Teotihuacan was one of the greatest cities ever built—and one of the most unsettling. Founded around 100 BCE and reaching its height between 200–600 CE, Teotihuacan dominated the Valley of Mexico with a population exceeding 100,000 inhabitants. At its peak, it rivaled or surpassed Rome in size. But unlike Rome, Teotihuacan left behind no royal names, no inscriptions boasting of kings, no clear dynastic tombs. The city was meticulously planned. Its vast ceremonial spine, the Avenue of the Dead, c