MEXICO CITY.- A new reading of one of Teotihuacan’s most studied murals is inviting scholars and the public to look again at a familiar masterpiece.
The Tepantitla mural, preserved in the Teotihuacan Archaeological Zone in Mexico, has long been associated with the idea of Tlalocan, the paradise of the rain god Tláloc. That interpretation, proposed by the renowned archaeologist Alfonso Caso, has remained one of the most widely accepted explanations of the painting’s complex scenes.
Now, archaeologist and cultural communicator Jaime Delgado Rubio, of the National Coordination of Archaeology at Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), is proposing a different view. According to Delgado Rubio, the mural may not represent a spiritual paradise, but rather an earthly celebration linked to agriculture, abundance, tribute, and community life.
His interpretation suggests that the mural depicts a major festival held in honor of Tláloc, the pre-Hispanic rain deity. Rather than showing the afterlife or a mythical realm, the painting may portray a ceremonial event in which people gathered to give thanks for the fertility of the land and the prosperity made possible by rain.
A festival of gratitude and abundance
Delgado Rubio’s proposal is based on iconological and iconographic analysis, as well as documentary sources. One of the key references is an account by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún describing a festival known as Etzalcualiztli, a Nahuatl term meaning “when etzalli is eaten.” Etzalli was a dish made with corn and beans.
According to the archaeologist, the festival described by Sahagún shares several similarities with the scenes painted at Tepantitla. The celebration was associated with abundance and with the need to repay Tláloc for the gifts of rain and harvests. Such ceremonies were held between June and August, a period closely tied to the agricultural cycle.
In pre-Hispanic thought, Tláloc was not only the god of rain but also a powerful force connected to the fertility of the earth. Delgado Rubio argues that the mural’s imagery reflects this relationship between water, food, ritual, and political authority.
Three scenes of community life
The mural is located in a residential compound and originally covered an area of around 100 square meters. Today, approximately 30 percent of the painting survives. Its vivid red tones remain one of its most striking features.
The surviving composition is organized into three principal scenes.
The first appears to show preparations for a festival. Figures gather materials, collect tule reeds, sanctify water, and perform rituals linked to offerings. Some people seem to be preparing to ascend a mountain, a symbolic space often associated with water, fertility, and divine presence.
The second scene shows a group building stands or platforms where spectators would gather. Delgado Rubio believes this area may have been used for a ball game played with a stick, possibly an official activity of the community. Some of the figures wear elaborate clothing and headdresses, suggesting that they may have been elite participants or players.
The third scene focuses on healers. In this part of the mural, families and other members of the population appear to seek cures for different ailments, showing how the celebration may have included not only ritual and entertainment, but also healing and social support.
A painting of many peoples
One of the most notable aspects of the mural is the variety of clothing and physical features represented among the figures. Delgado Rubio believes this diversity may indicate the presence of foreigners invited to pay tribute to Tláloc and to Teotihuacan’s ruling elite.
Archaeological research has shown that Teotihuacan attracted people from many regions, including areas that are now part of Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, the Maya region, and even Purépecha and Nahuatl-speaking territories. For Delgado Rubio, the mural may reflect that multicultural reality.
His reading also adds a political dimension to the painting. The festival, he suggests, may have served as a strategy to collect tribute, reinforce social order, and display Teotihuacan’s power over surrounding communities.
A deity with a different expression
Delgado Rubio also points to an unusual detail: the mural appears to break with the artistic conventions of its time. In this painting, the deity seems to show curiosity, almost as if peering out to watch the celebration. In other representations, divine figures are usually shown with much greater severity.
That more human expression, he argues, may offer another clue that the mural is not only about gods and myth, but also about people, performance, and public ritual.
A debate that remains open
Delgado Rubio’s theory builds on earlier studies of the Tepantitla mural, especially the work of emeritus researcher Jorge Angulo. To explore the new interpretation in greater depth, the documentary La fiesta grande de Teotihuacan. Mural de Tepantitla, directed by Rafael Morales Orozco, premiered on May 15, 2026, on the YouTube channel Relatando Historias.
As with many interpretations of ancient art, the proposal is not presented as a final answer. Delgado Rubio has emphasized that his reading remains open to debate among specialists.
What is clear is that the Tepantitla mural continues to speak across the centuries. Whether seen as a vision of Tlalocan or as the image of a great agricultural festival, it remains one of the most fascinating windows into the ritual, political, and cultural life of ancient Teotihuacan.
