The Biggest Human-Made Pyramid On Earth Isn't In Egypt

[wnylib]

4. I completely agree with your assessment

of the attitudes of Europeans when they reached the Americas. On the dating of the pyramid, though, I think archaeologists have techniques for dating them pretty well.

I'm guessing that there might have been earthen pyramids in Mexico, like the earthen mounds in the present US, prior to the building of pyramids with stone and brick.

Interesting phenomenon of human behavior that later cultures often build their sacred monuments over pre-existing ones from previous cultures, sometimes without knowing that there already was a temple or other religious structure there before. When they do know that there was something there before, the newer one is intended to supplant the previous religion, e.g. a mosque over the destroyed site of the Jewish Second Temple. But choosing the same site for a Christian church as a previous Toltec temple, without knowing that the temple was there, is interesting. A totally different culture and religion considered the same location as suitable for a religious structure. I'd guess that the Spanish thought that a hilltop, which could be seen from everywhere below it, was a way of showing dominance, as in literally and figuratively "looking down on" the native population.