I thought I knew about all the legendary lost places of history, from Atlantis that was first described by Plato, to the lost continents of Mu and Lemuria. But it wasn’t until recently that I heard the name Tollan. (How can you tell I never watched the Stargate TV series?)
Tollan, in the traditions of several Mesoamerican peoples, including the Aztecs and Maya, is the name of their mythical city of origin. It is where the first people, who descended from Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity, were given their language and their gods. It was described as a wondrous city, where great buildings were made of gold and jade. It was where the arts and sciences were invented, including the calendar, agriculture, astrology and metallurgy.
Did Tollan exist only in myth, or was there ever such a real city?
There are two places that several authors suggest may have been Tollan, and both of them are on the outskirts of Mexico City – Tula and Teotihuacan.
Tula, City of Atlantean Warriors
Dominating the skyline of Tula are giant statues often described as warriors. Mainstream archaeologists believe they are holding spear throwers (atlatls), but in his book The Lost Realms, Zechariah Stichin says they actually carry the plasma guns that were used for melting rock in advanced mining operations.
If Tollan was real, it is widely speculated that Tula could have been the place.
Ancient Teotihuacan
About 50 miles southeast of Tula is Teotihuacan. This enormous city had been abandoned for hundred of years when the Aztecs discovered it in the 1400s. It was they who named it Teotihuacan, which translates as “the place where the gods were created.”
Lucile Taylor Hansen, author of nearly 60 anthropological magazine articles, maintained that the Tollan of legend was actually Teotihuacan.
In Lost Cities of North and Central America, David Hatcher Childress wrote, “Teotihuacan is not only the most important site in Mexico, it may well be one of the oldest. It is generally acknowledged that the city was in existence in at least 100 B.C. It may well go back many hundreds, probably thousands of years beyond that.”
Whether or not either of these sites was the Tollan of Quetzalcoatl, you can visit both places next February in a small group tour of Mexico. “Ancient Technology of the Olmecs Tour, Exploring the Megaliths, Pyramids and Lost Temples of Ancient Mexico” is now open for registration by Body Mind Spirit Journeys. The tour dates are February 3 through 14, 2023 and it will be hosted by Hugh Newman and JJ Ainsworth.
In addition to Tula and Teotihuacan, here are a few more of the places in Mexico we will be visiting:
- Cholula, site of the largest pyramid in the world
- Chalcatzingo, a rarely visited, but incredibly impressive Olmec site featuring two pyramids, incredible rock carvings and a breathtaking landscape
- Catemaco, considered to be Mexico’s center of healers (curanderos) and sorcerers (brujos)
- La Venta, noted for its pyramid and megalith complex
- Villahermosa, with several Olmec giant stone heads, altars and stelae
- Palenque, with the museum containing Lord Pacal’s tomb
Photo Credit:
Tula: Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons