Archaeologists Open Sealed Cave Beneath The Pyramid of the Sun

After more than three decades since it was sealed up, archaeologists are now again visiting the cave system located under the Pyramid of the Sun, in an attempt to learn more about the civilization that built it. The Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world, standing behind the Great Pyramid of Cholula and that of Giza. Although it is often associated with the Aztec civilization, the pyramid was not built by them since it was already there when they reached Teotihuacan.

It is said that the Teotihuacanos formed one of the biggest ancient civilizations, which mysteriously disappeared by the time the Aztecs discovered the city of Teotihuacan around the 1500s. Shortly after, the Spanish explorers arrived in the Americas, largely responsible for the decline and destruction of the Aztec civilization.

Archaeologists seem to suggest that the Teotihuacanos fled the city around the year 700, but not before burning it to the ground. The caves beneath the Pyramid of the Sun could just as well provide with the evidence needed to learn more about this great ancient civilization. The cave system sits approximately six meters beneath the pyramid and consists of tunnels 2.4 meters tall, stretching for 90 meters.

If all goes well, the archaeological investigations should start by the end of this month. "We think it had a ritual purpose. Offerings were placed at the very end of the tunnel as part of the pyramid's construction process. We want to find out why the Teotihuacan people sealed it and when," said Mexican archaeologist Alejandro Sarabia.

The caves were discovered during the 1970s; however, they were immediately sealed up. Also, most of the information collected at the time of the discovery was lost forever.

The ruins of the city of Teotihuacan are currently the biggest archaeological site in Mexico, and could have been populated by as much as 200,000 people around the year 500 AD, roughly the size of Rome at that time. Although it is practically surrounded by trespassing slums extending from the near Mexico City, the site is still visited by a large number of tourists every year, coming to the 65 meter tall pyramid to celebrate the spring equinox.