Most of the information about the Toltecs comes from the Aztecs and post-colonial texts that record the early oral traditions. However, this information is by no means complete, and it can be colored by the Aztecs' special reverence for Toltec and their joy in combining myths with facts to help establish lineage with these ancient masters. However, a careful comparison between the early Mayan documents and the surviving archaeological records can at least outline the main elements of this civilization.
Origin and spread
The Torteks originated from Tholt Ka-Chichimeka people, who migrated from the desert in the northwest to Courois camp in the Mexican valley in the 9th century. According to the Aztecs, the first Toltec leader was Ce Técpatl Mixcoatl (a flint cloud snake, the Milky Way), and his son Ce Acatl Topiltzin (a reed victim, born in 935 or 947) will continue to gain the reputation of a great ruler and his title ("Feather Snake") among the great gods.
The first Toltec settlement was in Couloy, but they later established the capital in Tolan (Tula).
The first settlement of the Toltecs was in Culhuacan, but they later established the capital in Tollan (or Tula, which means "reed land", a common phrase in Central America, applicable to all large settlements). It has grown to a city area of 14 square kilometer and a population of 30,000 to 40,000. The center of the city is a grid layout, very similar to the Mayan city of Itza, Chen Chi. Interestingly, the Mayans also had a version of cultural hero, called "Feather Snake", which was translated into Ku Ku Ku Kun, contemporary with Tortek Feather God. This similarity with architecture shows that there is a close cultural connection between the two civilizations.
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Toran in Aztec mythology is famous for its magnificent palaces and amazing buildings made of gold, jade, turquoise and Gechar feathers. The city is also considered to be full of wealth created by talented Toltec craftsmen, who are very skilled in metallurgy and pottery making. It is said that their potters "taught clay to lie" (Coe, 156), and later Aztec metal workers and jewelers were even called Toltec. Torteks are also considered to have mastered nature, producing a large number of corn crops and natural colored cotton in red, yellow, green and blue. Not surprisingly, after centuries of plunder, there are no cultural relics to prove this material wealth, except that there are signs that the Torteks did conduct the main trade in obsidian (used for blades and arrows) mined from nearby Pachuca.
The ancient ruins of Tollankao are located on the limestone promontory. Although it is not as brilliant as the legend, a considerable number of historical sites remain. It includes two great pyramids, a corridor with colonnades, a large palace building and two stadiums, all of which are surrounded by dense urban residential areas. Family houses are divided into five flat-topped houses at most, each group is centered on a courtyard and has an altar, which is surrounded by walls as a whole.
The Toltecs are a militant people, who undoubtedly conquered the surrounding tribes and imposed tributes without worrying about integration.
The surviving architectural sculptures on the pyramid include large columns, each of which consists of four drums. They are carved as soldiers standing at the top of the fifth floor of Pyramid B, which is 10 m high. Soldiers are used to lift the roof structure. Soldiers dressed in drum headdresses and butterfly corsets are ready to fight, and everyone is holding an atlatl or spear thrower. In addition, the plume column survived from the original gate. The warrior column is similar, suggesting complex workshops that can be mass-produced.
Ribbon surrounds the pyramid and the 40-meter-long independent L-shaped wall (known as coating and Toltec innovation). They show the scenes of leopards, wolves and hyenas (symbols related to militant peoples such as Toltec) and animals such as sacrifices (especially intertwined rattlesnakes and skeletons). There are also images of feathered creatures (maybe jaguars) and eagles with hearts in their mouths.
Tollan also provided the first example of chacmools, in which lying stone soldiers grabbed a container and put it on their stomachs to accept the sacrifice to God. These will become the common features of temples in Central America. In Toland, they were placed next to the bench at the top of the pyramid temple.
descend
It is not clear why the regional rule of Toltec civilization ended. There is no doubt that a militant nation conquered the surrounding tribes and imposed tributes, regardless of whether it was integrated into the political and religious culture of Toltec. Under the pressure of natural phenomena such as continuous drought, the "empire" is likely to disintegrate. Internal disputes may also lead to the disintegration of the power structure, which is implied in the legend of the battle between Quetzalcoatl and Tess catale Boca, and intertwined with historical figures. It is relatively certain that in the middle of 12 century, Toland showed signs of violent destruction; Many building pillars and statues were burned and deliberately buried, and this place was systematically looted by the Aztecs. Under the leadership of Huemac, the last leader of to ltec, the remnants of Toltec resettled in Tepeck, chapple on the west bank of Lake Teskoko. This event can be traced back to 1 156 or 1 168.
heritage
The name Toltec has a certain prestige. They were highly praised by Mayans and Aztecs. In particular, they seem to have copied many aspects of Toltec religious customs and art, and regarded the Toltec period as the golden age of inventing writing, medicine and metallurgy. These are probably invented by earlier people and others, but what is more certain is Toltec's influence on architecture and sculpture. The image of Tolan later appeared in the Aztec gods, including Centeotl, Xochiquetzal, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli and snakes with the same feathers as Quetzalcoatl. Cuauhxicalli utensils and stone carvings of chacmools were used in sacrificial ceremonies, and tzompantli (skeleton) confirmed Toltec's influence on them. In any case, no matter what the actual legacy of Tolan people is, for Aztecs, it is Totek people rather than others. They tried to claim their descendants, and their reverence and respect were proved in the Aztec expression. Toltecayotl or "To" has a heart of Toltecs, which means it is worthwhile to do everything well.