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Atlantean Figures at Tula

Atlantean Figures at Tula are four anthropomorphic sculptures from the Toltec culture, located on Pyramid B in the archaeological zone of Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico, also known as Tollan-Xicocotitlan. They stand just over 4.5 meters tall and are carved from assembled blocks of basalt. The figures represent Quetzalcoatl as the Morning Star (Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli), dressed as a Toltec warrior and equipped with a butterfly pectoral, an atlatl, darts, a flint knife, and a curved weapon characteristic of this culture’s warrior imagery. They originally supported the roof of the temple at the top of the pyramid, which is how they came to be called atlantes.

Tall stone Atlantean figure at Tula with an elaborate headdress and stylized face, seen against a bright sky.
An Atlantean figure from Tula stands in stone, with carved fragments visible nearby.
February 2005 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Atlantean Figures at Tula standing on a weathered platform beneath a partly cloudy sky.
Atlantean Figures at Tula on a weathered stone platform, with hills in the distance.
June 2007 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Close-up of an Atlantean figure at Tula with a carved face and patterned headdress against a blue sky.
A close-up of one of the Atlantean figures at Tula, showing its carved facial features and patterned headdress.
April 2008 © Susana Torres Sánchez · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tall stone Atlantean Figures at Tula standing on a wide plaza with tourists and a bright blue sky overhead.
The Atlantean Figures at Tula rise above the plaza, with visitors looking on beneath a bright sky.
May 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Atlantean Figures at Tula, a carved stone warrior figure shown beside a man for scale.
Atlantean Figures at Tula, shown in a historical illustration with a man standing nearby for scale.
1887 © · No restrictions

Identification

TitleAtlantean figures at Tula
TypeFour monumental atlantean figures
SubjectWarrior figures
Original titleLos atlantes de Tula

Historical context

Historical roleLong considered the capital of the Toltec people
Historical associationLinked to Toltec remembrance of Teotihuacan culture and to the founding traditions of Tula
Associated cityTula, the ancient Toltec capital
CultureToltec
Historical periodPre-Columbian Mesoamerica
DateThe carving date is unknown; the earliest possible date is around 750 CE

Creator

CreatorToltec artisans

Discovery and provenance

Discovery date1940
DiscovererArchaeologist Jorge Ruffier Acosta
Accompanied byRaimon Galí

Location and ownership

Location nameTollan-Xicocotitlan
PlacementStanding on the upper part of the Temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli overlooking the main plaza
Current locationTula, Hidalgo, Mexico
Original locationTemple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli on Pyramid B in the archaeological zone of Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico

Physical characteristics

Number of figuresFour
DimensionsAbout 120 × 42 × 37 centimeters
DescriptionMassive anthropomorphic statues of Toltec warriors
HeightJust over 4.5 meters

Materials

MaterialBasalt, carved from locally available stone
Other materials mentionedLimestone, sandstone, and volcanic rock are also mentioned as local stone used in the figures

Technique

Production timeThe carving process was very time-consuming
ToolsStone chisels, scrapers, and hammers; smaller and softer stones were used for smoothing
TechniqueHand-carved

Appearance

Depicted figureQuetzalcoatl as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the Morning Star
Depicted objectsAtlatls, darts, flint knives, curved knives, shields, and a gourd-like vessel
Depicted attireToltec warrior attire with feathered headdresses, butterfly pectorals, belts, maxtlatl loincloths, knee guards, and sandals

Iconography and meaning

Other symbolsFeathered serpents appear on the sandals; the figures also have tubular ear ornaments and feathered headdresses
Weapon symbolismThe curved knife, bifacial knife, atlatl, and darts are warrior and sacrifice-related attributes
Butterfly motifThe butterfly pectoral symbolizes the warrior and, in the text, a warrior who dies in battle and becomes a butterfly that accompanies the sun at dawn

Significance

Stylistic significanceThey demonstrate Toltec skill in carving stone
Comparative examplesThe motif also appears in Olmec reliefs at Potrero Nuevo near San Lorenzo and in Maya sculpture at Chichen Itza
InfluenceThey inspired later Aztec warrior statues, standard-bearers, and chacmools, and the Aztecs used them as a model for legitimacy
Name originThey are called atlantes because they originally held up the temple roof; the name also reflects the European architectural tradition of Atlas-like figures
Labor significanceTheir long production time suggests they were important to the civilization
Cosmological symbolismAssociated with the axis mundi and the four cardinal directions, and described as marking the center and four directions of the universe while guarding the sun
InterpretationThey are seen as symbols of Toltec military greatness and as important markers of warrior identity and cosmology
FunctionOriginally supported the temple roof

Other

Related scholarshipRichard Townsend argued that the Aztecs drew on ancient artistic themes to associate themselves with the great traditions of Mesoamerican antiquity
Alternative interpretationsThe figures have also been interpreted as commemorating the migration from Aztlan, representing the four ancestral cities of the Valley of Mexico, or representing four individuals who carried Huitzilopochtli to Tenochtitlan as sacred bundles
Alternative arrangement in Aztec traditionA related Aztec group consisted of five warrior statues: one bearded male in the center, three male warriors to the north, east, and south, and one female warrior to the west