The Tula archaeological site is the historical capital of the Toltec empire, which dominated many central regions of Mexico from the 10th to the 12th century and strongly influenced the Aztec culture. According to archaeologists and anthropologists, the name "Tula" comes from the Aztec phrase Tollan Xicocotitlan, which means "place where reeds grow."
Tula was once an important spiritual site of the Toltec people between the fall of Teotihuacan and the late rise of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, now known as Mexico City. The main attraction is a massive pyramid in the center of the ancient city, called the Temple of Quetzalcoatl or "Temple of the Morning Star".
At the top of the pyramid there are 4 statues, consisting of solid basalt stone, in the form of stylized human figures, each 4.6 m high and weighing several tons. These are perhaps the most mysterious surviving artifacts of the Toltec civilization that ruled central Mexico about 1,000 years ago. No one knows how these statues were made or how they were brought to the site of the temple.
Giant statues-columns held on their "shoulders" the now-lost wooden top of the pyramid. Therefore, the figures of the warriors are often called the "Atlantes of Tula".
The Stone Guards are statues of soldiers following the deity Quetzalcoatl, also called the Feathered Serpent. The headdresses of the giants are depicted as hats made of snakeskin and feathers. Their butterfly badges also symbolize the overlord.
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Mysterious objects in the hands of stone warriors are the subject of frequent discussions. While archaeologists see arrows and Mesoamerican spears, for theorists of ancient alien creatures it is an advanced laser weapon. Upon closer inspection, some of the statues do look like they are carrying an object that resembles a phaser rifle from Star Trek. There is a version that the Atlanteans hold a thing similar to a modern jackhammer, with the help of which these colossal structures of stone were created. At the moment, it is generally accepted that the figure is holding a spear in one hand, and a bag of incense in the other.
But the shields of the Atlantean statue are carried on the back. This is probably due to the fact that both hands are holding weapons. Some theorists don't see a shield at all, but an ancient jet engine.
Around 1170, Tula and its ceremonial center were plundered and partially destroyed. Only the stone guards of the valley and the mass of unsolved mysteries of a bygone era remained.
