precolumbiancivilizations

Toltecs (Claire and Paige)

Page history last edited by ClairePaige 6 mos ago

THE TOLTECS

Introduction

The Toltecs are a mystery. No one really knows for sure whether they were real or, not.

The Beginning

They supposedly appeared in Central Mexico area in the 10th Century AD. There They established their central city of Tula. It is believed that the Toltecs wree refugees from the northern Teotihuacan culture and migrated after its fall in 700 AD.

Why Don't We Know More?

Little is known about the Toltecs because the Aztecs ransacked the Tula ruins for building materials for their nearby capital, destroying most of the historical evidence that remained. Much of what we know today about the Toltecs came from legends carried on about them by later cultures.

Accomplishments

The Toltec Empire was the first of the extreme militaristic cultures in the region. They used their power to dominate their neighbors, a trend associated with the later cultures in the region, especially the Aztecs. Eventually the empire spread across most of Mexico, Guatemala, and as far south as the Yucatan, as they conquered lands previously controlled by the Mayans.

The Influence of the Toltecs

The Toltec Empire and leaders created an "unmatched mystique" in the minds of Central American people. The Toltec leaders were thought of as being alongside deities. Later cultures often revered them and copied their legends, art, buildings, and religion. Many future rulers of other cultures, including Mayan leaders and Aztec emperors, claimed to be descended from the Toltecs.

The Chihuahua is an ancient dog, originally bred by the Toltecs in Mexico. It was called Techichi then. Now the Chihuahua is now one of the most popular dogs in the world.

Sports

The Toltecs sported the familiar ball game played by many Central American cultures. The Toltecs may have sacrificed the losers.

Archetecture

Toltecs are known for their somewhat rougher form of architecture, a form that would later inspire the Aztec builders.

Art

Toltec art is characterized by walls covered with snakes and skulls, images of a reclining Chac-mool (red jaguar), and the colossal statures of the Atlantes, men carved from great columns.

Religion

Two major deities dominated religion in the Toltec Empire. The first, Quetzalcoatl, is shown as a plumed serpent. This deity of learning, culture, philosophy, fertility, holiness, and gentility was absorbed rom earlier cultures in the area. His rival was Tezcatlipoca, the smoked mirror, known for his warlike nature and tyranny.

The Greatest Ruler

The greatest ruler of the Toltes was Ce Acatl Topiltzin who was renown for being the leader and high priest of the Quetzalcoatl at the time when Tula and the empire were established.

According to Toltec legend, Tezatilpoca's followers drove Topiltzin and his followers out of Quetzalcoatl out of the city around 1000 A.D. An interesting twist in Topiltzin's legend is that he vowed to return to Tula from the east in one of his sacred years and take his vengeance. This legend lived all the way to the time of the Aztecs, who attributed the arrival of the Spanish as the return of Topiltzin, an event that they feared greatly.

The Decline

The Toltec Empire lasted until the 12th century, when it was destroyed by the Citimecs ad other attacking groups. The Toltec people were absorbed by the conquerors and in the south they became assimilated with the Maya, subordinates to the people they once conquered. After the fall of the Toltec, central Mexico fell into a period of chaos and warfare without any single ruling group for the next 200 years. Then the Aztecs gained control.

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