Experiences and ancestral adventures: The mysterious neighborhoods of Teotihuacan

Looking beyond the monumental area, archaeologists have made surprising discoveries of the living quarters of the inhabitants of the ancient city of Teotihuacan. Mistakenly they have been called "palaces". Discover the mysterious neighborhoods of Teotihuacán.

Experiences and ancestral adventures: The mysterious neighborhoods of Teotihuacan
Discoveries of Teotihuacan's mysterious neighborhoods. Image by Mike Ramírez from Pixabay

Beyond the monumental area, archaeologists have made surprising discoveries of living areas of the inhabitants of the ancient city of Teotihuacan. They have been mistakenly called "palaces". Rather, they are rectangular multi-family residential structures. Surrounded by high walls without windows, they housed a series of rooms around courtyards and had common areas for work, waste, food storage, and religious rituals. They also had rainwater collection systems.

Scholars of the Teotihuacan culture say that there were about two thousand "housing units" of this type, each of which housed a group of 20 to 100 people. Three of these structures have been excavated and studied in depth. All three are located outside the monumental archaeological zone, but before the Covid 19 pandemic, they could be visited with the same entrance ticket.

To the northeast of the Pyramid of the Sun (in front of Gate 4) is Tepantitla, a residential structure noted for its ritual spaces decorated with remarkable murals that have been identified as the Tlalocan, that is, the paradise of the rain god Tlaloc of the Nahua people. To the west of the archaeological zone, about 900 meters north of Gate 1, is located Tetitla, which due to its elegance has been thought to have been the residence of an upper-class group. This other structure has murals with "green goddesses" that seem to represent a female deity of agriculture.

Beautiful murals have also been found with a curious row of jaguars. And finally, about 500 meters west of there is Atetelco, well inside the modern town of San Juan Teotihuacan. It is believed that this residential structure was associated with military groups. Its Procession of Priests, which portrays several human figures performing elaborate religious rituals, is one of the best examples of Teotihuacan mural painting.

Around the archaeological zone of Teotihuacan, the hungry and thirsty traveler will find dozens of restaurants. One of the best we can recommend are El 9, which is one of the old numbered restaurants located on the archaeological circuit. Its regional dishes are very good, although its fame comes from its tastings (for groups) of classic Mexican dishes and, surprisingly, its cabrito.

A true classic is La Gruta, which has been serving travelers since 1906 in one of the area's caves, hence its name. Its accumulated experience allows it to offer the best preparations of regional dishes, both in traditional versions and in new combinations.

Another one is Gran Teocalli, located very close to the junction with the Mexico-Tuxpan highway. It is a comfortable, modern place that offers an appetizing combination of regional, national and international dishes in a breakfast and lunch buffet. It also offers pre-Hispanic dance shows and live music.

Source: Turismo Edomex