The Toltec Culture

The Toltec Culture

The town was developed in the South part of the present state of Hidalgo and near zones. They settled down in the beginning in Tulancingo and later they founded its capital on the city of Tula, that had great importance because it was head of a new state, whose influence was determining in different groups.

Government

The toltecs were capable hunters and were considered a town soldier. In the toltec state it predominated the chaste military man, the imperialistic expansion, the conquests and the tributes of the neighboring towns.

The society divided itself in two classes:

The superior group integrated by jerarcas the military, civil employees, the supreme governor and the priests, who were to the service of the chaste military man and they were in charge to take care of the cult.

The inferior or operated class was integrated by agricultural workers and craftsmen.

Between the most important governors of the town tolteca they emphasize:

EC Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl.

It was most important of the governors, considered cultural hero of the pre-Hispanic world. With the name of Quetzalcóatl it was venerated like God. It took a very prosperous reign in where this civilization reached its maximum development. It imposed the practice of the human sacrifices that its town rendered to Tezcatlipoca.

Huémac

She was the last governor tolteca. His government, considered despotic, lasted of sixty years. During this period many conflicts between toltecas-chichimecas existed and nonoalcas. With this governor the decline of Tula culminated. Religion the politeísta religion of the empire tolteca was dominated by two main deities. It was the deity of the knowledge, culture, philosophy, and the fertility; it was adopted of previous cultures.

His rival was Tezcatlipoca,

the mirror misty, known by his nature single-breasted uniform jacket.

The important Gods within mythology tolteca are the following ones:

Tlaloc Centeotl

Itzlacoliuhque

Agriculture

The economy of the toltecas was in the beginning based on agriculture cultivating maize, frijol, Chile, cotton and maguey with which elaborated pulque; later in the production of crafts as the cotton article spinning and weave, as well as the commerce and also in the tribute.

Sciences

They were remarkable pyramid architects, filling the region. Also they emphasized in the monument sculpture, in addition to being goldsmiths, weavers and embroiderers. In sciences they emphasized in: · Arithmetical · Geometry · Astronomy · Medicine Invented a hieroglyphic writing and composed poetries and songs. They invented three calendars: the monk, the lot and the founded one on the movements of the Venus planet.

Art

The best works were in stone with sculptures that show military scenes and of human sacrifices. One of most important is the Chacmool, a great figure seated in reclined form, maintaining in the belly a container and with the head watching towards a flank. Also they emphasize architectonic frisos of Tula, which represent soldiers, powerful animals like the jaguar and to Quetzalcóatl like emplumada serpent. Next to them it is observed parts of human bodies as crossed skulls and long bones. Also they emphasize the columns carved with the figure of soldiers provided with atlatl or estolicas, pectoral darts, shields and in butterfly form. The ceramic style older Tolteca and than precedes to the foundation of Tula, known like Coyotlatelco, it characterizes by the red color and coffee of his vasijas. Later, a type of well-known ceramics like Mazapa style is developed, whose dispersion by great part of Mesoamérica is associated to the political expansion of the toltecas. Their forms more excellent potters are escudillas with their interior decorated with air lines or waved, painted of red intense. On a par of the Mazapa style, a ceramics called "Plumbate", original of Guatemala, that is one of the few potteries of the New World with surfaces that they pretend to be vitrified, thanks to the painting with mineral pigments and their baking exists to high temperatures

Flora and fauna Fauna:

The main ones are: heron, deer white tail, wild cat, coyote, jaguar, tlacuache, puercoespín, zorrillo, small lizard, tigrillo, rabbit, tejón, cotorra, colibrí, wild quail, guajolote, hare, tordo, hare black tail, owl and viper of bell.

Flora: Fir, pine, encino, oyamel and juniper. Copal, mahogany, wood of rose, ebony, framboyán. Huisache, mezquite, nopal, agave, lechuguilla and damiana.

How to get to:

Tulancingo, Hidalgo is located to 119 km of the city of Mexico by the freeway # 132.En Insurgent automobile to take the North avenue, when arriving at the house to follow señalamientos.En bus, leaving the Power station of the North, meter line 5, station Buses of the North.