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El Tepozteco is an archaeological site in the
The entry to the small inner sanctum was also flanked by two pillars. The sculpture of Tepoztecatl was probably kept in this room. The temple was modified several times during its history. The first consisted of a narrowing of the entrance to the inner sanctum by building flanking walls against the formerly free-standing inner pillars. The second, and most important, modification was the addition of stone benches and a small projecting cornice. On the cornice are bas-reliefs of the glyphs of the 20 days of the sacred tonalpohualli calendar. Dwellings were built on the terraces on the eastern side of the site in order to house the resident priests and their helpers.
In the ruins of the temple were found two fallen stones with glyphs, one stone bears the name of the eighth Aztec emperor
El Tepozteco at INAH
{{Coord, display=title, 19, 0, 3.28, N, 99, 6, 4.19, W} Buildings and structures in Mesoamerica Aztec sites Archaeological sites in Morelos
Mexican state
A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...
of Morelos
Morelos, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos, is a landlocked state located in south-central Mexico. It is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Mun ...
. It consists of a small temple to Tepoztēcatl
In Aztec mythology
Aztec mythology is the body or collection of myths of the Aztec civilization of Central Mexico. The Aztecs were a culture living in central Mexico and much of their mythology is similar to that of other Mesoamerican cultures. ...
, the Aztec
The Aztecs ( ) were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico in the Post-Classic stage, post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central ...
god of the alcoholic beverage ''pulque
Pulque (; ), occasionally known as octli or agave wine, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional in central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, ...
''.Canto Aguilar 1998
In the middle Postclassic Period, various terraces and a small pyramid were built on one of the peaks of the Sierra de Tepoztlan
Sierra de Tepoztlan or Tepozteco Mountain is located near the village of Tepoztlán, a '' Pueblo Mágico'', in Morelos, Mexico. The mountain range, "vulnerable to landslides, erosions, and flooding", contains only small areas of land which are ap ...
, overlooking the pre-Columbian town of Tepoztlan. The temple became important enough to attract pilgrims from as far away as Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
, although the cult of Tepoztecatl was local to this site. The Sierra de Tepoztlan and the temple site are within El Tepozteco National Park
El Tepozteco National Park is a national park in Morelos state of central Mexico. It protects 232.58 km2 in the mountains of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.
The park includes El Tepozteco, an archeological site featuring an Aztec temple.
...
.
Description
The temple itself stands at the western side of the site. It consists of a 6.4-meter-high platform supporting a 3.3-meter-high temple base. Upon this stand the remains of the temple building, the remains of which now stand 2.7 meters high. The temple was formed of two rooms. The first room opened onto the temple stairs, with two pillars flanking the entrance. In the centre of this room a small hollow was found, containing traces of charcoal andcopal
Copal is a tree resin, particularly the aromatic resins from the copal tree '' Protium copal'' ( Burseraceae) used by the cultures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica as ceremonially burned incense and for other purposes. More generally, copal includ ...
.El Tepozteco at INAHThe entry to the small inner sanctum was also flanked by two pillars. The sculpture of Tepoztecatl was probably kept in this room. The temple was modified several times during its history. The first consisted of a narrowing of the entrance to the inner sanctum by building flanking walls against the formerly free-standing inner pillars. The second, and most important, modification was the addition of stone benches and a small projecting cornice. On the cornice are bas-reliefs of the glyphs of the 20 days of the sacred tonalpohualli calendar. Dwellings were built on the terraces on the eastern side of the site in order to house the resident priests and their helpers.
Interpretations
In the ruins of the temple were found two fallen stones with glyphs, one stone bears the name of the eighth Aztec emperor Ahuizotl
Ahuitzotl (, ) was the eighth Aztec ruler, the '' Huey Tlatoani'' of the city of Tenochtitlan, son of princess Atotoztli II. His name literally means "Water Thorny" and was also applied to the otter. It is also theorized that more likely, the ...
, the other with the calendrical date "10 rabbit". This date represents the year 1502 A.D., the year that this emperor died. From this, some archeologists have concluded that this was the year in which the temple was built, others suggest that these stones were added later to commemorate the death of the Aztec emperor. Some glyphs include a turquoise crown and a shield with arrows, which have led investigators to conclude that the benches were built by the Triple Alliance some time after 1452 A.D., the year when the Alliance conquered Tepoztlan.Matos Moctezuma & Solis Olguín 2002, p.450.
See also
*List of Mesoamerican pyramids
This is a list of Mesoamerican pyramids or ceremonial structures. In most cases they are not true pyramids. There are hundreds of these in many different styles throughout Mexico and Central America. These were made by several pre-Columbian cul ...
Notes
References
* * *External links
El Tepozteco at INAH
{{Coord, display=title, 19, 0, 3.28, N, 99, 6, 4.19, W} Buildings and structures in Mesoamerica Aztec sites Archaeological sites in Morelos