Tula (Toltec Capital)

The ancient capital of the Toltec Empire 80 kilometres north of Mexico City is most famous for the four 4.6-metre Atlante warrior columns that once supported the roof of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and whose imagery was later replicated at Chichen Itza in a historical connection archaeologists continue to debate. The site's coatepantli serpent wall and the Palacio Quemado throne room reveal a militaristic ceremonial culture that influenced every subsequent Mesoamerican civilisation.