Pyramid of the Sun, Research Paper Example

The Pyramid of the Sun is an ancient structure, and the original purpose of the pyramid is unknown. It was built by the Teotihuacanos in what is now known as Mexico, and the original construction on the pyramid began around 100 AD in the Late Preclassic period. The Pyramid of the Sun is part of a larger complex of structures along the Avenue of the Dead, and the Aztec people were the ones who gave the site its name centuries later. The original purpose and significance of the Pyramid of the Sun is unknown, though some historians believe it may have been a religious shrine for deities of the Teotihuacan people. The Aztecs made the Pyramid of the Sun a part of their religious and cultural life after discovering it.

The Pyramid of the Sun is constructed out of hundreds of thousands of tons of rock and bricks that were put in place by laborers using simple equipment. The entire Teotihuacan city existed for centuries before the Teotihuacan civilization collapsed. Very little is known about the culture of the Teotihuacan people, such as what language they spoke or how they observed religious ceremonies. After the city fell into ruin the structures along the Avenue of the Dead were unused for centuries. The Aztec people arrived at the site many centuries after the Pyramid of the Sun was originally built, and they applied their own religious and cultural significance to the site. The Aztec people were unaware of who had built the Pyramid of the Sun, or why they had built it, but they recognized it as an important structure and began to use it for their own religious ceremonies.

The Pyramid of the Sun originally had an exterior surface made up of plaster and paint, though this surface was destroyed over time by the elements and by excavators. The structure has sculptures and images of various animals and figures that were presumably deities for the Teotihuacan people, and the Aztecs assigned their own meanings to these figures so they could worship their own deities, such as the Sun God, the Moon Goddess, and the gods of Fire and Water. As the Aztec civilization collapsed the Pyramid of the Sun again fell into disuse. In the early 20^th century archaeologists began to explore and excavate the site. The Pyramid of the Sun and the other structures in the area now serve as important historical sites and attract visitors from around the world,  though the structures are no longer used for the religious or ceremonial purposes.