Home Region:  Mexico (North America)

Toltecs

900 CE 1199 CE
D G SC WF RG CC EQ 2020  mx_toltec / MxToltc
Preceding Entity:
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Succeeding Entity:
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Displayed: 900 CE

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  General Description   The Basin or Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly corresponding to modern-day Mexico City. Here, we are interested in the period when the Basin was under the control of a city known as Tula (c. 900-1199 CE). Some scholars have argued that Tula corresponded to Tollan, the capital of the Toltecs; according to the Aztecs as well as other Mesoamerican sources, the Toltecs were the Aztec’s hegemonic predecessors in the region. [1] Tula itself had up to 60,000 inhabitants. [2] The Basin of Mexico experienced an increase in the number of settlements, and archaeological data suggest that the rural population had access to the same material goods and trading networks as Tula. [3]
There is no evidence that Tula was the capital of an empire, but it is clear that its influence extended beyond the confines of the Basin of Mexico, and that it extracted food and other revenue from its surrounding region. The city’s many buildings with large halls and evidence for feasts and other types of large gatherings, as well as depictions of processions, suggest that, perhaps like Teotihuacan, it may have relied on an administrative system wherein power was distributed among different sectors of society. [4]

[1]: (Healan and Cobean 2012: 372) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/FZJZ92TE.

[2]: (Carballo 2019: pers. comm. to E. Cioni and G. Nazzaro)

[3]: (Healan and Cobean 2012: 377) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/FZJZ92TE.

[4]: (Healan and Cobean 2012: 380) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/FZJZ92TE.

General Variables
Identity and Location
Temporal Bounds
Political and Cultural Relations
Language
Religion
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Hierarchical Complexity
Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Military use of Metals
Projectiles
Handheld weapons
Animals used in warfare
Armor
Naval technology
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequences Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Toltecs (mx_toltec) was in:
 (900 CE 1199 CE)   Basin of Mexico
Home NGA: Basin of Mexico
General Variables
Identity and Location Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Temporal Bounds Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Duration [900 CE ➜ 1199 CE] Confident Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Language Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Language Genus uncoded Undecided Expert 900 CE  1199 CE
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Religion Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement [30,000 to 60,000] people Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Polity Territory [20,000 to 25,000] km2 Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Polity Population [150,000 to 200,000] people Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Settlement Hierarchy 4 Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Military Level 2 Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Administrative Level 4 Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Professions Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier Present Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Professional Priesthood Present Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Professional Military Officer Present Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Government Building Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Merit Promotion Unknown Suspected 900 CE  1199 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat Present Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Examination System Unknown Suspected 900 CE  1199 CE
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Law Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Lawyer Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Judge Unknown Suspected 900 CE  1199 CE
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Unknown Suspected 900 CE  1199 CE
Court Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Market Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Irrigation System Unknown Suspected 900 CE  1199 CE
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Food Storage Site Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System Unknown Suspected 900 CE  1199 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Toltecs (mx_toltec)
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Special-purpose Sites Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Writing System Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Script Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Nonwritten Record Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Mnemonic Device Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Toltecs (mx_toltec)
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Scientific Literature Unknown Suspected 900 CE  1199 CE
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Sacred Text Unknown Suspected 900 CE  1199 CE
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Religious Literature Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Practical Literature Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Philosophy Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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History Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Fiction Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Calendar Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Information / Money Toltecs (mx_toltec)
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Information / Postal System Toltecs (mx_toltec)
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Information / Measurement System Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Modern Fortification Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Fortified Camp Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Military use of Metals Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Steel Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Iron Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Copper Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Bronze Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Projectiles Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Sling Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Self Bow Absent Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Javelin Absent Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Composite Bow Absent Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Atlatl Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Handheld weapons Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
War Club Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Sword Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Spear Absent Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Polearm Absent Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Dagger Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Battle Axe Absent Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Animals used in warfare Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Horse Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Elephant Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Donkey Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Dog Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Camel Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Armor Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Shield Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Scaled Armor Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Plate Armor Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Limb Protection Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Leather Cloth Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Laminar Armor Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Helmet Present Inferred 900 CE  1199 CE
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Chainmail Absent Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Breastplate Present Confident 900 CE  1199 CE
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Naval technology Toltecs (mx_toltec)
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Toltecs (mx_toltec)
Variable Coded Value Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain Absent Confident Disputed 900 CE  1199 CE
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Human Sacrifice Toltecs (mx_toltec)
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Crisis Cases
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Instability Data
Power Transitions
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