Undeniably, the impact of Teotihuacan on future civilizations was felt for centuries beyond its demise. The haunting religion of Quetzalcoatl would call to leaders of the Toltecs, and the Maya. And, at a point much later in time, it would be the militaristic Aztecs that embraced the prophesied return of the ancient Quetzalcoatl in the persona of none other Ferdinand Cortes, who promptly conquered them in a well-known bloody siege in the early 1500s, in the name of Spain.
To anthropologists, answering the many questions of Teotihuacan is a profound responsibility. For, in solving the riddles of this complex urban civilization-indeed the first known such urban state in all of ancient Mesoamerica-we may understand more about everything since then. Unlocking its secrets may change what we know about history. We may even learn more about ourselves as a complex society. We may learn how to prevent our own demise; promote our own growth. Perhaps, the Feathered Serpent is still keeping vigil on humanity's "bones", at Teotihuacan.
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