Building Four: a Palace in Tula Grande, the Lodging of the Toltec King
Translation of the Spanish by Eduardo Williams
Vea este informe en Español.

Research Year:  2007
Culture:  Toltec
Chronology:  Early Postclassic
Location:  Tula de Allende, Estado de Hidalgo
Site:  Tula Archaeological Zone

Table of Contents

Abstract
Resumen
Introduction
Building Four and Tula Grande's Sacred Precinct
The Shape of Building Four
Building Four's Construction System
Building Four and its Occupation Processes
The Toltec Occupation
Abandonment
Recovery
Filling and Leveling
Mexica Occupation
Conclusions: Building Four and its Function
Acknowledgments
List of Figures
Sources Cited

Abstract

During the field seasons of 2002, 2003, and 2004, we had the opportunity of excavating the northeast sector (known as "Building 4") in the main precinct of Tula's Archaeological Zone. A series of architectonic elements were uncovered, with a spatial distribution which represents the importance and meaning that a palace complex had for Toltec society. These excavations confirmed the existence of this palace as originally was proposed by the archaeologist Jorge R. Acosta during his first investigations.

Thanks to the support of the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, we were able to achieve a better and greater knowledge concerning the area which we explored. These contributions, which form part of my thesis investigations, will help us to understand the cultural and social dynamics that took place in this building complex, thus relating these processes to other sectors of the precinct during different times of its occupation. This study also presents for the first time detailed information concerning an Early Postclassic palace complex in the Basin of Mexico.

Resumen

Durante los años 2002, 2003 y 2004, tuvimos la oportunidad de realizar exploraciones arqueológicas en el sector noreste conocido como "Edificio 4", del recinto principal de la Zona Arqueológica de Tula Grande, en donde salieron al descubierto una serie de elementos arquitectónicos, cuya distribución espacial denotan la importancia y relevancia que debió tener para la sociedad tolteca, un área que constituye un complejo palaciego, tal y como lo habría propuesto el arqueólogo Jorge R. Acosta en sus primeras investigaciones.

Gracias al apoyo de FAMSI, es como logramos un mejor y mayor conocimiento a través de la investigación del área explorada, dicho aporte (que forma parte del trabajo de tesis) nos permitirá comprender la dinámica cultural y social que se rigió en este espacio, y con el resto del recinto en sus diferentes momentos de ocupación, además de dar a conocer por vez primera, una unidad de este tipo para la Cuenca de México durante el periodo del Posclásico Temprano Mesoamericano.

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Submitted 04/08/2008 by:
Fernando Baez Urincho
INAH-ENAH
urincho2@hotmail.com

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