A work of both consensus and innovation based upon extensive archaeological research, Ancient Tollan: Tula and the Toltec Heartland studies Mesoamerica's problem city—Tula, or Tollan, seat of the Toltec state. Along with Teotihuancan and Tenochtitlán, Tula was one of the most important prehispanic urban centers in Highland Central Mexico, reaching the height of its influence during the early Postclassic period between A.D. 900-1200.

Chapters of the book are dedicated to topics ranging from the Teotihuancan occupation in the area, architectural and iconographic analysis of Tula's Sacred Precinct, the urban domestic architecture, settlement patterns, and irrigation systems. Using a wealth of data and focusing on the developmental processes of the city's functions on a regional level, Mastche, Cobean, and Healan offer a fresh view and a new understanding of this cultural center, its urban structure, and its rural environment.