Oztoman

Oztoman was a fortified Mexica settlement on the frontier with the Purépecha kingdom of Michoacán. Its garrison watched the approaches through the rugged country of northern Guerrero, facing strongholds held by its western rivals. Along with nearby Teloloapan and Alahuiztlan, it formed part of a frontier zone in which settlement and military defence were closely connected.

During the late fifteenth century the Mexica ruler Ahuízotl strengthened his position in this contested region. Families from central Mexico were settled in the frontier towns, where they supported the defence against Purépecha forces. Fighting continued into the early sixteenth century: accounts describe a prolonged siege of Oztoman as the Purépecha pressed the fortifications. The town’s place glyph appears in the Mexica tribute records, preserving its name among the possessions of Tenochtitlan.