Toltecs
Tula's ancient builders
The Toltecs were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico from roughly the 10th to 12th centuries, centered at the city of Tula.
Later peoples, especially the Aztecs, revered them as master craftsmen and predecessors whose achievements they sought to emulate.
The Aztecs claimed Toltec ancestry to legitimize their rule.
Toltec as an adjective describes their culture, art, or influence.
Aztec feathered serpent god
- feathered serpentWinged snake deity
- human sacrificeRitual offering of life
- priest-kingsSovereigns with religious authority
- morning starPredawn planet or weapon
Pre-Columbian Central American region
- pre-ColumbianAmericas before 1492
- empireDomain under unified control
- pyramidsApex-topped geometric solids
- city-stateSelf-governing urban territory
warriors · artisans · tribute · collapse · migration · theocracy · urban center · trade networks
Aztec obsidian-edged war club
- conquestDefeating and seizing control
- expansionIncrease in scope
- military ordersOfficial combat directives
- shieldsProtective barriers for defense
Enclosed areas for games
- palacesGrand royal residences
- friezesOrnamental wall strips
- stone reliefsSculpture projecting from flat rock
Shaping raw ore industrially
- goldElement seventy-nine
- silverLustrous white precious metal
- featherworkArt using bird plumes
- potteryFired clay objects
sculpture · jade carving · ceramics · cotton weaving · lapidary · frescoes · relief carvings
Society's effect on behavior
- divine lineageAncestry from gods
- master craftsmenExperts in skilled trades
- historical memoryShared recollection of past events
- noble ancestryHighborn family background
Quetzalcoatl
Aztec feathered serpent god
- feathered serpentWinged snake deity
- human sacrificeRitual offering of life
- priest-kingsSovereigns with religious authority
morning star · cosmology · temples · bloodletting · creation myths
Mesoamerica
Pre-Columbian Central American region
- pre-ColumbianAmericas before 1492
- empireDomain under unified control
- pyramidsApex-topped geometric solids
city-state · warriors · artisans · tribute · collapse · migration · theocracy · urban center · trade networks · obsidian
macuahuitl
Aztec obsidian-edged war club
- conquestDefeating and seizing control
- expansionIncrease in scope
- military ordersOfficial combat directives
shields · armor · captives · battle formations · fortifications
ball courts
Enclosed areas for games
- palacesGrand royal residences
- friezesOrnamental wall strips
- stone reliefsSculpture projecting from flat rock
metalworking
Shaping raw ore industrially
- goldElement seventy-nine
- silverLustrous white precious metal
- featherworkArt using bird plumes
pottery · sculpture · jade carving · ceramics · cotton weaving · lapidary · frescoes · relief carvings
cultural influence
Society's effect on behavior
- divine lineageAncestry from gods
- master craftsmenExperts in skilled trades
- historical memoryShared recollection of past events