Tula
Tula is believed to have been populated by the former inhabitants of Teotihuacan. Tula was settled around 700 AD. They reached their height of power between 950 to 1150 AD and fell sometime around 1200 AD. There is some dispute as to whether Toltec was a name for the people inhabiting Tula; i.e. not their race or nationality, or the name designated something else. The dominate language of Tula was Nahuatl which is the language of the Aztec or Mexica. Tula is located 130 degrees west of the Great Pyramid in Egypt.
The two primary deities are Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. They used the 52 year calendar round as their calendar which consists of the 365-day calendar in conjunction with the 260-day ritual cycle. The ballgame is a tradition they carried and they made use of a system of ideograms for their writing. Tula is the site of the mythic battle between the followers of Tezcatlipocs and Quetzalcoatl. Tula also has a strong link with Chichen Itza in the Yucatan peninsula some 800 miles away.
Tula Architecture
The major structure that remains today is the Temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli (Lord of the House of the Morning Star) or Pyramid B. At the top of this pyramid stand four colossal statues, more than 15 feet tall, dressed as warriors that were originally painted red. They may represent the Toltec ruler Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl (who was named after the fair-skinned god worshiped by many Mesoamerica cultures). These four figures wear stylized butterfly breastplates, sun-shaped shields on their backs, feathered headdresses and carry spear throwers and a supply of spears. They once served as pillars to support the roof of a temple that stood atop the pyramid. The sides of the pyramid were decorated with reliefs of jaguars, coyotes, eagles, and feathered serpents, each symbolizing a different class of warrior. On the east side is El Coatepantli or the wall of snakes. They are reliefs of giant rattlesnakes eating humans and the conch shells represent Quetzalcoatl as the planet Venus.
The principle temple, Pyramid C, faces the sunrise and was Tula's main religious temple. There is a massive sculptural slab near that most likely adorned the temple and its imagery is of Quetzalcoatl in this his manifestation as Tlahuizcaltec Uhtli, "the morning star," symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness.
The Burnt Palace was not a palace but an administrative center. It had a chac mool in the central room.
Aside from pyramids and palace, Tula has two ball courts, one that appears more elaborate and perhaps was used for ceremonial versions of the game.
