← The interactive mapAll civilizations

Xaltocan (Otomi city-state)

Island city-state in Lake Xaltocan (northern Valley of Mexico) settled by the Otomi, a major Postclassic power built on chinampa agriculture until its 1395 conquest by an alliance of Cuauhtitlan, Azcapotzalco and the Mexica.

Conquered c. 1395; its Otomi population was displaced to Metztitlan and Tlaxcala and the site resettled by Nahuas as an Aztec tributary town, before Cortés's forces destroyed it in 1521.

See it on the interactive map →

Borders over time

The atlas holds 4 border frames for Xaltocan (Otomi city-state) — the shape you scrub through changes in 1200 · 1220 · 1338 · 1390.

Further reading

• The Postclassic Mesoamerican World Michael E. Smith and Frances F. Berdan (eds.) · 2003

  Includes a dedicated Xaltocan case study (based on Elizabeth Brumfiel's excavations) covering the Otomi city-state's rise, its 1395 conquest, and its post-conquest transformation.

Sources

• Wikipedia, 'Xaltocan' — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xaltocan, confirmed Otomi settlement, Postclassic chinampa economy, 1395 conquest by Cuauhtitlan/Azcapotzalco/Mexica alliance, 1521 destruction; QID Q796347 confirmed via live MediaWiki API + Wikidata P625.