Home Region: Mexico (North America)

Toltecs

900 CE 1199 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 mx_toltec / MxToltc

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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

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

Language

1 Language Genus

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

Special-purpose Sites

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

Information / Postal System

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Modern Fortification

1 Fortified Camp

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events

15 Instability Event

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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Temporal Bounds Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Duration	[900 CE ➜ 1199 CE] Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Language Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Language Genus	uncoded Undecided Expert	900 CE 1199 CE
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Religion Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[30,000 to 60,000] people	900 CE 1199 CE
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Polity Territory	[20,000 to 25,000] km²	900 CE 1199 CE
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Polity Population	[150,000 to 200,000] people	900 CE 1199 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	900 CE 1199 CE
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Military Level	2	900 CE 1199 CE
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Administrative Level	4	900 CE 1199 CE
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Professions Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Judge	Unknown Suspected	900 CE 1199 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Unknown Suspected	900 CE 1199 CE
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Court	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Irrigation System	Unknown Suspected	900 CE 1199 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present	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)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Special-purpose Sites Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Writing System Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Script	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
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	900 CE 1199 CE
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Practical Literature	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Philosophy	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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History	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Fiction	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Calendar	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Information / Money Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Postal System Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Measurement System Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Modern Fortification	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Fortified Camp	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Military use of Metals Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Iron	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Copper	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Bronze	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Projectiles Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Sling	Present	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	900 CE 1199 CE
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Handheld weapons Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Sword	Present	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	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 / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Elephant	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Donkey	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Dog	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Camel	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Armor Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Shield	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Plate Armor	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Limb Protection	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Helmet	Present Inferred	900 CE 1199 CE
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Chainmail	Absent	900 CE 1199 CE
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Breastplate	Present	900 CE 1199 CE
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Naval technology Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Disputed	900 CE 1199 CE
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Human Sacrifice Toltecs (mx_toltec)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More