Pyramid of the Sun
Pyramid of the Sun, large pyramid in the ancient city of Teotihuacán, Mexico, that was built about 100 ce and is one of the largest structures of its type in the Western Hemisphere. The pyramid rises 216 feet (66 metres) above ground level, and it measures approximately 720 by 760 feet (220 by 230 metres) at its base.
The Pyramid of the Sun dominates central Teotihuacán from the east side of the Avenue of the Dead, the main north–south artery of the city. It was constructed of about 1,000,000 cubic yards (765,000 cubic metres) of material, including hewed tezontle, a red coarse volcanic rock of the region. During hastily organized restoration work in 1905–10, the architect Leopoldo Batres arbitrarily added a fifth terrace, and many of the original facing stones were removed. On the pyramid’s west side, there are 248 uneven stair steps that lead to the top of the structure.
Little is known of the people who built Teotihuacán, and the purpose of the Pyramid of the Sun remains largely a matter of conjecture. Archaeologists believe that there was once a temple atop the pyramid. In the early 1970s exploration below the pyramid revealed a system of caves and tunnel chambers, and other tunnels were later found throughout the city. Further discoveries were made in the ensuing decades. In 2011, archaeologists working under the pyramid’s centre reported finding a cache containing shards of clay pots, pieces of obsidian, animal bones, three greenstone human figurines, and a greenstone mask. In addition, walls of what appeared to be three earlier buildings were uncovered. It was announced in 2013 that workers had discovered a covered pit beneath the platform that forms the pyramid’s summit. Within the pit were two pillars and what was described as a figure of the god Huehueteotl, a deity found in the pantheons of several Mesoamerican civilizations.