Archaeology of Teotihuacan, Mexico  

Excavations in 1998-1999

The Pyramid of the Moon Project was initiated in July of 1998. The first step in the exploration of the pyramid consisted of the excavation of a tunnel from west to east. The entrance of the tunnel was located on the west side of the pyramid at the juncture of the Adosada with the main body of the Pyramid of the Moon.(left) A metal roof (shown in the photograph) was installed over the tunnel entrance to prevent flooding during rainstorms and to facilitate the screening of the material that was removed from the tunnel during excavations. The objective of the first phase of the excavation was to investigate the earlier buildings in the interior of the pyramid and to reach the central area of the buildings to locate any offerings or burials that could provide information about the rituals and beliefs of the ancient Teotihuacanos. As a result of the tunnel excavation seven distinct structures, which have been designated Buildings 1 through 7, and three offering-burial complexes, designated Burial 2, Burial 3 and Burial 4, which correspond to Buildings 4, 5 and 6 respectively.

Subsequently two tunnels were also excavated on the east side of the pyramid. One of the tunnels was opened at the juncture of the Adosada on the east side of the pyramid and proceeded in a westerly direction, eventually connecting with the original tunnel that had been excavated from the west towards the east The second tunnel was opened in the façade of what is referred to as the "intermediate body" of the pyramid and was excavated in a south to north direction. The purpose of these tunnels was to explore the shape and dimension of the substructures or "earlier versions" of the Pyramid of the Moon.

At the same time that the interior of the pyramid was being explored by means of tunnels, the exterior of the pyramid and its associated structures were also investigated by means of trenches and pits. On the north, or posterior side of the Pyramid of the Moon, a large trench (right) and several small tunnels were excavated in order to confirm the existence of interior structures. The information recovered from this location helped establish the exact dimensions and form of the pyramid in its earlier versions, as well as the dates of construction. The last monumental construction, what we know today as the Pyramid of the Moon, was probably constructed in the fourth century.