In the community of La Mesilla, in Tecozautla, Hidalgo, there are the remnants of the main spiritual and government center for 3 ancient cities – Pañhu, Zethe, and Zidada. Pañhu sat high on the mountain side overlooking the valley and residents below. It was here that the leaders of all three municipalities met to discuss the governance of the area and its people.
It was here that human sacrifice to the Gods was practiced as a means to maintain order in the cosmos and on earth.
Found again in the 1980s, Pañhu was built at a time when the largest city in the region was Teotihuacán, as it was beginning to decline. Pañhu was built by the Xajay culture in about 650CE and honored Otontecutli, the Otomi God of Old Fire, or Otomi devotion. It was built over a much older sacred site believed to be built around 450CE, honoring the same god with an older name, Xiuhtecuhtli-Huehueteotl.
The Pañhu temple is surrounded by ritual pathways used during various ceremonies:
Path of Man – south to north
Path of the Sun – east to west
Path of he Moon – northwest to southeast
Path of the planet Venus – northeast to southwest
These pathways were adorned with petroglyphs which tell the story of Xajay civilization, and the stories of creation. In ancient times, the Cosmos, the Earth and the Underworld were considered square planes. The corners of the pyramids, including Pañhu correspond to this square, with corners corresponding to sunset on December 21 and June 21, the winter and summer solstices. The center of the pyramids represent the heart of world, where gods reside.
The site contains the platforms of many other structures as well, including a government administration building.
Music:
“Andalusian Nights”, Govi 1999
sources:
http://inah.gob.mx/en/zonas
http://www.centrohidalgo.inah.gob.mx
http://calderon.presidencia.gob.mx
http://www.inah.gob.mx
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