The Street of the Dead is the north-south artery that connected the Ciudadela / Great Compound Complex with the Moon Pyramid to the north. The Aztecs gave the name Miccaotli (Street of the Dead or Calzada de los Muertos in Spanish) to the broad, street-like series of connected plazas because of the human burials they frequently encountered while digging through the ruined buildings along it in search of treasure. Several portions of the avenue are actually large closed-off plazas and it almost certainly never functioned as a public thoroughfare. The buildings lining it include temples and the Street of the Dead Complex, one of the several possible ruler’s palaces actually straddle it to the north of stream known today as the Rio San Juan.
Teotihuacános considered the prominent mountain behind the Moon Pyramid with the inelegant but very descriptive name Cerro Gordo (Fat Mountain) as an especially sacred landmark, the abode of the gods and the source of life-giving water. A tip for my fellow Seniors/Geezers: if you decide to proceed directly up the Street of the Dead rather than cutting west to the Site Museum as I suggest, try walking along platform tops that line the avenue. That approach involves much less climbing up and down than remaining on the Street itself while allowing you to observe interesting architectural details. Just remember, No Pase means just that.
Written by Richard A. Diehl
