The Feathered Serpent Pyramid: A Research Paper

This book provides an overview of the search for Tutankhamun’s tomb, and details the religious significance of the tomb’s contents. The

In class we spoke about how the aztecs performed sacrifices with human hearts to the Gods so the sun would rise another day. Under this pyramid they found underground tunnels and rooms that were most likely used for rituals. “Gods then were ‘fed’ and ‘nourished’ with the sacrificed blood and flesh which ensured the continued balance and prosperity of Aztec society.” (ancient.eu) By feeding the Sun God he would have enough power to raise the sun the next morning. Ceremonies were held in specific pyramids usually the largest. They placed whoever they were going to sacrifice on the stone and open their chest up right there and then and take out their heart. The heart was then placed on a stone vessel and burned for the God. The Temple of The Feathered Serpent is the Third largest ruin and hundreds of bodies were discovered under it. Most of the bodies found were male and buried with weapons. The temple being built in style of a serpent was probably a burial ground for warriors who fought for Teotihuacan and not against

The majority of ancient Egyptian structures studied by architectural historians and planners alike, were erected to honor a pharaoh or as a grand tomb for their journey through to the afterlife. Whether the structure was in the form of a temple, tomb or statue, the ritual and spiritual influence is unquestionable. The location, scale, and materials used to construct these monuments are all defining factors of how the space is used and functions.

Djoser’s pyramid was initially thought to be the last resting spot of pharaoh Djoser, yet later archeological researches have revealed that it worked with extremely contract shafts stretching out from within to the external surface for the purpose of lifting the pharaoh's soul into the sky. The White temple and Ziggurats then again were said to have been built to house the divine beings. Therefore, they are the real homes of the divine beings themselves particularly in the perspective of the Sumerians and Babylonians. In such manner, that was why only the priests were allowed to go inside the

Much of the pyramids history is on the inside. One of the many things inside of the pyramids are (sometimes also known as mummies) are the bodies of the pharaohs. When pharaohs died in Ancient Egypt, they were believed to become gods. In order to properly put them at rest, they had to do a proper burial. To do this, people has to take out every organ of the body except for the heart. The heart is told to hold the soul, so they couldn’t remove it. After this, they stuff the body with cloth and sew the skin up. They put chemicals on the body to dry it out, and set for 40 days. The body was then covered in oils, precious stones, and amulets and bound with longs strips of cloth over and over again. A highly decorated mask was set on the face and wrapped again in cloth. This whole process took about 70

     According to Egyptian and Sumerian mythology, there was a battle between two families of gods for supremacy and control over the ancient lands and the pyramids of Giza were strategic strongholds for the gods. (vi) The different shafts and chambers of the great pyramids are said to point to various constellations that represent several Egyptian gods. (vii) It is also thought by some that the pyramid may have been a place where Egyptians made a pilgrimage to honor the gods or their pharaoh who, according to legend was a descendent of the gods. (viii)

The two sides of the temple each represented a different mountain for the two gods who used it as their dwelling place on earth. Tonacatepetl, or the Mountain of Sustenance, was represented by the temple’s north side and honored Tlaloc. This side was where mostly child sacrifices were held. The southern side, however, stood for the Mountain of the Serpent, Coatepetl. Dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, this mountain was said to be the place of his birth and the battle between him and his sister Coyolxauhqui. During Panquetzaliztli, a 20 day festival held in Huitzilopochtli’s honor, human sacrifices were killed on the altar at the top of the Templo Mayor. Besides a place for human sacrifice, the Templo Mayor was also considered the meeting point between the underworld, earth, and heaven. Those who died from natural causes were buried under the temple so that they could begin their journey the land of the god and goddess of death, Mictlantecuhtli &

The Temple of Quetzalcoatl is historically popular due to the lavish designs that surround its facades, especially one distinct figure: the feathered serpents. Feathered serpents are historically important to the Mayan culture (Taube). The serpent is known as a very important element in the Mayan war culture. Leaders and warriors have a feathered serpentine figure in their headdresses to signify the importance of war. According to anthropologists Caso and Bernal, the Teotihuacan feathered serpent is identified with a horizontally projecting nose with a slight upcurve at the end with slightly curving teeth resembling the teeth of Teotihuacan jaguars (Taube). The Old Temple, as it is also popularly referred to, is surrounded by tiers of feathered

It was a powerful, political and religious city housing great temples and pyramids divided into 4 quadrants. The largest of these temples was by far the Templo Mayor or Great Pyramid stood at the centre of Tenochtitlan. Standing at 90 feet high it consisted of two step-pyramids side by side and a smaller pyramid specifically devoted to Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent god). Over the course of around 200 years starting in 1325, the Templo Mayor was reconstructed seven times due to new leaders ruling Tenochtitlan. These pyramids represented two mountains that were sacred to the Aztecs, Tonacatepetl and Hill of Coatepec. Tonacatepetl or Hill of Sustenance’s main deity was Tlaloc (god of fertility and water). The Hill of Coatepec was the birthplace of Huitzilopochtli. This is important, as Huitzilopochtli was the Aztec god of war, sun and most importantly human sacrifice; he was also patron of Tenochtitlan. The combination of these gods on Templo Mayor represents atl-tlachinolli meaning burnt water, which indicated warfare helping the Aztecs to acquire power and wealth. Both of these temples had structures atop of each pyramid showing images of the two gods, accessed by balustrades with carved serpents at their base. These statues and pyramids show us that religion played a tremendous role in Aztec

In this article, Sarah C. Clayton examines the gender roles and ideologies in ancient Teotihuacan. Stated in her thesis, this work will provide for a better understanding of social organization and diversity. Anthropologists separate gender (cultural) with sex (biological). For example, there were differences in different places in Teotihuacan, were the “mainstream” society had males with a higher power than females, and in Tlailotlacan, there were equal social status. People were buried underneath the apartment compounds, where archeologists examine the gender and the age and if social status may intersect with gender. Burial brings are essential information to gender roles, as Clayton views different numerical data. The author went more in

The Egyptian pyramids have been the subject of many outlandish claims and construction theories for centuries. The Great Pyramid for example has been associated with pyramid power, curses, Atlantis, Mexican pyramids, Stonehenge, Nazca, the Bermuda Triangle, Biblical prophecy, Martian faces, advanced civilizations, space aliens, cavity resonators, and even levitation. It is not surprising that some who have proposed such theories have been dubbed "pyramidiots". This paper will attempt to give a more logical solution to the methods ancient Egyptians may have had used, and the problems they may have had, using factual information, scientific evidence and a bit of common sense.

Saburo Sugiyama, writes in detail about the possible meaning of the layout and architecture of the city of Teotihuacan. Furthermore, explains that the figures on the temple of Quetzalcoatl appear to be wearing a headdress, to represent the culture of the builders. As well, indicates that there is a possible relationship between the Feathered-Serpent and the planet Venus, therefore, indicating that the temple of Quetzalcoatl is a symbol for Venus. Additionally, adds information on excavations, and points out how the 200 buried individuals were found and the hypothesis as to why they were found in the surrounding and beneath the temple. This source was very informative regarding the representation of the excavation findings and the meaning behind

This essay focuses on two different types of pyramids; the Step pyramid which was the first pyramid and the Great pyramid, which was the largest pyramid built in Egypt. The essay investigates the meaning of the selected forms for the Egyptian culture and explains their dialog with the cosmos.

In the deserts of Egypt lie the colossal remains of an ancient civilization. These enormous works of human endeavor are the only member of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World that time has passed down to us. These are, of course, the great pyramids of ancient Egypt. But these imposing structures were not built to impress civilization millennia down the road. The pyramids in fact had a purpose to the ancient Egyptians. While they seem very simple in nature, as they are simply four-sided pyramids with square bases, they had a meaning for those that had them built. Even by today’s standards, the pyramids of ancient Egypt were an impressive feat of engineering, due to their enormous size, both in building materials and finished product.

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