The Trouble with Toltecs

The Toltecs left a lasting legacy on Mesoamerica that is impressive but paradoxical. Were the Toltecs rulers of an empire or products of popular myth? What can history and archaeology tell us about this culture? Discover why the Toltec legacy is so troublesome to pin down.
Misconceptions: The Gran Chichimeca by Aztlan Historian:
• Misconceptions: The Gr...
Aztlan Historian's channel:
/ aztlanhistorian
Chapters:
Introduction: 0:01
Historical Accounts: 3:27
Tollan and Tula: 10:45
Tula's Layout and Architecture: 16:20
Wider Tula: 21:59
Connections with Chichen Itza?: 25:21
Assessment of Tula: 29:42
The Toltec Legacy: 32:45
Patreon: / ancientamericas
Facebook: / ancientamericas ​
Sources and Bibliography:
docs.google.com/document/d/1P...

[@AztlanHistorian]

Thanks for the chance of working with you, my friend! Cenca tlazohcamati!

[@yokothespacewhale]

"history is seldom kind to history"

[@multivitamin425]

9:27

[@robertmcgovern8850]

I tried to interest our city council in putting a skull rack downtown, next to the kiddie splash park, but they had already spent all the money on a second ball court.🙄 We'd have to raise the funds ourselves. So if anyone wants their name on a paver ($50) or pillar ($200) of the new skull rack, we are taking donations.

[@jsmit9063]

The Toltecs "teaching the clay to lie" means objects they would make look so good it's deceiving to their eyes, they look so good they can't believe what they see, like the clay is lying to them. It's a really powerful, albeit convoluted, way to compliment their work.

[@alexanderparas323]

As someone who enjoyed studied Classics in college, I love learning about the amazing histories, languages, and cultures of the Americas. Too often are they overlooked, and you’re doing an amazing job highlighting them and sharing their stories. Thank you for the amazing content!

[@KaiserWilbur]

My parents are from Nicaragua and the Nahua presence here is amazing. Historians and scholars believe that the Nahua of Nicaragua are descended from Tollan’s Toltecs. The evidence to support this theory is astonishing, such as the Nicarao’s expertise in medicine, the timeframe of the Nicarao’s migration to Nicaragua after the fall of Tollan lines up almost perfectly. In fact it’s taught in high academia that the Nicarao are Toltecs who simply migrated south after the fall of Tollan. Great video.

[@SwabcraftCreates]

You don't have to be an empire to have a big impact. City states like Athens and Sparta had massive historical and cultural impacts. Toltec's were heavily influential in a similar way despite not being an empire level power.

[@EverettHaran]

It's Toltec Time. Your narration improves with every video!

[@thelegate8636]

Topiltzin seems very similar to King Arthur. Nowadays, we're pretty sure that Arthur was a real person or conglomeration of people (personally, I think he was Riothamus), but the legends got so crazy that we end up with things like Le Morte d'Arthur. Seems to

[@WhyIsYoutubeSoTerrible]

It genuinely rules that it took a half century of research looking into where this legendary city could possibly be until one really really smart guy realized it was likely at the place that had the same name effectively. I hope he was with his beloved cat when he figured this out.

[@owenrobertson4314]

I think that teaching the clay to lie was a reference to their sculptures being so good they looked real.

[@daviddeltoro1808]

Now THIS is how you lay down the history of ancient Mesoamerica

[@mexicounexplained]

The Toltecs have always been "problematic." Great show! You did a wonderful job synthesizing the material. Mil gracias.

[@QUIRK1019]

This is channel consistently publishes some of the highest quality history content on all of KZbin. Thank you for sharing your talent with us

[@Jarlegand]

I just binge watched all of your videos for past 3 days and couldn't get enough of them, that upload is a godsend, amazing content!

[@sizanogreen9900]

I like the idea that they were legendary for their craftsmanship and more abstract "refinement" among the mesoamericans, like sparta was to the romans for their militarism and well, spartanic lifestyle & upbringing, maybe based on real facts or more a kind of transgenerational flanderisation. And in that way maybe became an ideal to emulate. Maybe like "rome" after the fall of the west-roman empire.

[@lucysanchez98]

I learn so much from your videos, i’m Mexican myself and I’ve always took pride in my Aztec heritage! Can you make a video about Aztlan and the origins of the Nahua peoples, thx in advance ❤

[@Liliphant_]

I love when any history content discusses the sources involved

[@Vienna3080]

This is one of the only Historical channels on KZbin that talks about Pre Colombian American history, happy I’m a Patreon!