TULA.- Archaeologists working on a salvage project in Hidalgo have uncovered the remains of an elite Toltec-era structure, along with two carved stone slabs that appear to have once belonged to Pyramid B, one of the most emblematic buildings of the Tula Archaeological Zone.
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The discovery, announced by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), was made on the outskirts of the archaeological zone, in the 16 de Enero neighborhood of Tula de Allende, where specialists have been carrying out archaeological salvage work since May 2026 as part of the construction of a water treatment plant.
The find offers a new look at life around Tollan Xicocotitlan nearly a thousand years ago. By the 12th century, the city had already moved beyond its period of greatest splendor, which took place between A.D. 900 and 1100. Even so, communities continued to settle around it, drawing on its symbols, architecture and ritual practices to connect themselves with the prestige of the Toltec past.
At the center of the discovery is the so-called Structure II, a building that may have covered an area of about 40 by 80 meters. Its decoration included representations of chalchihuites, greenstone beads associated with power and wealth, as well as two carved slabs. One shows a feline, while the other depicts Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, an aspect of Quetzalcóatl.
According to INAH specialists, the iconography suggests that both reliefs were removed from Pyramid B, also known as the Temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the structure famous for the monumental Atlantean figures of Tula.
For archaeologist Luis Gamboa Cabezas, who leads the salvage project, the context points to a process of self-legitimization. At a time when the sacred and political center of Tula may have been losing its authority, people living on the periphery appear to have taken symbols from the ancient seat of power in order to claim, and perhaps feel, a Toltec identity of their own.
The feline slab is especially significant because it helps complete an old archaeological puzzle. When Jorge R. Acosta explored Pyramid B in the mid-20th century, he recorded a procession of coyotes and felines moving from right to left along the eastern side of the monument. No equivalent figures were found on the western side. The newly discovered slab, whose image moves from left to right, suggests that the animal procession once continued around the entire building.
Mexico’s Secretary of Culture, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, said the discovery strengthens knowledge of the country’s past and underlines the importance of scientific research and archaeological salvage in protecting cultural heritage.
The area has already produced important finds. In 2018, archaeologists working nearby recovered 23 skulls with cranial and dental modifications, practices associated with pre-Hispanic elites. Their placement inside vessels and near an altar suggested a close relationship with a sacred space.
The current salvage work has revealed an equally rich range of materials dated between A.D. 1100 and 1521. Among the objects recovered are vessels, plates, bone awls, shell beads, seals, spindle whorls and numerous figurines. One painted blue fragment shows a canid wearing a headdress, while another vessel fragment bears the image of a feathered serpent.
The excavation has also uncovered primary and secondary burials, including the remains of six children who were between one and six years old at the time of death. They appear to have been placed together as an offering beneath the floor of a dwelling.
Another striking object is a copper awl that appears to match a scraping mark found on a human lower jaw. Archaeologists believe the tool may have been used to remove skin as part of a ritual sacrifice.
Because the site lies near the Tula River and has been exposed for centuries to flooding, the conservation process is delicate. After recovery in the field, each object is taken to the Tula Archaeological Zone camps for safekeeping, cleaning, classification and registration in INAH databases.
The two carved slabs are being cleaned carefully with compatible materials in order to preserve traces of stucco and polychromy. The slab showing Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli measures 78 by 53 centimeters, while the feline slab measures 53 by 42 centimeters.
Once the architectural remains are fully recorded and consolidated, they will be covered with geotextile and layers of earth to protect them. INAH has also reached an agreement with the Hidalgo State Water and Sewage Commission so that the area containing the remains will be reserved for low-impact construction that does not place heavy weight on the Toltec structures.
Archaeologist Carlos Arriaga Mejía said the discovery is a reminder that the officially protected polygon of the Tula Archaeological Zone represents only a small fraction of the ancient city. For that reason, he stressed the importance of cooperation between society and government to report and protect new archaeological discoveries.
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