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In this remarkable story we see not only the idea of Teotihuacan as the primordial origin of the Aztec sun, we also see the participation of the gods and their self-sacrifice so that human life can then go on. And this sets up for in the Aztecs the crucial idea about human sacrifice, which was that when they sacrificed themselves they were paying a debt back to the gods who had created the sun for them here in Teotihuacan.
The Aztecs believed that the daily journey of the sun could only continue while it was supported with blood. Human sacrifice on the American continent is most often associated with the Aztecs. But in fact it had been practiced for centuries by previous civilizations, including the builders of Teotihuacan, the Maya and the Toltecs.
And all peoples that are very close to the origins have an enormous fear that the world will end, that once the sun sets it will never appear again, that the forces of nature are extremely powerful and have to be pacified. And one of the ways of pacifying them traditionally in old peoples is through sacrifice.
In the hostile environment of the valley of Mexico the Aztecs felt at the mercy of the powerful forces of nature. Five hundred years ago the mountains and volcanoes surrounding the valley were clearly visible from the Aztec capital, rare today given Mexico City smog. Here 30 miles outside the city, there's a clear view of what the Aztecs would have seen. The landscape holds vital clues to understanding how the Aztecs believed they could influence the gods. Art historian Dick Thomson was the first to map this area. Aztecs shrines like this one mark sacred locations. The miniature pyramid steps echoing temple architecture. These were traditionally places to remember the gods of the natural world, to appease and support them by making offerings of flowers, food, drink or blood.
Offerings have been made in these receptacles and would run down over the face. This boulder was formally stood upright and formed part of that whole ensemble. And then the ensemble itself really looks towards the great rain producing mountains of the valley of Mexico: Mount Tlaloc, and then more distantly Ixtaccihuatl and Popocatepetl. It's a replication. Here in stone what you see out in the natural setting. So in effect this grouping of rocks forms a kind of miniature world.
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ensemble: n. <法>全体
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