A member of a Middle American Indian people of east-central Mexico. The Totonacs occupied the central part of Veracruz in Postclassic Period and possibly in Classic Period. Artifacts from ballgame, scrolls, and figurines are common. The Totonac lived in two environments - high mesa, cool and rainy (highland Totonac), and coastal lowland, hot and humid (lowland Totonac). In ancient times, both grew corn (maize) and squash as staple crops. Lowland Totonac also kept bees, poultry, and hogs. Highland Totonac kept poultry and raised some livestock. At the time of the Spanish Conquest, Cempoala was the great city of the Totonacs with a population of around 30,000. The Totonacs paid tribute to Aztecs. Today, this region is dominated by speakers of Totonac, a distant relative of Mayan, and the Totonac themselves claim that they built El Tajín.