- characteristics
- Materials used in construction
- The sculptures
- Homes for domestic use
- buildings
- References
The Toltec architecture is one of the most important artistic events of the era spanning from 900 to 1200 AD, and includes all the constructions carried out the settlers who occupied the territories that now belong to Hidalgo, Jalisco and Zacatecas Mexico.
It is considered that the Toltecs exerted great influence on the development of the civilizations that inhabited the American territory before the conquest. They were great builders and left a great legacy that marked a new trend in the area of architecture.
Source: wikimedia.
They completed large-scale buildings such as palaces, pyramids, and temples. Some of these works were intended for political and administrative uses while others were built in honor of their deities.
They also highlighted the housing complexes for domestic use that housed a large number of inhabitants.
The buildings of the Toltecs had an artistic content since they were combined with sculptures with a detailed elaboration that served as support to the roofs of the structures.
These sculptures generally represented some animals such as the serpent, the eagle and the jaguar, among others. Human figures were also included, being in most cases warriors.
characteristics
Toltec architecture was characterized by implementing great transformations in the architectural styles used by the civilizations that inhabited America. In fact, his style greatly influenced great civilizations such as the Mayans.
One of the outstanding aspects of the Toltec architectural style is the close relationship it had with sculpture.
As artistic expressions they complemented each other since many of the buildings included pillars to support the roofs. On these pillars, images were often sculpted representing people or different animals.
Within Toltec buildings, the absence of windows and the presence of small doors stood out.
It should be noted that, although they were great builders, they did not build many pyramids. However, these are considered mega constructions.
The pattern used in the construction of the pyramids included a base that supported the structure with innumerable stairways. These were distributed throughout the pyramid from the base to the top or upper platform.
The city was organized around a square in which an altar was located and around this large buildings were located. Among them the pyramids, the palaces and the fields where ball games were held.
Materials used in construction
This civilization used various materials in the construction of buildings, stone being the key natural resource. The Toltecs acquired great skills in the use of stone in the construction and decoration of all architectural works.
Other natural elements that were included in the buildings were wood and metal. It is known that they also used cement, sand, adobe and lime in the erection of buildings.
The sculptures
Sculpture is an artistic expression that in many of the buildings of Toltec architecture occupied an important place. In fact, this civilization was a pioneer in the inclusion of artistic expressions within the most important buildings.
Source: wikimedia.
The architectural style of the large buildings was characterized by having structures that supported the roofs. These were pillars that were generally carved, which represented various motifs.
Many included animals considered to be of great power, among them the serpent, the jaguar and the eagle. Warriors with their weapons or shields were also included. In addition, the pillars that included snakes stood out, which were designed with feathers on the head. The part corresponding to the tail of the animal was placed upwards while the head was level with the ground.
Homes for domestic use
Although they were not large-scale works, the constructions for domestic use were characterized by their large capacity. One of the virtues of these buildings is that they could house a large number of inhabitants.
They were houses made of stone, earth and adobe, they had a single floor and completely horizontal roofs.
There were different types of dwellings for domestic use, among which the residential units and groups of houses stand out. Each of these residential complexes had a kind of plan that separated them and differentiated them by sectors.
Therefore, different neighborhoods could be distinguished within the homes for domestic use.
buildings
One of the main characteristics attributed to the Toltecs was the great abilities and skills that they demonstrated in reference to construction.
Among the most notable buildings is the so-called burned palace. This structure is one of the largest pyramids of Toltec architecture, which was made in order to honor the sun.
The investigations made it possible to verify that this construction was not burned accidentally but that on the contrary its fire was provoked.
The Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli pyramid also constitutes one of the most important buildings of Toltec architecture. This was a temple that the Toltecs built in honor of the god Quetzalcóatl. The Toltecs were quite a religious people and this deity was more important to them.
It should be noted that a group of four Atlanteans were placed at the top of this pyramid, which were found through archaeological exploration carried out in the area. These figures used to represent warrior men and stood out for their large dimensions, which reached 4.6 meters in height.
References
- Mexican Archeology. Toltec. Taken from arqueologiamexicana.mx
- Characteristics. 10 Characteristics of the Toltec Culture. Taken from caracteristicas.co
- Toltec culture. Sculptures and architecture of the Toltec culture. Taken from culturatolteca.pro
- Toltec culture 2 "I". Art and Architecture. Taken from sites.google.com
- Toltec culture. Taken from ecured.cu
- Toltec culture. Taken from euston96.com