The Coatepantli of Tula; The enigmatic “Serpent Wall” of the Toltecs and its place in the new Mesoamerican religious order of the Postclassic.

The Feathered Serpent or Quetzalcoatl represents an icon for Mesoamerican civilizations which could have been since Formative times (1200 BC - AD 250). It is visible and already extended throughout Mesoamerica at the moment of arrival of the Spaniards to the Mesoamerican territory. Archaeology has shown that during the transition from Epiclassic (AD 800-1000) to Postclassic times (AD 1000 – 1519), many features changed (Smith and Berdan 2000). Major Mesoamerican centers declined and were abandoned and new centers emerged and gained importance. During this transition the image of a feathered serpent suffers strong cultural and social changes (Ringle et al. 1998). It then becomes related to wind, Venus and a culture hero: Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, that ruled in a place called Tollan. In addition to this, a whole new religion developed where priests were ascribed to this cult which is reflected by the construction of pyramids that shows clear representation of feathered serpents...Show moreThe Feathered Serpent or Quetzalcoatl represents an icon for Mesoamerican civilizations which could have been since Formative times (1200 BC - AD 250). It is visible and already extended throughout Mesoamerica at the moment of arrival of the Spaniards to the Mesoamerican territory. Archaeology has shown that during the transition from Epiclassic (AD 800-1000) to Postclassic times (AD 1000 – 1519), many features changed (Smith and Berdan 2000). Major Mesoamerican centers declined and were abandoned and new centers emerged and gained importance. During this transition the image of a feathered serpent suffers strong cultural and social changes (Ringle et al. 1998). It then becomes related to wind, Venus and a culture hero: Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, that ruled in a place called Tollan. In addition to this, a whole new religion developed where priests were ascribed to this cult which is reflected by the construction of pyramids that shows clear representation of feathered serpents like the Coatepantli. To this date, still many questions remain unsolved about this intriguing moment in Mesoamerican archaeology and need to be studied in more detail. This research attempt to interpreted the significance of the feathered serpent in this epoch. The Coatepantli will be taken as an case study.Show less

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The Coatepantli of Tula; The enigmatic “Serpent Wall” of the Toltecs and its place in the new Mesoamerican religious order of the Postclassic.