It is possible that in contemporary Mexico, the achievements of the Mexica empire eclipse what has been achieved by other equally magnificent civilizations, such as the Toltecs. However, this people established a great empire in the Mexican highlands between AD 800 and AD 1200.
Origin of the Toltecs
The Toltec voice comes from Nahuatl. Toltecatl, which means native of Tula; although it is also attributed to the word tolan, translated as a place of tulles or reeds. Similarly, toltekatl means artist.
This civilization begins with the arrival of the Toltecs in the Valley of Mexico to found the city of Tollan or Tula. However, there is no unanimity regarding the date; some experts point out that it was in the year 667 AD; others mark the date at 850 AD and some others around 960 AD
In any case, it is known that Tula became the capital of the Toltec empire and that it reached its peak between AD 900 and 1200. C. extending through the states of Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Mexico City, State of Mexico, Morelos and Puebla.
In addition, its influence reached Jalisco, Zacatecas, Oaxaca, Chiapas and the Yucatan peninsula, where it had a strong impact on the Mayans.
The Toltec society was grouped under a warrior monarchy legitimized by religious beliefs; It was a warlike people and the ruling elite was made up of the Toltec kings, warriors, priests, hierarchs and officials who controlled the army, attended to religious worship and the calendar.
For its part, the working class was made up of peasants, artisans, carpenters, masons and spinners, among others; and below them were the slaves, captured from the peoples subjected to the military victories.
religion of the toltecs
They were a polytheistic people, that is, they believed in many gods and venerated the most powerful ones above all, such as Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent; Tezcatlipoca, the smoking mirror; and Tlaloc, the god of rain.
Economic activity
Their economy was based on agriculture: they planted corn, squash, beans, amaranth, and chili peppers in extensive fields irrigated by complex canal systems, and with maguey they produced pulque and fibers. Likewise, they were dedicated to the mining of lime, since this material was necessary to build and decorate buildings.
Toltec culture
They are recognized for their artistic skills, represented in murals and anthropomorphic stone sculptures, an innovative architectural element because with their heads they supported the ceiling of a room in order to have more interior space. An example of the above can be seen in the temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the Lord of Dawn, or in pyramid B in the city of Tula.
Finally, we invite you to visit the archaeological site of the city of Tula, in Hidalgo. There you can admire the vestiges of this civilization. Some buildings make an impact due to their dimensions, sophistication and engineering. Such is the case of Pyramid B, with its atlantes almost five meters high; the three fields of the Ball Game and the Burnt Palace, which archaeologists attribute as the home of the ruler’s family.