shows the 
picture 
THE LESSER CIVILIZATIONS 155 
Xochicalco. Let us now pass over in brief review 
several ruins which belong to the Toltecan period. 
Xochicaleo, the House of the Flowers, is a large ruin 
near Cuernavaca. The position seems to have been 
chosen primarily for defense. The rounded ridge that 
drops off into deep valleys on either side is laid out in 
courts, terraces, and pyramids. Only one building 
offers evidence of the sculptural skill of the ancient 
habitants. It is a temple, standing upon a rather low 
platform mound. The sides of the platform mound 
are decorated with great plumed serpents, seated human 
figures, hieroglyphs, etc. Parts of the sculptures also 
remain on the low walls of the temples itself which is 
now roofless. The stone carving at Xochicalco re- 
sembles that of Monte Alban especially as regards the 
hieroglyphs. 
San Juan Teotihuacan. The great ruin of 
Teotihuacan is located on the eastern margin of the 
Valley of Mexico. The principal features of Teotihuacan 
are two great pyramids and a straight roadway lined 
with small pyramids. There are also several groups 
of buildings of which the lower walls and the bases of the 
piers are still to be seen as well as some interesting 
fragments of fresco painting. The smaller of the two 
great pyramids is called the Pyramid of the Moon. 
It is located at the end of the roadway which is com- 
monly called the Pathway of the Dead. The Pyramid 
of the Sun is situated on the east side of the roadway. 
This pyramid is about 180 feet in height and rises in 
four sloping terraces. The temple which formerly 
crowned its summit has entirely disappeared. Explo- 
rations conducted by the Mexican government showed 
that this pyramid was enlarged from time to time and 
old stairways buried under new masonry. On the 
