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Zenith
The city reached its
peak in AD 450, when it was the center of a powerful culture whose influence
extended through much of the Mesoamerican region. At its peak, the city covered
over 30 km² (over 11½ square miles), and perhaps housed a population of
150,000 people, with one estimate reaching as high as 250,000 Various
districts in the city housed people from across the Teotihuacano region of
influence, which spread south as far as Guatemala.
Notably absent from the city are fortifications and military structures.
The nature of
political and cultural interactions between Teotihuacan and the centers of the
Maya region (as well as elsewhere in Mesoamerica) has been a long-standing and
significant area for debate. Substantial exchange and interaction occurred over
the centuries from the Terminal Preclassic to the Mid-Classic period.
"Teotihuacan-inspired
ideologies" and motifs persisted at Maya centers into the Late Classic,
long after Teotihuacan itself had declined. However, scholars debate the
extent and degree of Teotihuacano influence.
Some believe that it
had direct and militaristic dominance; others that adoption of
"foreign" traits was part of a selective, conscious and bi-directional cultural diffusion. New discoveries have
suggested that Teotihuacan was not much different in its interactions with
other centers from the later empires, such as the Toltec and Aztec. It is
believed that Teotihuacan had a major influence on the Preclassic and Classic
Maya, most likely by conquering several Maya centers and regions, including
Tikal and the region of Peten, and influencing Maya culture. [Wiki]
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