Tulasas, Archaeological site in Tula de Allende, Mexico.
Tollan-Xicocotitlan, known as Tula, is an archaeological site in the Tula Valley of Hidalgo, Mexico. Its ceremonial core, Tula Grande, sits on a limestone outcrop and includes Pyramid B, topped by four 4-metre basalt columns carved as Toltec warriors, two ballcourts, and long columned halls facing a plaza. The site also contains the earlier settlement of Tula Chico and a museum at the entrance.
The city emerged in the eighth century and developed into a major center in central Mesoamerica until the middle of the twelfth century. After the settlement declined, inhabitants left the region and abandoned the stone buildings.
The four basalt figures atop Pyramid B, each about four metres tall, once supported the temple roof. They carry an atlatl, a butterfly-shaped chest plate and a back plate shaped like a solar disk. The name Tula comes from Tollan Xicocotitlan, 'near the cattails', and the Aztecs later used Tollan to mean any urban centre.
A visit typically takes two to three hours to see the main structures and the museum. Comfortable shoes are recommended because the paths between the ruins can be uneven and the sun in the valley is often strong.
The site museum is named after archaeologist Jorge R. Acosta, who excavated Tula for years. At the entrance, it holds sculpted stone works and human remains, while the Guadalupe Mastache Orientation center adds archaeological pieces and displays on the city's links to the rest of Mesoamerica.
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