Tula

See also: Tula (homonymy)

The identification of the capital of the Toltèques, the legendary town of Tula or Tolan or Tollan posed problems with the archeologists a long time. The archeologist Georges Vaillant identifait it with the ruins of Teotihuacan. The Desired French Charnay had excavated the site at the end of the 19th century. It is only in years 1940 that the agreement was made definitively to recognize it in these ruins located in the Mexican State of Hidalgo, close to the modern city of Tula of Allende. The site was the subject of excavations by the archeologists Eduardo Matos Moctezuma and Richard Diehl.

If one excludes the famous “Telamones”, the site is less spectacular than much of other centers mésoaméricains. Located on a headland, the city, which occupies a surface of 14 km ², developed during two phases: the phase Corral (800 with 900) and the phase Tollan (900 with 1150). The traces of fire seem to indicate that she knew a brutal end.

The site

At the 8th century, the core of Tula was to 1 km more in north, in Tula Chico, whose play of ball resembles extremely that of Xochicalco. At the 10th century, Tula Chico is abandoned for a new center, that whose current tourists visit the monuments emblematic, called Tula Grande. Certain specialists formulated the assumption of a bond between the construction of this new center and the conflict which, according to the tradition, opposed Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca.

The monuments of the ceremonial center are distributed around a place. At the east is located a badly known monument, the pyramid C. In the north of this one is the famous unit formed by the pyramid B and the “ Palacio Quemado ” (palate flaring).

The pyramid B is also known under the name of “ Temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli ”, i.e. the Quetzalcoatl god in the shape of the Venus planet. In front of the temple a gantry was, of which does not remain that the base of the pillars. At the bottom of this gantry a bench decorated with a procession of warriors is. At the top of the pyramid B four colossal, known statues are under the name of “Telamones”, which supported the roof of a room. These statues, high of 4,60m, are made of qutre pieces, encased by a system of Tenon - Mortaise. They represent warriors toltèques, holding in a hand a atlatl (arms of propulsion) and in the other a handle of arrows. The entry of the temple was made of two columns in the shape of snake. In the north of the pyramid a wall called is “Coatepantli”, decorated with a plank of snakes devouring of the skeletons.

Beside the Pyramid B is the Burned Palate, which was actually destroyed by a fire. It is composed of three rooms Hypostyle S, which were undoubtedly used as meeting room with the leading class of the warriors, that to which seem to testify the benches along the walls. At the time of excavations carried out in 1993, one discovered under this building two remarkable offerings, a disc of turquoise mosaic and pectoral of shells.

One of the elements most characteristic of the site are the statues called “Chac Mool” (or “Chak Mo' ol”). This Maya term was invented at the XIXe century by Auguste the Dive, to indicate a statue of the same type with Chichen Itza. This expression, which means “large red Maya jaguar”, seems remarkably badly suitable, but is preserved for practical reasons. It acts lengthened individuals, resting on the elbows, the turned head with 90° and holding in their hands a cut. How often in archeology, there does not exist certainty, but it is generally thought that these statues were intended to accommodate offerings. One discovered in Tula two grounds of play of ball, one in the west, the other in the north of the central place. This last, in the shape of “I”, resembles extremely that of Xochicalco.

Évêché

Diocese of Tula
Cathedral of Tula

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