In the first decade of the 20th century, Mexican engineer and pioneering archaeologist Leopoldo Batres excavated and restored the Sun Pyramid in anticipation of the 1910 Centennial of Mexico’s War of Independence from Spain. His undertaking was truly unprecedented; neither he nor anyone else had ever attempted such a project anywhere in the world. Today we realize that he made numerous mistakes, including the creation of a non-existing fourth stage at such a steep angle that it has left five generations of tourists mistakenly cursing the Teotihuacanos. His mistakes do not surprise me; I have always been amazed that he got as much right as he did.
Written by Richard A. Diehl
