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A mural from Teotihuacan depicts ritual preparations at the base of pyramids in the multiethnic city.
Chronicle/Alamy Stock Photo
Shrine of decapitated heads suggests violence against foreigners in ancient Mexico
Dec. 17, 2020 , 10:35 AM
Fifteen hundred years ago, Mexico’s Teotihuacan was a multicultural metropolis, enlivened by the diverse dress, foods, and dialects of its immigrant groups. Artifacts show the city of more than 100,000 depended on a steady stream of foreigners, who brought skilled labor and exotic goods from across Mesoamerica. But after Teotihuacan faded, during a period of upheaval and uncertainty, locals may have turned against outsiders—and archaeologists now think they’ve found the decapitated heads to prove it.