Spring equinox in Teotihuacán
Encyclopedia
Spring equinox in Teotihuacán is an annual event which takes place around the 20th and 21st of March
at the pre-Hispanic site of Teotihuacán
, Mexico
. This event is mirrored by other similar events in other pre-Hispanic sites such as Chichén Itzá
and Malinalco, Mexico State.
, with arms outstretched facing the sun in the morning on the eastern horizon. Most climb this pyramid between 9am and 1pm. However, those who arrive early enough can see the sun rise over the Apan Mountains to the east of the Pyramid of the Sun, with its red rays coloring the landscape and the onlookers’ clothing. Chanting and other clamor accompanies this sunrise as participants stand with arms outstretched.
Some come because they believe they are following in the footsteps of their ancestors, in asking the gods for energy and health on this day. Some New Age
sources claim that at the point of the equinox, man is at a unique place in the cosmos, when portals of energy open. Climbing the 360 stairs to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun is claimed to allow participants to be closer to this "energy".
First aid for those who need it, often from the heat later in the day, is provided by the organizations such as the Mexican Red Cross and the state civil protection authority. Around 550 federal police are employed in the archeological zone for the event as well as numerous state and local enforcement for the surrounding communities.
research has been undertaken at the site since the 1990s. The Palace of the Butterflies has circles on its walls created with reflective mica
, which have been interpreted as representing astronomical bodies. It is very likely that the Palace of Quetzalcoatl
functioned as a solar observatory. On the spring equinox, from between 7:15 and 7:45am when the sun rises, a shadow travels upwards along figures etched and painted red onto a battlement-like structure on the west wall. Some of the figures depicted are owls, a bird associated darkness as well as rays of light. The symbolism is that of balance between light and dark. Birds also symbolize the stars. This structure is called an unxicalcoliuhqui, a type of fretwork
that can also been seen at Chichén Itzá. As with the Butterfly Palace, there are circles on the walls created with reflective mica.
The first rays of the sun that stream across the landscape on the day of the spring equinox are broken on their way to Teotihuacan by an elevation called the Cerro Colorado Grande. Some believe that this point was used by the ancient people of Teotihuacan to mark the equinox. However, this would most likely have required the placement of the Pyramid of the Sun in a more northerly position, or that the Pyramid of the Moon played a more prominent role in spring equinox celebrations.
Equinox
An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator...
at the pre-Hispanic site of Teotihuacán
Teotihuacán
Teotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. This event is mirrored by other similar events in other pre-Hispanic sites such as Chichén Itzá
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Municipality of Tinúm, Yucatán state, present-day Mexico....
and Malinalco, Mexico State.
Observances
In Teotihuacan, thousands of people visit for the event, many dressed in white with a red scarf or other accessory. Many dance, burn incense and chant but the defining ritual is to stand at the top of the Pyramid of the SunPyramid of the Sun
The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan and one of the largest in Mesoamerica. Found along the Avenue of the Dead, in between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Ciudadela, and in the shadow of the massive mountain Cerro Gordo, the pyramid is part of a large complex in the heart...
, with arms outstretched facing the sun in the morning on the eastern horizon. Most climb this pyramid between 9am and 1pm. However, those who arrive early enough can see the sun rise over the Apan Mountains to the east of the Pyramid of the Sun, with its red rays coloring the landscape and the onlookers’ clothing. Chanting and other clamor accompanies this sunrise as participants stand with arms outstretched.
Some come because they believe they are following in the footsteps of their ancestors, in asking the gods for energy and health on this day. Some New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
sources claim that at the point of the equinox, man is at a unique place in the cosmos, when portals of energy open. Climbing the 360 stairs to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun is claimed to allow participants to be closer to this "energy".
Popularity of the event
It was estimated about more than a million people visited the site during the weekend on which the equinox fell in 2010. Officially, the equinox occurred on Saturday, but many seemed assured that the energy was still present on Sunday. Due to the large crowds, access and activity at the site is severely restricted. The site is opened for the event from 6 am to 5pm, with visitors on this day entering through gates 1, 2 and 5 and leaving through gate 3. Commercial activity is restricted. Special scaffolding and security are placed on the pyramid on that day to assure a regular flow of people. Only the first level of the Pyramid of the Moon is accessible. Other areas such as the Palace of Quetzalcoatl, the Site Museum, the Citadel and others are all closed off, restricting visitors to the open areas of the Avenue of the Dead and the plazas around the two pyramids. The small mounds that line the Avenue of the Dead are reserved for police monitoring the crowds below. Ceremonies are restricted to the plazas next to the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and prohibited on them. The normal parking lots of the site are closed on this day with parking restricted to private lots in the communities around the site.First aid for those who need it, often from the heat later in the day, is provided by the organizations such as the Mexican Red Cross and the state civil protection authority. Around 550 federal police are employed in the archeological zone for the event as well as numerous state and local enforcement for the surrounding communities.
Archaeoastronomy of the site
Although some are now closed off during the spring equinox, a number of the buildings at the Teotihuacan site show relationships with astronomy. ArchaeoastronomyArchaeoastronomy
Archaeoastronomy is the study of how people in the past "have understood the phenomena in the sky how they used phenomena in the sky and what role the sky played in their cultures." Clive Ruggles argues it is misleading to consider archaeoastronomy to be the study of ancient astronomy, as modern...
research has been undertaken at the site since the 1990s. The Palace of the Butterflies has circles on its walls created with reflective mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
, which have been interpreted as representing astronomical bodies. It is very likely that the Palace of Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl
Quetzalcoatl is a Mesoamerican deity whose name comes from the Nahuatl language and has the meaning of "feathered serpent". The worship of a feathered serpent deity is first documented in Teotihuacan in the first century BCE or first century CE...
functioned as a solar observatory. On the spring equinox, from between 7:15 and 7:45am when the sun rises, a shadow travels upwards along figures etched and painted red onto a battlement-like structure on the west wall. Some of the figures depicted are owls, a bird associated darkness as well as rays of light. The symbolism is that of balance between light and dark. Birds also symbolize the stars. This structure is called an unxicalcoliuhqui, a type of fretwork
Fretwork
Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly used are wood and metal. Fretwork is used to adorn...
that can also been seen at Chichén Itzá. As with the Butterfly Palace, there are circles on the walls created with reflective mica.
The first rays of the sun that stream across the landscape on the day of the spring equinox are broken on their way to Teotihuacan by an elevation called the Cerro Colorado Grande. Some believe that this point was used by the ancient people of Teotihuacan to mark the equinox. However, this would most likely have required the placement of the Pyramid of the Sun in a more northerly position, or that the Pyramid of the Moon played a more prominent role in spring equinox celebrations.