Toltecs

The Toltecs were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico during the Postclassic period, roughly from the 10th through the 12th centuries CE. The name derives from the Nahuatl toltecatl, often translated as craftsman or artisan, and later became a broader cultural label used by Aztec and other sources to denote a prestigious tradition of knowledge, craft, and rule. Whether the Toltec represent a single political entity or a federation of communities is debated among scholars.

The core political and economic center associated with the Toltecs was Tollan, identified archaeologically with the site of Tula in present-day Hidalgo. Around Tollan, the Toltecs constructed monumental architecture, plazas, and ballcourts, and produced distinctive sculpture. Notable features include the large basalt column statues of warriors and other monumental work, which demonstrate a significant artistic and religious program. The Toltecs maintained extensive trade networks across central Mexico, connecting with Gulf Coast and northern regions, and showing influences from earlier Teotihuacan traditions as well as interactions with neighboring cultures.

Religiously and culturally, the Toltecs are often portrayed in later Aztec sources as the authoritative forebears of culture and civilization. The term Toltecayotl came to symbolize wisdom, artistry, and refined rulership. Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity, is associated in Aztec and post-Toltec lore with the Toltec past, reinforcing the idea of a golden age of knowledge.

The Toltec polity declined in the highlands of central Mexico between the 12th and early 13th centuries CE, with social upheavals and migrations contributing to its collapse. The Toltec legacy persisted in regional traditions and in the Aztec myth of Tollan as a model of culture and authority.