The Ceremonial centers Or Temples of the Toltecs were places where tribute was paid to the gods. They were located in the center of their cities and it was a structure of stone, of big dimensions.
Around this structure were other buildings made of stone, where the ruling and priestly classes resided.
Toltec pyramid of Tula.
Constructed in materials not as resistant, as adobe for example, and other perishable materials, were the houses of the farmers, merchants and artisans that inhabited the city. Of this part no remains are preserved today, only of the two mentioned above.
This is how the ceremonial centers of the Toltecs Were those that were located in the center of their cities, destined to the cult to their deities.
Cities like Tula had great ceremonial centers, given their large population.
Some historians suggest that the Toltec people are mythical, which 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 they had a great influence on art and culture, especially in the Aztecs .
The towns that formed the indigenous Mexico (Mayas, Aztecs, Toltecs, Olmecs, etc.) had a particular structure in the construction of their population settlements.
The Toltec Ceremonial Centers
1 - Tula
It is located on the coast, in the state of Quintana Roo. Being on a commercial route, it had jetties.
In turn the city was prepared with walls for the defense. Of Otomi influences, like Chichen Itza. Among its most important centers are the castle, the temple V, and the temple of frescoes.
The friezes of Tula have representations of warriors, powerful animals and the mythical feathered serpent, all accompanied by human remains like bones and skulls.
The Atlanteans of Tula are figures of warriors, with darts and shields, and pectorals decorated in the form of a butterfly.
Tula's influence reached as far away as central america. Its language was Nahuatl, and was also used by the Aztecs.
The Toltecs would conquer the city of Teotihuacan by 750 CE, settling therein. A caste of military took over the power, displacing the religious and became a militarist 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 poles which were used to thread 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 skulls, other parts of the body were also placed as hands and ears.
Victims used to be prisoners of war and sacrifices were considered useful to protect crops and maintain fertility.
In fact, the aim of wars was to take prisoners in every conquest to offer them to the gods.
3 - Huacapalco
Huacapalco was the seat of the tolteca empire before this one made its migration to the city of Tula. It is the oldest settlement in the state of Hidalgo.
In the cultural social field was very important, and converged in it different ancient societies of Mesoamerica .
4 - Chichén Itzá
Although it is a Mayan city, it had strong Toltec influence, as these were known for their great construction skills.
Other historians say, on the contrary, that the style of construction was in fact the extended way in the region of realizing the constructions, and not the influence of the tolteca group in particular.
In the tenth century a dispute took place between Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, 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 Maya in sea and land until they conquered the city of Chichen Itza, making it their capital. This victory was facilitated by a collapse in the Mayan civilization.
The Mayas They called Kukulkán to its new king. A mixture of religions occurred, facilitated by the previous similarity of the beliefs of all Mesoamerican peoples.
Characteristic of Chichen Itza is the sacred cenote, or well of the sacrifices, where in fact they were throwing material offerings to the gods.
The temple of Kukulkan or the castle, and the stepped pyramid. The temple has 365 steps, 91 on each side, and the final platform makes number 365.
Twice a year, during autumn and spring, you can see how a shadow snakes to the statue of the snake located below.
In the cities of Tula and Chichén Itzá, several figures were carved in stone, associated with ball games or in sacred places, or directly related to the god of rain.
One of them is the chacmol, a stone figure sitting, sloping, looking to the side and holding a container in its belly.
Different opinions speculate about the meaning or utility of the figure. Among them is said to be an altar to place offerings as food or other, or as a stone of sacrifice.
Others speculate that it may be a god as such, a kind of intermediary, or some particular warrior.
Legacy and Influence in the Maya
In the Yucatan peninsula, the Maya fully adopted the principles of Toltec sculpture, developing and expanding it.
The Mayans and the Toltecs had an ample relation, being observed in the Mayas influence in the architecture, sculpture, religion, ceremonial rites, among other aspects.
Probably, the expansion of the Toltec customs and culture had its origin in the commercial relations of the Toltecs with the rest of the towns of Mesoamerica and that in turn had relation with the military intentions of Tula, present during almost all its history.
In addition to the influence on the Maya people, the Toltecs also exerted a strong presence in other societies located in areas such as Huasteca, Totonacapan, El Tajin and the Yucatan Peninsula.
References
- Delgado de Cantú, G. (2002). Mexico history . Mexico City, Pearson Education.
- The great ceremonial centers and their function. Retrieved from chell.galeon.com.
- Sanderson, B. Mayans, Toltecs, Aztecs, and Incas. Retrieved from san.beck.org.
- . FAMSI: The Temple of the New Fire in the Huixachtécatl (Cerro de la Estrella). Retrieved from famsi.org.
- Tzompantli. Recovered from museodelaciudadqro.org.
- Monte Alban. Recovered from artehistoria.com.
- Flores, E. Digital Notes and Questionnaires by Class: History of Mexican Art and Architecture. Recovered from uaeh.edu.mx.