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26renewal of the buildings and all of that stopped.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29There is still a big population. People lived and continued with their
0:34:29 > 0:34:32daily lives and things, but there was not the growth and innovation
0:34:32 > 0:34:35that had been here previously.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46Teotihuacan's imperial adventures were at the expense of cities
0:34:46 > 0:34:47like Monte Alban.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54But the drive for resources and expansion didn't stop here.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01This site of Monte Alban shows how the Teotihuacan were able
0:35:01 > 0:35:06to control regions over 350 miles from the capital.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10What's even more incredible is that their influence spread yet further.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14We know that at sites like Tikal, over 600 miles in that direction,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18in modern-day Guatemala, also felt the influence and power
0:35:18 > 0:35:19of Teotihuacan.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25The rulers of Teotihuacan had developed a strong religion
0:35:25 > 0:35:30that allowed them first to govern a city and now to control an empire.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36The economic benefits of trade and empire were enriching the city
0:35:36 > 0:35:39but they were also strengthening the position of the rulers.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43As an illustration of how this increased power was expressed,
0:35:43 > 0:35:47the last monumental structure built at Teotihuacan is significant
0:35:47 > 0:35:51and one building within it is of crucial importance.'
0:35:53 > 0:35:57It stood at the centre of this massive, 16 hectare,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00walled compound called The Ciudadela - the citadel.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04The whole population would have been able to fit within its grounds.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15The people of Teotihuacan would have come to this space to witness
0:36:15 > 0:36:19religious rituals at the building that was now the new
0:36:19 > 0:36:21ceremonial heart of the city.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28The building was completed in the middle of the 3rd century
0:36:28 > 0:36:31and stands remote from the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37Archaeologists believe that this construction was a conspicuous
0:36:37 > 0:36:40display of power by a new ruler in Teotihuacan.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46This is the Temple of the Feathered Serpent,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50a mythical creature found throughout Mesoamerica.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54It's a potent symbol of power and that is important, because this
0:36:54 > 0:36:58temple provides strong evidence that an increasing power of an elite
0:36:58 > 0:37:02is administrated through religion, but maintained through fear.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09The whole temple structure is a sacred mountain
0:37:09 > 0:37:12emerging from the sea.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15These crocodile heads marked the beginning of time.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Time began when the crocodile emerged from the water
0:37:19 > 0:37:21onto dry land.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25The feathered serpents represent the power of the rulers.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31These rulers now appeared to be directly linking their power
0:37:31 > 0:37:33to the beginning of time.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37But that power was not just reinforced
0:37:37 > 0:37:40by the grand ornamentation of a building.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46If anything pointed to a change in the nature of the leadership
0:37:46 > 0:37:50of Teotihuacan, it was the escalation in human sacrifice.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58260 victims were found during excavations of this temple...
0:37:59 > 0:38:04..one for each day of the ritual calendar and hundreds more
0:38:04 > 0:38:07than any human remains excavated from the earlier pyramids.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16Sergio Gomez was involved in the excavations at
0:38:16 > 0:38:19the Temple of the Feathered Serpent that unearthed human remains.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24HE SPEAKS SPANISH
0:39:42 > 0:39:44But what archaeologists know
0:39:44 > 0:39:47is that, after the temple was completed,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50perhaps around 300 AD, there was another change in Teotihuacan.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57A large structure was built in front of the temple,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00obscuring its opulent facade.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Could it have been a rejection of the power structure
0:40:03 > 0:40:05that the temple represented?
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Without knowing more about those who wielded the power in Teotihuacan,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16archaeologists have struggled to understand the full significance
0:40:16 > 0:40:20of the changes centred around the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30'But Sergio Gomez may be on the verge of a major breakthrough.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37'In 2003, he discovered a tunnel underneath the temple.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50'It had lain undetected for over 1,000 years, because Sergio
0:40:50 > 0:40:54'believes it had been filled in deliberately by the Teotihuacano.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01'His initial excavation pointed to this being a very special place.'
0:41:28 > 0:41:32'After years of painstaking excavation,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36'Sergio and his team have reached the end of this tunnel.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39'They could be on the verge of a unique discovery,
0:41:39 > 0:41:40'but face a massive obstacle.'
0:42:19 > 0:42:22What lies behind this rock could be a first for archaeology
0:42:22 > 0:42:26at Teotihuacan - the discovery of a ruler's tomb.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30This is backed up by what Sergio has found
0:42:30 > 0:42:34amongst the 60,000 artefacts unearthed during the excavation.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Without a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the most amazing
0:43:36 > 0:43:38excavations I have ever visited.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40Hopefully, when they get into the last chamber,
0:43:40 > 0:43:44what they find inside will give us the crucial clues to understanding
0:43:44 > 0:43:47what happened at Teotihuacan in the third century after Christ,
0:43:47 > 0:43:51because we know that there is a complete shift in power in the city.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59Sealing off this tunnel and filling in
0:43:59 > 0:44:02a possible ruler's tomb are symbolic acts.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04It's impossible to say, outright,
0:44:04 > 0:44:08if they were rejections of the existing power structure,
0:44:08 > 0:44:12but what we do know is that there is no subsequent evidence
0:44:12 > 0:44:14of sacrifice on the scale witnessed
0:44:14 > 0:44:16at the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
0:44:16 > 0:44:21And no more monumental structures were built after its completion.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28Building did continue, but it was a departure from the past.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32'It was no longer structures that honoured the power of the leaders,
0:44:32 > 0:44:35but something that could point to a cultural and political peak.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40The state was now rebuilding the city, to house its population
0:44:40 > 0:44:44in a style and scale that had never been witnessed before.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51This is urban planning on an unprecedented scale.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56The old adobe structures were torn down and replaced with these -
0:44:56 > 0:44:59buildings of stone, concrete and plaster.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02But what's really interesting is that the architectural style
0:45:02 > 0:45:04is uniform throughout the city.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11There was access to running water, a drainage system.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14All the compounds were walled, to give the people their privacy.
0:45:16 > 0:45:21Outside, there were streets and, for the first time in Mesoamerica,
0:45:21 > 0:45:24the entire city was now a huge grid.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37'I met up again with David Carballo, to see one of the best remaining
0:45:37 > 0:45:39'examples of Teotihuacan housing.'
0:45:41 > 0:45:44What makes it residential? If you look around the architecture
0:45:44 > 0:45:46of the place, what is it we are actually looking at?
0:45:46 > 0:45:48In a typical pattern in central Mexico
0:45:48 > 0:45:52and other parts of Mesoamerica are folks inhabiting a patio.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55In fact, a lot of the indigenous terms for a household
0:45:55 > 0:46:00are a shared patio space and so, over here, we have a relatively large one,
0:46:00 > 0:46:04with nicely-made masonry architecture and, so, one of the lines
0:46:04 > 0:46:06of evidence that this is a higher-status residence
0:46:06 > 0:46:09is that you have these large cut blocks.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12- These are original stairs? - Yes, these are the original stairs
0:46:12 > 0:46:15that went up to some, sort of, temple complex and then,
0:46:15 > 0:46:19these smaller structures around, that have a frontal portico,
0:46:19 > 0:46:23leading to a back room, were likely residences
0:46:23 > 0:46:27- of higher-status family members. - How many of these are there
0:46:27 > 0:46:30in Teotihuacan? And how does that population grow?
0:46:30 > 0:46:32It's estimated that there is about 2,300 of these
0:46:32 > 0:46:36and that each, sort of... a mean population, might have been
0:46:36 > 0:46:40in the sixties, 65. You have some that could push into the hundreds
0:46:40 > 0:46:43and some that seem smaller - in the dozens of people.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46And because of that, because we can count apartment compounds
0:46:46 > 0:46:50and estimate roughly their population, we do have some
0:46:50 > 0:46:53decent estimates for the city, as a whole, during its apex
0:46:53 > 0:46:59and that it was 100,000-plus inhabitants in the 4th-5th century.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Just for comparison, London didn't break 100,000 people
0:47:02 > 0:47:05till 1,000 years later, in the late 16th century.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08So, this was a very large place. Likely, the largest city
0:47:08 > 0:47:10in the Americas for a few centuries.
0:47:10 > 0:47:16To what extent do you think that the expansion is planned by an elite?
0:47:16 > 0:47:19Because looking after 100,000 people in one centre
0:47:19 > 0:47:23- is a pretty challenging thing to do. - I think that there is some...
0:47:23 > 0:47:26There must be some, sort of, mix of civic top-down planning
0:47:26 > 0:47:27and more grass roots,
0:47:27 > 0:47:31organic processes happening at the neighbourhood level.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35So, you know, we do see these structures are all on a similar
0:47:35 > 0:47:39orthogonal, or grid-like, system and they seem as far away
0:47:39 > 0:47:43as three kilometres from here to also be hewing to that orientation,
0:47:43 > 0:47:46so that seems to suggest some significant planning.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48This house building may have reflected
0:47:48 > 0:47:51the growing prosperity of the city,
0:47:51 > 0:47:55but it could also be an example of how the style of leadership
0:47:55 > 0:47:56had changed.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02If there was a rejection of rule by violent coercion,
0:48:02 > 0:48:05then it may have been replaced by a subtle, but still effective,
0:48:05 > 0:48:08message that encouraged the population to think as one.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14It's been referred to as civic pride and it was sold as a virtue.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18And, if widely accepted, it's a far more effective way
0:48:18 > 0:48:21of maintaining stability than the use of force.
0:48:21 > 0:48:23It's not very different to how we survive
0:48:23 > 0:48:26in the modern world today. So, the supply of housing
0:48:26 > 0:48:31in Teotihuacan could have encouraged the sense of collective will -
0:48:31 > 0:48:33all working towards the same common goal.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40But how was a political message as subtle as civic pride
0:48:40 > 0:48:42spread throughout the population?
0:48:44 > 0:48:48A discovery in the 1990s could be evidence of how
0:48:48 > 0:48:51these political messages were spread throughout the Teotihuacan.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57Archaeologists had no evidence of a Teotihuacan writing system
0:48:57 > 0:49:01until a series of symbols were uncovered on the floor
0:49:01 > 0:49:03of a temple complex called La Ventilla.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09They have been dated to the middle of the fourth century AD
0:49:09 > 0:49:12and Ruben Cabrera Castro thinks they may have been part
0:49:12 > 0:49:14of an education system.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17The placing of the glyphs were first thought to be random,
0:50:17 > 0:50:22but Ruben thinks the horizontal and vertical lines on the floor
0:50:22 > 0:50:25could be ordering these symbols into the pages of a codex -
0:50:25 > 0:50:26an ancient book.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16These glyphs, with the lines dividing them,
0:51:16 > 0:51:19that Ruben's shown me, I'm completely convinced by his argument
0:51:19 > 0:51:23that they are a codex. They are very much a form of writing,
0:51:23 > 0:51:27they can communicate information between generations.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30If we start to think about Teotihuacan as a multi-ethnic,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34multicultural city, how is it that that culture
0:51:34 > 0:51:36is bound together by an ideology?
0:51:36 > 0:51:39For me, writing is crucial for communicating information
0:51:39 > 0:51:43through generations and binding Teotihuacan together.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51A possible education and writing system are evidence of how
0:51:51 > 0:51:55Teotihuacan had become a politically-complex civilisation
0:51:55 > 0:51:59and it underlines why, in 500 years, it had grown from
0:51:59 > 0:52:04unspectacular beginnings to the biggest city in the New World.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08It had grown through strong leadership,
0:52:08 > 0:52:10driven by religious ideology.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14And its empire was built on trade, but secured through force.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Every society reaches a peak,
0:52:17 > 0:52:19what would normally be called an apex,
0:52:19 > 0:52:21something to be celebrated
0:52:21 > 0:52:25as a high watermark of political and cultural achievement.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29But it is also the point in which culture can rise no further.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37At what point would Teotihuacan's expansion stop?
0:52:39 > 0:52:42Given its size and its power, what could possibly stop it?
0:52:44 > 0:52:47A city of this size was costly to maintain
0:52:47 > 0:52:50and there were constant stresses in preserving its prestige.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56The religious system served to support the city's power structure,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59as well as subdue any possible threat to the leadership.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Teotihuacan's empire had to be protected,
0:53:04 > 0:53:09to secure the resources that fed its people and enriched the elite,
0:53:09 > 0:53:12but the leadership, itself, could only survive
0:53:12 > 0:53:14as long as the city thrived.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21It's a cruel irony that the very natural forces that gave
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Teotihuacan an advantage in its rise to power
0:53:25 > 0:53:28could now be responsible for triggering its demise.
0:53:31 > 0:53:36In 536 AD, there was a moment of sudden environmental change
0:53:36 > 0:53:37in the Basin of Mexico.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41Exciting new research suggests that this could have been a key factor
0:53:41 > 0:53:44in pushing the Teotihuacano to the brink of disaster.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48It was the biggest volcanic eruption ever recorded in central America.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55The Ilopango volcano was in modern-day El Salvador.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00Even though it was almost 800 miles away, the ash and gas
0:54:00 > 0:54:05it spewed out from the eruption clouded the skies over Teotihuacan.
0:54:09 > 0:54:14With no heat and light from the sun, the crops failed repeatedly,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17which had grave consequences for the leaders.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25The stability of Teotihuacan relied on its people perceiving
0:54:25 > 0:54:27that their needs were being met.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29If there was a downturn in their fortunes,
0:54:29 > 0:54:32the next chapter in this city would be violent.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39In the middle of the 6th century AD, the people of Teotihuacan rose up.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45They targeted the symbolic heart of the city and set it alight.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54David Carballo was part of the team that retrieved charred remains
0:54:54 > 0:54:58of the wooden temple structures that lined the Avenue of the Dead.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Burned roof structures gives this sense of drama,
0:55:03 > 0:55:07of things on fire and ending in quite a dramatic way.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10- Do you think that is true?- Certainly for the central part of the city.
0:55:10 > 0:55:15It seems like very selective, concerted burning, within temples
0:55:15 > 0:55:18and palace complexes all around the Street of the Dead.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21That whole street would have been on fire at the same time,
0:55:21 > 0:55:25- you'd imagine?- Perhaps. It seems like a planned burning event.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29It was a symbolic termination of the civic architecture of the city.
0:55:29 > 0:55:30What do you think brings about...
0:55:30 > 0:55:33What motivates people to come and bring up arms
0:55:33 > 0:55:35and take against the elite?
0:55:35 > 0:55:39There must have been something in the system failing people
0:55:39 > 0:55:42and so, whether that's the city became more factionalised
0:55:42 > 0:55:45and there is more internal squabbling.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49Also, that trade routes seemed to be co-opted by areas that were former
0:55:49 > 0:55:53provinces and that were formerly under the sway of state
0:55:53 > 0:55:56and so people here in the centre, perhaps weren't having
0:55:56 > 0:55:59the ready access they once had to all sorts of goods around Mexico.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02Do you think the decline of Teotihuacan was inevitable,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05because of the way that the state rose up over time?
0:56:05 > 0:56:08We have to consider Teotihuacan a successful state, in that
0:56:08 > 0:56:12it survived for five to six centuries as, you know, possibly
0:56:12 > 0:56:15the largest place in the Americas, one of the largest cities.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19But there certainly were some challenges in the 6th century
0:56:19 > 0:56:23that the governing apparatus seems to not have been able to overcome.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27And so what exactly it was that they couldn't evolve to
0:56:27 > 0:56:30is still a question to be answered.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41In the wake of the revolt, the state system collapsed.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47The religious ideology that had bound the people together
0:56:47 > 0:56:48had been rejected.
0:56:50 > 0:56:55First to leave were the elite, whose power structure had been attacked.
0:56:57 > 0:57:03A population of 100,000 eventually dwindled to 20,000 people.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08The might of Teotihuacan existed in the past.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17It would take hundreds of years for the significance of this city
0:57:17 > 0:57:22to be rediscovered - by another great civilisation.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27When the Aztecs discovered this vast, abandoned city,
0:57:27 > 0:57:31they believed it could only have been the work of giants, even gods.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37When they arrived it had no name.
0:57:40 > 0:57:45They called it Teotihuacan - the place where time began.
0:58:01 > 0:58:06And now, almost 2,000 years since this city was built,
0:58:06 > 0:58:08it's still immensely significant.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12An ancient place that, for me, echoes the concerns our urban world
0:58:12 > 0:58:15still struggles with today.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20Teotihuacan is an extraordinary city
0:58:20 > 0:58:23and revealing some of its secrets, getting to know its inhabitants
0:58:23 > 0:58:26has transformed my understanding of urban life.
0:58:26 > 0:58:30Architecture, people and power come together
0:58:30 > 0:58:32to create a new type of culture,
0:58:32 > 0:58:37a fragile urban culture that sets the New World on a pathway
0:58:37 > 0:58:39that is to last thousands of years.