4 TOLTEC CEREMONIAL CENTERS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - HISTORY - 2025

The ceremonial centers or temples of the Toltecs were precincts where tribute was paid to the gods. They were located in the center of their cities and it was a stone structure, large in size.

Around this structure were other buildings made of stone, where the ruling and priestly classes resided. Built in not so resistant materials, such as adobe for example, and other perishable materials, were the houses of the farmers, merchants and craftsmen who inhabited the city.

Toltec pyramid of Tula.

This is how the ceremonial centers of the Toltecs were those that were located in the center of their cities, destined to the worship of their deities. Cities like Tula had large ceremonial centers, given their large population.

Some historians suggest that the Toltec people are mythical, that it is an invention of the Aztecs to proclaim themselves as heirs of the master builders. Nahuatl legends say that the Toltecs are the founders of civilization, and had great influence on art and culture, especially the Aztecs.

The peoples that formed indigenous Mexico (Mayas, Aztecs, Toltecs, Olmecs, etc.) had a particular structure in the construction of their population settlements.

The Ceremonial Centers of the Toltecs

1 - Tula

It is located on the coast, in the state of Quintana Roo. Being on a commercial route, it had piers.

In turn, the city was prepared with walls for defense. Otomi influences, like Chichén Itzá. Among its most important centers are The Castle, Temple V, and the Temple of the Frescoes.

The Tula friezes have representations of warriors, powerful animals and the mythical feathered serpent, all accompanied by human remains such as bones and skulls.

The Atlanteans of Tula are figures of warriors, with darts and shields, and the pectorals decorated in the shape of a butterfly.

Tula's influence reached as far away as Central America. Their language was Nahuatl, and it was also used by the Aztecs.

The Toltecs would conquer the city of Teotihuacán by the year 750AD, settling in it. A military caste seized power, displacing the religious and became a militaristic state. By the year 1168 its capital was conquered by the Chichimecas.

2 - Tzompantli

The Tzompantli or altar of skulls is a Toltec creation, made or decorated with skulls and human remains, where the corpses of those sacrificed in the rites were piled up.

It was specifically a structure made of posts which were used to skewer the skulls of the victims.

It is considered an architectural element typical of the Toltecs. It was conceived as a kind of platform and in addition to hanging the skulls, other parts of the body such as hands and ears were also placed.

The victims were often prisoners of war and sacrifices were considered useful to protect crops and maintain fertility.

In fact, the objective of wars was to take prisoners in each conquest to offer them to the gods.

3 - Huacapalco

Huacapalco was the seat of the Toltec empire before it made its migration to the city of Tula. It is the oldest place of human settlement in the state of Hidalgo.

In the social and cultural field it was very important, and different ancient Mesoamerican societies converged on it.

4 - Chichen Itza

Although it is a Mayan city, it had a strong Toltec influence, since they were known for their great skills in construction.

Other historians believe, on the contrary, that the style of construction was actually the way in which buildings were made in the region, and not the influence of the Toltec group in particular.

In the 10th century a dispute occurred between Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, the high priest, and the god of war. The god of war was the victor, so Topiltzin fled with his followers to the south, facing the Mayans on land and sea until he managed to conquer the city of Chichén Itzá, making it his capital. This victory was facilitated thanks to a collapse in the Mayan civilization.

The Mayans called their new king Kukulkán. A mixture of religions occurred, facilitated by the prior similarity of the beliefs of all Mesoamerican peoples.

Characteristic of Chichen Itzá is the sacred cenote, or well of sacrifices, where in fact material offerings were made to the gods.

The Kukulkan Temple or Castle, and the Step Pyramid. The temple has 365 steps, 91 on each side, and the final platform is 365.

Twice a year, during autumns and springs, a shadow can be seen snaking up to the serpent statue located below.

In the cities of Tula and Chichén Itzá, various figures carved in stone were found, associated with ball games or in sacred places, or directly related to the god of rain.

One of them is the chacmol, a seated stone figure, inclined, looking to the side and holding a container in its belly.

Different opinions speculate about the meaning or usefulness of the figure. Among them it is said that it could be an altar to place offerings such as food or others, or as a sacrificial stone.

Others speculate that it may be a god as such, a kind of intermediary, or some warrior in particular.

Legacy and Influence on the Mayans

In the Yucatan peninsula, the Mayans fully adopted the principles of Toltec sculpture, developing and expanding it.

The Mayans and the Toltecs had a wide relationship, with the Mayans having an influence on architecture, sculpture, religion, ceremonial rites, among other aspects.

Probably, the expansion of Toltec customs and culture had its origin in the commercial relations of the Toltecs with the rest of the peoples of Mesoamerica, which in turn were related to the military intentions of Tula, present during almost its entire history.

In addition to the influence on the Mayan people, the Toltecs also exerted a strong presence in other societies located in areas such as the Huasteca, Totonacapan, El Tajín and the Yucatan Peninsula.

References

1. Delgado de Cantú, G. (2002). Mexico history. Mexico City, Pearson Education.
2. The great ceremonial centers and their function. Recovered from chell.galeon.com.
3. Sanderson, B. Mayans, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Incas. Recovered from san.beck.org.
4. Pérez, M. (2003). FAMSI: The Temple of the New Fire in Huixachtécatl (Cerro de la Estrella). Recovered from famsi.org.
5. Tzompantli. Recovered from museodelaciudadqro.org.
6. Monte Alban. Recovered from artehistoria.com.
7. Flores, E. Digital Notes and Questionnaires by Class: History of Mexican Art and Architecture. Recovered from uaeh.edu.mx.