From Tula Chico to Chichén Itzá: Implications of the Epiclassic Sculpture of Tula for the Nature and Timing of Tula-Chichén Contact

Abstract

In the last four decades, a number of archaeologists and art historians have posited that “Toltec” Chichén Itzá (Yucatán, Mexico) flourished during the ninth and tenth centuries A.D. They argued that because the “Toltec” style in Yucatán predated the Tollan phase at Tula (Hidalgo, Mexico), most of the style features shared between the cities originated with the Maya. Here, I examine the relevance of the Epiclassic relief sculpture of Tula Chico for the timing and nature of contact between Tula and Chichén Itzá. The presence of reliefs of reclining figures in clear “Toltec” style at Tula Chico in contexts predating their occurrence at Chichén Itzá suggests that claims for a predominantly Maya origin for that style stand in need of revision. Such a rethinking is supported by other fragmentary images from Tula Chico (eagles and Venus symbols), as well as by new studies of ceramic materials and chronology at Chichén Itzá. It is clear that Tula was an active participant in whatever interactions led to similar visual arts at Chichén Itzá, and at least some of the shared iconography has temporal priority at Tula.

Recent Investigations at Tula Chico, Tula, Hidalgo

“…It is therefore clear that, contrary to previous claims (e.g., Bey and Ringle 2007:396–397), the so-called “Toltec style” existed at Tula well before the Late Tollan phase. The implications of this temporally early sculpture for the ongoing debate about the primacy of this style at Tula versus Chichén Itzá have already been noted by Jordan (2016), based only on a fraction of the corpus of specimens seen in Figures 4 and 9. These finds provide additional evidence for cultural continuity between Epiclassic Tula and the Early Postclassic city, and raise the possibility that some of the distinctive sculpture at Tula Grande may have been brought there from Tula Chico.…”

Agency, Alterity, Appropriation: Postclassic Lowland Maya Uses and Modifications of the “Mixteca-Puebla” or “International” Style

“…This is not to say that it is always impossible to determine the specific origin points of motifs or styles. For example, the occurrence of reclining figures in Toltec style, nearly identical to later examples from Early Postclassic Chichen Itza, at the Epiclassic ceremonial center of Tula Chico at Tula strongly support the origin of this imagery in central Mexico (Suárez Cortés et al 2007; Mastache et al 2009; Jordan 2015). However, in other cases, like the Mayapan solar disks, the multiple layers of transactions across space and time enfolded into a shared iconographic feature reflect complexities that make the pinpointing of origins uncertain and point to multidirectional processes as the more appropriate, if more difficult to entangle, level or focus of study.…”

Revised Chronology and Settlement History of Tula and the Tula Region

“…The recent investigations at Tula Chico (Cobean et al 2021) have revealed that the striking similarities in layout between it and Tula Grande are but part of the evidence for strong cultural continuity between the Corral phase and Tollan phase settlements. This includes numerous specimens of relief sculpture exhibiting key elements of the so-called “Toltec style” characteristic of sculpture at Tula Grande, which these authors note has crucial implications for the ongoing debate over the primacy of the Toltec style at Tula versus Chichén Itzá, as also noted by Jordan (2016).…”