One of the Magical Towns best known of Morelos and from central Mexico is Tepoztlana place that, in addition to the colonial city, has as a great attraction the Tepozteco hill, which in turn has a base pyramidal at the top. What was the reason for its construction?
According to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) approximately between the years 1200 and 1220 AD, Xochimilcas settled in the southern part of the basin of Mexico and in the north of MorelosAfter their forced migration caused by the fall of the Toltec civilization, they were distributed in places such as Tepoztlán, Totolapan, Tlayacapan, Ocuituco, Tetela and Hueyapan, among others.
Tepoztlán was the lordship of this valley and subdued not only the aforementioned towns, but also Tepecuytlapilco (San Juan Tlacotenco), Cacatepletac (Santa Catarina), Acacueyacan (San Andrés de la Cal), Xocotitlán (Santo Domingo), Amatlán and Santiago Tepetlapan. Explains the INAH website
Why did they build a pyramid on top of Tepozteco?
The The inhabitants of the region built a pyramidal base on the rock of the Tepoztlán mountain range.which is located on the southern slope of the formation. To do this, they reduced, cut, filled and raised retaining walls on the slope, thus generating levels on which houses, palaces, temples and other types of buildings were built.
This pyramid, which is located at the top of Tepozteco, is a sanctuary that is composed of four elements:
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The temple
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Its dependencies
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The square
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The living area
The sanctuary of the Tepozteco Temple was built in honor of the “man-god,” that is, Tepoztecatlfrom Nahuatl, God of the place of the backsThe INAH explains that according to writings by Sahagún and the Magliabechi codex, this deity was part of the Pulque Gods; according to his legend, he is the son of the wind, which is why he is related to the Creator Gods such as Ehécatl Quetzalcóatl.
Inside the sanctuary there must have lived the “god-man”, a person who, due to certain characteristics, was considered to be the bearer of the essence of the god and was, therefore, his manifestation on the human plane. Most likely, this distinguished character came down a few times a year to join in the most solemn festivities of the population. Explains the INAH website
It is worth mentioning that this site was of great importance at the time; according to findings made by the INAH, there is evidence of people from Guatemala who reached the top of Tepozteco.
The INAH details that Only service people or those authorized to meet the god-man could enter the sanctuary, so it was a high-ranking site. In addition, in this place, worship was rendered to Ometochtli-Tepoxtécatl, deity of pulque, fertility and the harvest.
The rest of the residents occupied the sanctuary intermittently, serving as part of the tribute that was given to the lordship of Tepoztlán.
Finally, Tepoztlán translates into Spanish as “land of the backs” or “place of the backs.” Researchers believe this term refers to the large formations of the Tepoztlán hills, “the ancient inhabitants saw them as large rock backs.”