Toltec Life in Tula
Tula's economy was based on the manufacture and trade of a variety of goods, but especially of tools made of obsidian (volcanic glass). Its people also used irrigation to grow such crops as corn and beans. Most of Tula's houses were one-story buildings with adobe walls and flat roofs. In addition, the city had ball courts, and pyramids with temples on top.
Tula was just a small village until the A.D. 900's. Some archaeologists think its importance increased when it gained control of nearby obsidian mines. Its population then grew to about 50,000. Tula declined about 1200, and nomads from the north overran the area. The Aztec Indians temporarily revived Tula in the 1400's and early 1500's.
Excerpt adapted from the "Tula" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999