Totonac state of Cempoala

Origins

The Totonacs dominated central Veracruz in the Postclassic period, and Cempoala (Zempoala) became their principal city from around 1200, after the decline of El Tajín. It lay on a fertile coastal plain near the Actopan river.

Rule and society

Cempoala was a large city of walled ceremonial precincts with temples built of river stones and stucco, surrounded by irrigated fields and gardens. It was ruled by a lord whom Spanish chroniclers called the 'Fat Cacique'. In the mid-15th century the Totonac region came under the Aztec Empire, which demanded heavy tribute.

Decline and legacy

In 1519 Cortés landed nearby and persuaded Cempoala to rebel against Aztec tax collectors; its warriors joined his march inland. In 1520 Cortés defeated Pánfilo de Narváez at Cempoala. Epidemics soon devastated the city, which was largely deserted by the late 16th century.