This paper proposes a reinterpretation of the Tepantitla murals long
known as the Tlalocan. Taking into account the numerous representations of
different kinds of ballgames on these walls, along with the instances of
the Maya glyph for pu, pu or pu[h],
or “Place of the Reeds” (i.e. Tollan), this paper argues that
this mural represents Teotihuacan as prototypical civilized city
associated with the beginning of time and the calendar. Further evidence
is provided by the images of “Scattering Priests” in the
adjacent room, all of whom wear crocodilian headdresses associated with
Cipactli, the first day of the central Mexican calendar. In both rooms,
images of Tlaloc with hallucinogenic water-lily buds in his mouth reflect
associations with the sun, the calendar, and the underworld. The murals of
Tepantitla can be interpreted as a coherent program representing the
central role of the ballgame in establishing Teotihuacan as Tollan, the
place where time began.