coy Teatnucin City Layout a Comagam: Preliminary Rei of the so ‘Manure Unit Stay In The Archaeology of Meare Capen aren Earth nd Tine Act Sect, ited by lin Maly an Ca Renew, 1y-u, Cambie Univesity Pe, Cambie, Saga, Saburo it) at So Viaje ent dea Pine de a Lana: Reine debit oT Thon, tt Nacional de Apel e Histor vio Ste Unie Mexico, DE, Suga, Sar, and Rubén Cabrera Cato sa Flangecetsen Pde deans Axquealga Mexcan 1 (h-@> tot The Moon Pei Prot and the Tethuacan State Pi A Brie Sua fhe ps0 Escations Ancien! Memera 8 s09-25. ‘agama, Saburo, and Leonard Lez Lan de) tou Sacifs de omarion le Pride dela Lana. ttt Naso ‘opal Hionaricona Shae Unienty, Mico, DF ‘agama, Saran Leonardo Le Lain door DedictyBaial cing opens atthe Moon Paid ease AP lini Repot of -2g Eplrtion,Ancint Mawar 1 7 “Taub, Ka 1986. The Tethuncan Cae of Org. RES: Antropalsyand Anthatin -5 ‘pe The Temple of Quetvalc andthe Cl of acted War a Tethcan,RES Anthopagyond e255-87 Uber Ey thy Evens Commemonid by Dale Plagues atthe Templo Mayor Futht Theis on he Slr Metaphor In The Ace Templo Mayor, ied y Ete Ith Boone, pp 4, Dumbarton Os, Wahingln, DC. ‘Web, WA ‘wiSa An Aah of Clas Lowland Mya Bars BAR international Stes No Bath Archaea Repts, Ono WwS8b A Cas forthe Pcie of Han Scie Among the Clase Lowland Ms Recent Stain in PCat Aha, eed by Nich Sate der and Orde Monto, Papp. 43-5. AR Inet Set No. Bash Archaeal Reports Ord ‘White, Chrstne DT. Doug Pic, and Fred) Langa 2227" ReienlHitries ofthe Haman Sasces athe Moon Pram ca Exsence rm Omg and Sonn ties Ancient Mame 0 White, Chisine D. Micha W. Spence, Fed) Lana, iar Stat Wii 2 Koby Le soca Geaguphic Hentiesf the Sacrificial Vitis om the Feathered Spat mi, Tether mpl fr the Nate of State Powe, Latin Ane jase _— 2 A Salpe eaaeaA Concepts of Death and the Afterlife in Central Mexico Seah ELIZABETH BAQUEDANO We nave aBunDaNt information onthe belie ofthe people who lived incentral Mexico atthe time ofthe Spanish conquest, one of whose major preoccupations was death and the afterlife. The Mexica, as the Aztecs are more properly called, had a practical ide of the afer as being dktermined by the manner of a penon’s death. Onc that person was dead thee was dintegraton of the components ofthe human being ‘the body, the blood, and the animistic forces (teyolia, tonal, and ihiyot! tn Nahuatl, according to the ty of Lipe Astin [1 8::35-16)- The soul abandoned the individual and went to one of several diferent et ing places in the afterlife, the destination sometimes being foreordained, nile at other times the cicumstances of death were determinant. The Mexia had a comple religion, one clement of which, a calendar of 260 dys, was sed for divining the ature andthe ft fdas as ‘kee at thee bith bythe gods This alana, tether with the sla Calendar ako helped the ancient Mexia plan ther agricul cytes tnd conquest activites for the wet season and dy seasons respecte Torquemada 19432293). The one provided sstenance forthe apt the city of Tenochtitlan while the other bought tbute tothe ules of iy. Death was omnipresent a isa clear by abundant historical references, butto understand the belie ane practices ofthe time we ned to supplement the writen evidence with achacologl data. This paper wall herefore look atthe concepts of death and the afterlife as described inthe ethnohistorical sources, a5 wellas at the relevant stra remain The writen and material record is extremely comple, and the best cer scholar difer somewhat on its interpretation, Lenora pe tells that the Mia belived that a’ final destiny was determined by the nature of his death, not on the asso hisa —— oy ELIZABETH BAQUEDANO ‘moral conduc in life. To Christians, who believe that moral ‘east partially determines the nature ofthe afterlife, the Mexi ‘seem strange, fr there was no suggestion of punishment or thereafter. kn contrast to this view, Lopee Austin 1988::338) eovour ws important in winning ultaterestial glo Ese th the tof he ea) id ot depend entre on pen ‘acces to Taloan and to Tonatiuh Ihuicae was easier if person cult ‘ated the virtues of valour, purty, and devotion; behaviour was nase tat from the fate ofthe dea. A privileged death was ao seen as ier Paishent rarer apt om te facts beyond the wil oma ‘The marked contrast between a god death and an inglorious one the characteristics of an ideological instrument to lead men along he secially established routes. “There are elements of truth in both these views, for which there it ‘supporting evidence in the historical sources. On one hand, the Mexiea were ftalsticin recognizing thatthe chance of dying whilst doing some- thing worthy was no more likely than that of dying in one’s sleep, On the other hand, the vision of the several parades to which the souls ofthe deceased might go implied that there was some choice and that there were rewards for dying worthy on the saeifcial stone oron the battlefield. In attempting to clarify these issues, I rely on Saban a8 my main source, since his descriptions of death, burial, and the afi ae ‘much the most complet, However, will supplement him with detail from other contemporaneous chroniclers and from the archaclogk evidence as well swith certain ideas about the soul that persist in > ‘ographic reports ofthe twentieth century ‘The Historical Sources The Spanish and native chroniclers recorded many seas concern the place inhabited or vied bythe dead. Shag (1950-19854) described thee such desttions: Mica, Talcan, andthe Home ot the Sun. The catse of death was the determinant ofthe final desing af the tea, 35 well sof the way in which the corpse was Theft destination, Mita, was, acording to Codex Vatican 3738 (Codex Vatican resend for thon who died a natural death. Di sided over by Mitlantecubli (or Tzontemoe) and Mictlanctal, his consort “there tothe place af the dead wentall those who die on earth, who died only of sickness: the rulers, the commoners. People who did of «common ines (Uabmiguzt, or ‘earthly death’) were cremated” This uniform treatment of rales and commoners seems to have bees the predominant view, bu, typical ofthe many inconsistencies inthe Satenth-century accounts, Lapes Asin (198838), quotes anther pa ‘age of Sahagtin suggesting that the fat of rules was diferent fom the ‘conunoner “And the ancients believed, in thet slfdeception, that when the lords died, they became gods. So they would be feared and ‘obeyed the rules sid that some became a Sun, othe the Moon, and sul then planet” Dead rls were depicted in the codices acter a bundled body on a throne or prepared asa warrior fr cremation (Dibble 1471). Cremation in fact, was the most common funerary practice of the Mesica. One example can be seem in Cadex Maghabchiane (Boone 198346) and several in Codex Vatican 3738 (eg, Ahuitzot bundled anv! dentifed by the hieroglyph being hi (84) n their way to Mictln, people who had died natural death had tw overcome a numberof obstacles or tes: Therefore; the deceased was ranted the company of an auburn dog, cremated along with the compe to “take the deceased person acros the place ofthe nie ive in theI2ABETH BAQUEDANO DEATH AND THE AFTERLIFE IN CENTRAL MEXICO 307 Sahagin 1950-1982:47). This pleasant destiny befell those chosen by Tlaloc, the Rain God. He summoned his elect toa death that clearly ‘dicated his personal intervention drowning, lighting, hemorrhoids, ‘ops. or gout. Individuals thus selected by the rain deity were at ere: ‘mated but buried, and there ate hints of posible reincamation. Len Portilla (182225), for example, notes: “Concerning the destiny of those ‘cho went to Talocan, certain verses from the Tlaloe iui scem to imply ts Scler noted, ‘a subsequent development ofthe souls of those who die through the intervention of Talo: Ithints at another evstence on earth for those who have gone to Talocan.” Again, acording to Sahagin in four yar, in the beyond, there isa rebith. People here (on earth) no longer remember, for. ong they have lost count Inthe place of the Reshles, inthe house ofthe quetzal plumes, theres 1 transformation of what belongs to the one who restores people to fe.” Inhumed, lal’ elect “acted a a seed that germinated under the ath" (L return to Taloe a kind of humus, this being consistent withthe mean his name: he who was made of earth alle). The notion that 1950-198: ser Austin 19801 366-67, ny translation). Burial was a way to ural painting fom Tepantitla, Teotihuacan, own ’ as Tlalocan, a pre-Mexiea version ofthe paradise ofthe Rain God. Her cad bodies contribute to regenerate thesis shared bythe Melp, for J Arata tpn ng pani eager ccd whom the fesh ofthe living sa produet ofthe fertility brought about by ea perstars econ othe dolor rte ie 1 putrescence ofthe dead, whose bodies regenerate the sil and feed alam plans on which the living subst and which creates thee substance Bloch and Parry 19825 Consistent with the notion of burial asthe mode of disposal for place ofthe dea” Sahagin wyso-18:207, my tarsation). Confirmation 1 ‘ofthis belief was found in the excavation of Tenochtitlan’ Templo Mayor Talos elect, the only complete hunan skeletons found in the Great (Great Temple), where Offering 44 included aplumbate ceramic dog com Temple excavations were in Offering 48, located atthe northeast cor taining cremated human remains. The Mexica believed that his testing ofthe Great Temple onthe sie dicated to the Rain Go Nao ee ons awh he soning Onley Moctezuma (198894) repr that “deta remains of a eas fortwo mate aren Sagi (95> ony) opt a can el an wee dre hr: and abe then wee fond Toe color used to represent the Rat hy fig God in the codices. These are undoubted the deity, such sacrifices beng an unmistitable element i the sit child sacrifices oflered (Cadex Vatieanus A, the deceased finaly entered his or her rst. The second destination of the dead was the Tlalocan the “earthly remonies in his honor. Typically, such saerifics tok place during the paradise” (fig. 7) Here 2s "reat wealth, there were grat riches dy sau According to Léper Lan sos hen wee Never did one suffer. Never did the ear maize, the gods th fed to assure abundant ain forthe next agricultural yce. The petition 3 ee: pposedly lived squash blossoms, the hea nt, the green chilis, the tomatoes for water was addtessed to Tlaloc and his helpers who suppose = ro as : riled springs and rainfallso eLtzanurn nagurDsNo (Goda 19). Chroniclrs mention that boys were sacrificed at hillops while gil were decapitated and their bois cast ina whittpol. As one “example, Duin (1971464) recorded that the high priest and digaitarin Cari forth litle gil seven o eight yeas old ina covered liter, She was dresed in blu, representing the great lke aed other springs and {reeks The gil was taken off in a canoe, and when they rived atthe place called Pantin, they sit her throat with a small spar and ber toad was alled to flow into the water. Once [the blood had flowed, she was cast it the waters, right into the whilpoo “The Great Temple find is rather different in its ritual content, both boys and gis being sacrificed and the numberof victims fr exceeding the figures recorded by the chroniclers. Lope Luin (2005355) mgs thatthe dyph One Rabbits associated with Stages IV and Va of the consraction ofthe Great Temple If so, this date would correspond to the year 1454, whem the Basin of Mexico suffered great famine during the rule of Moteculzomahuicamina (ea. 44o-1469- Hasig (981275) states that although the climatic conditions affected everyone, their ee Sequences were demographically and scaly skewed. Death frm mal tition aed the land as the eat ald toyed its bounty. suggest that his mas child sacrifice atthe Great Temple was infact a desperate ea for an, Is ecorded inthe historia sources thatthe ers of hi dren about to be sacrificed were a promising omen of rain, Having 30 many children eryng would have been fitingl symbolic, Furthemnor there ate several seulptres bearing the date One Rabbi fr example the ‘monumental sulptire depicting the eath godess Coal and the socalled Yolaicue, These sculptures have carvings onthe undersie depicting Tale-Thltecubth further allusion to the eath and an “The tind destination ofthe souls of the dead was in the heaven it the dwelling ofthe ae. This was considered apace of glory—"a place of wealth a place of joy” (Sahagin 1950-1982349) The ones chosen for this heaven were those who died in battle, captives ‘who had ded atthe hands of thei enemies, and sarificial vit. Inthe house ofthe Sun, they rejoiced forever Sahagin (ibid) described these chosen ones “Perchance one was slain in gladiatoralsarifie, ot cist to the fire, or pierced by dats, or offered up on the barrel eatus shot by arrows, or encrusted {and burned] with pieces of resinous all these] went to the home of the sun.” Women who died in cildbith DEATH AND THE AFTERLIFE IN CENTRAL MEXICO 309 alo went to the Sun's paradise. These women were equated to male warriors, for in dying witha child in their womb, they were taking a “prisoner” ino the next world with them Women who died from bear- ing aft child were called maciuaguetzque and, with those who died in ‘atl, sent to the house ofthe Su to eid in the western par ofthe shy (Sahagin 1950-19823). Sahagtin (1950-19826161-3) gives more information about the mociuaquetaque: “And as it became night they bore thi tle woman to bury he there before the images of thet devils whom they named Ciuappiin, cles tal princesses. And when they had bore her then they buried et, they placed her inthe earth, But her husband and stil others helped to guard her for four nights, that Ho ne might stealer... Her parents and the hhusband rejoiced therefore even more, frit was she went there to the heavens, to the house ofthe sun... And these litle women who thus had died in childbirth, those aid to have become moiuaqueteque, when they died, the said, became gasses Aer four years, the mociuaquetaque were transformed into a varity of birds (ibid.549: “those who had died inthe war, then... changed ‘nto precious birds—hurnmingbrds, oils, yellow birds, yellow bids blackened about the ... eyes, chally butterfies, feather down butter fies, gourd bow! butterflies; they sucked honey [fom the lowes there where they dwelt” In prehispani times, the Mexica belived thatthe adult yola (soul) of women who died in childbirth as well x the yoia ‘of warriors took the form of winged ereatres; the soul of dead children became birds or butterflies, As mentioned above, Sahagin wrote in the Florentine Codex that fou yeatsater death, the soul ofthe dead became hummingbirds, ora vatety of butterflies that sucked the nectar of fow= crs, as did the hummingbirds. Warriors, specially, were tansformed into huitzlopocktlis (hummingbirds). This was an apt symbol: there ae ‘over fit species ofthis typeof bird in Meco (Wheeler 198729) The idea ofthe soulasbid is common today thoughout Mexico and has considerable time depth. At Tepuntila, one of Teotihwacan’s “partment complexes, there is a wal painting known a8 the Talc pte-Mexica version ofthe paradise ofthe Rain God. Hete people dsport themselses in an idyllic landscape amid birds and buterfies, perhapsThe use of this pectoral in scenes of capture of prisoners of war sugges that this kind of pectoral s restricted to those who attained success in the butlefeld Likewise, the placement ofthis iconographic motif near the heart (the yolia) points to what the Mesica considered the organ of abit ityand strength par excellence —a prerequisite fr succes in war Codex Vaticanus A mentions yet another destination of the dead CChiehihuacuauhco, which was in the house of Tonacatecubti (Lord ‘of our Flesh). This name, according to Leén-Portila (1982 in the wetsuse tree” (fig 74). To this place went children who died befote attaining “the age of reason.” This tree had branches with brea, and the children fed from the milk that dripped from its leaves “Ii sid that the litle children who died, lke jade, turquoise, and jewels, donot 0 tothe frightful and cold region ofthe dead [Mictlan. They go tothe house of Tonacateculili; they ive by the tree of our flesh. They nourish themselves on the tee ar sustenance; they live nea the ‘tee of out flesh’ omit do they fed themselves” (Sahagtin 1950-1982-6.96.), In presentday Mexico during the Day of the Dead celebrations in Novernber, the Naha communities make offerings to the souls of chil dren who ded before they leamed to speak (Sandstrom 199128 Burial Practices The burial practices of the Mexica, lke the afterlife destination ofthe defunct person, varied according tothe nature ofa person's death, except #8 common purification rit: no matter what the cause of death, the comps had to be washed with water. Duin (1971267) recorded: “As soon 2s someone died, whethera man, a woman, ora child, whether or nota gqeat nobleman, whether ari an ora pamper, the first thing that was fully fer clothes, to be buried o incinerated. They sid that water served them for death phim naked and wash him he was washed, he was again dressed in al he the jourmey les perilous DEATH AND THE AFTERLIFE IN CENTRAL MEXICO 25, Cremation was also the lat of those who died in honor ofthe Sun. The cart of those who were sacrificed tothe San, and they were many accord s “iced in the cusuhsial (eagle ves!) (Sahagi to Sahagti, were pla 1930-1982248). And they named the heats of hi {Talo and wereiq PLIZARETH BAQUEDANO for alocan were buried and the heart was cast into the whirlpool or drain called Panttlan in the Lake of Mexico (Sahagtin 1950-1982:2) Acconing to several ofthe chroniclers, commoners were customarily buried in house courtyards, More specific details are provided by Acosta (9732318) their gatdens, and inthe sacriices “The places where they buried them wa cours of heir ow houses ethers cartied ther tothe places which were dane inthe mountains; others burt them, and afer buried all with whatsoever, the ashes in thes Temples, and they buried they had of apparel, tones, and jewels. They did pat the ashes of such as were burt ino pot, and wth them the jewel, somes, and eating of ead, how rch and precious sever Sahagin (950-1982) too provided a detailed description: “When a woman died of sickness, she was buried they Laid stones over her grave. The placenta ofa baby gil was buried in the house too. And the midwife forthwith eut the umbilical cord of the bab: she took its umbalical cord. And she removed that which is ealled the after birth in which the baby « This she buried in a comne [of the house)” The umbilical cord ofa boy ‘sas saved “Teas dried ater it was left in the battlefield” (ibid 616) Only burials of special significance appear to have been placed in ne wrapped, in which it came envelope. nthe excavations the Great Te major csi uctutes, For example ple, Tenochtitlan, human remains wete found in theee types of situation that reflect the three ways in which the Mexica conceived af the afte hy destined for Mitlan First ezemated remains of persons (presi Towing natal death) were deposited in uns uct as those found beneath the plafonn ofthe Temple, at the ealest excavated level (Stage I) 0” the side ofthe srine dicated to Huitilopochth. An obsi ‘ese depicting a skull and containing incinerated bones was found in Offering 34, and two ther umn burials were found in Offering 10 and Offering 14 near a cremation pit. Urnberger (1985-412) speculates that their contents may have been the remains of Moctezuma [who died it the year 3 House (1469) the date associated with the phase of the erple where they were found However (subsequently she tevsed her we in Tight of new evidence and critiques), this interpretation sce impat sible, since the dats assigned to the Great Temple's structural phases are ‘open to serious question (Graulich 1988), and its unlikely that Moct- ‘zuma would have been buried in one oftwo similar but unexceptional erate pots: Nevahuapipltin, the king of Pewcoco, was buted ina gold coffin. Perhaps we will ever know the truth ‘The second type ofstuation involved depois of decorated skulls with sacrificial knives inserted in the mouth andlor nose, typical of sacrifices to Huitrilopochtl, The thitd type comprised complete skeletons, mainly of chiklren, doubtless dedicated to Tlloe and destined for Talocan Burial 1 contained the only unbuened, complete adult skeleton found ring the excavations ofthe Great Temple projet (pee Luién 3005), Burials 4s noted above, the main purpose of funeral rites was to prepare the deceased for lie ater death, Hen, thet elaborate nature and rich aoe ated offerings. Several chroniclers record that, when a ruler r nobleman died, it was customary to kl his aves and women to accompany him in the afterlife, o take eae of him, to prepare his chocolat, and to cook for hin Torquemada sayy that as many’ a 200 slives were scificed when 1 ruler died, including household slaves, dwarves, jester, and slaves pre- ing digntaies Writing of Nezahualpiiti’s death, bto- 5) ay: "He was cremated, his bodyatired with many jewels ‘and wth a variety of head Special Features of sented by i hut 96 cf gold and siker and ine stones (pede ese ad fathers: and they sacrificed inh slaves and a hundted fal aves and his ses were hep i a go coffin which was takes to is burial place i the Great Temple ‘a Texcoco, the temple ofthe iol Huitzlopoci” (ay tranation) i Tikels that this practice of illig fetainer to accompany the decewed was ancient origin, having been verified in several mltphe bua dating, hack tothe Preclasc period, Such burials have abo been exeaated atthe chtan'stwi ity whee large uns containing ee ing skulls have Been found nthe siteof Mateloleo, Ten ‘nated remains and sal funerary ns depict Swother otatanding feature ofthe burials atthe Great Temple i case of rested ible or rafts isthe nate of te objet accompa rv of achister of aneral deposit from ing them, (For a detailed descrip Complex E ofthe Great Temple se Let Lat particule meaning ait wax deposed over four diferent phases injon ofthe temple.) Among the objects deposited were item Js. Masks and greenstones seem to have pla rquemada (1986-2521) states that a painted mask was placed over th rund: “sobre la mortaja le pontan tna mascara pintada”; in the 1988 m eral masks were f hh el in pot re one (ade ;enstones, of obsidian) symbolized replaced the human heat tal elementin burials, Sahagn 1950-1983'345) and Torquemada (1986 cl that when rales en died, ge tones were placed in their mout And if sy comm nish stones or obsidian su i an me was 8 stitute of th i he deceased” (ig. 75). Lop Austin (19802373) speculates that theses daspa ; he afterlife, but, as Dighy(1g72:) has remark 7 likely th , ving propetics, the Sir ‘ bed bythe spirit ofthe T of life and regeneration appli toh and animal Ista i L x - hoc th fing it ib é Sculpture and Deaththe British Museum. It has metherof peat inlay forthe whites ofthe cjesand a mouth that sags open. Other examples ae to be found in the National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City Ritual object ae another ategory of death related seulptre. The most notable are the cuauhsicals (eagle ves) of stone or wood (fg. 7.7) They are usually desribed as receptacles for sacrificed human heats and blood, but they'have a wider usage. Some codices depict them as, containers ofthe limbs of sacrificial victims (eg, Codex Magiabechi ano, 6), one sucha vesel from Santa Cecilia Acatitlan (fg 78) being decorated around ity circumference with dismembered limbs, a hea, 3). Both Sahagsin and that these vesels were used in yet other ways, for eample and other symbols (Baquedano 1985; Sols 197 ring rituals. The chronicles suggest to bum items such as flowers d indeed that incineration may have been one of the most important uses of the cuauhxicali, By analogy, Quauhxicalco means “burning place 168, 170-71) mentions that there were four places ‘Sahagiin 1950-1983::57). However, Ihave not found a euauhcal with signs of burning, This ritual vessel was abo sed as a depo for relies such asthe har of sacrificial vetims and those who had died ting on the ceremony of casting hit, Sahagin a natural death, Rep 1982:963-64) writes: And when they had fd them .. dey came taking blowing det that they sly pe mf (there were] to, thee, i temone har om the covn of n four bathed one a1 many tine dle 0 Atone the whi cm asl cmang the englvesel in whiche wet ating ha Another deity whose images were fund inthe burl oferings of ven Temples Kutecubth the god ffi. His asxiton with ob Wand may pethps be explained a be in the otherwise gid rgions of th ‘ aa ba a hroniclers that it was Ica. This would be conten cl tomar wrap 360Bish Mus withdrawal fiom the wrt otheelow ad thence tthe shoulder asthe tnd approaches. When the sul shrink tthe hea, the prion is dead (Ahsater Heydenteich 187203 in Mckeever Punt 1955) [would uggetthat the demon fice” yet another representation of the notion of death whose precise meaning determined by context and the nate ofthe sculptre or the obet under consideration. In sence its the visual manifestation ofthe tonal, pee x het eo its absence at death. Agta fetiity, wa, and human sci are important context! puamee inthe ese ofthe el of Taltecuth Bauedan 1985, 300) while war, ecdls to ya mao factor in the presence of demon fac” on int kif a shoulder evel ona war ror sculpture reminiscent ofthe Tote alan (7:2) 1d Conclusions Interpretatio The ineluctable intervention ofthe godsin the life and afterlife of hua Lind isa tematkable and itresistible feature of Merica religion and has, 4s | have suggested, ambiguous implications for human conduct and ‘morality. The gods proposed and disposed within the limits of ther pow ce and jurisdictions. People reacted and, within the imprecise area of frce will lft them by thefores of predestination so deeply entrenched, in Mexica ideology, strove to forge their own destiny both in this wold and in the next. The ultimate destiny of choice, if one wished to avoid the miseries of Mictlan and the perils of Talc’ unpredictability, lyin the home ofthe Sun, Tonatih lhuieac, where Huitzlopocth offered lory, transformation into winged creatures), andthe prospect of rebirth Killed in bt, sacrificial veins, and women who had died in childbirth, Ii interesting to note that death by sacrifice seems, fom the accounts ofthe Spanish chroniclers and indigenous imagery; to have nds of native people and the conqustadores 1 souls ofthe sacrifcer most preoccupied the min There are no accounts of what happened tothe prices, but Craulich (1982264) has suggested that they were nationally Teorporsted in thet itm and thus ended up in Tllocan or Tonatioh Mhuicac, but na in Mita Talocan, the destination of the cect ofthe Ran God, was hard water must have atactve, but the unpredictability of death related hem svi impediment fr the aspirant toa comfortable cterityThe vast majority of citizens died trangully of old age an , Millan, a frightful, cold region, 90-1985 42): “Here is wherewith thou wilt | pas the place of the obsidan-bladed winds and in. the place ofthe ‘obsidian-bladed winds, it was said tat there was much suffering,” That these destinations in the aie should vary so much and that he diet ential awards fr courage onthe batlefeld and other ats of cv interest should be so marked suggests manipulation of religious ideology by a state notorious for its expansionist policies, Citizens were encouraged by the sytem to secka petles afterlife by doing something worthy in if he it death in battle, giving birth to the nes generation, or even, pap, catching sh on waters subject to Tale’s wrath ended up in the least desirable of destinai described by Sahagin Tt scems clea that the views developed bythe Mesica about fe, death and the afelife were profoundly influenced by ther immediate envio tment. The lakes and mountains that surtounded the Basin of Mexico, and the sky above became the dwellings ofthe gods and the destination ‘of human souls, Death fced the Mexica on the batlefield, where they. intain the supremacy of Tenechtilan in the name of thet sci tfced those whose vocation was on the patron deity, Huitail skes subject to storms, whirtpoos, and lightning atthe whim of THaloc snd faced those of more modest cteumstances who tended ls depen: ‘ent for thei tility on fickle anf. Those who died naturally without regenerating the lifecycle and restoring othe universe (Lépe Austin 9888) Acknowledgments 1 wuld ike Wo thank ames Lag eding a Works Cited Toltee style atlantis. Side depicting 8 : aes 2 i shoulder level. National Museu L " io Sete .18 ELIZABETH BAQUEDANO agieno, habe 19Ay_ Ace Self. Maseum Publi, Loon 7 15) Ae Deh Sc. PD. dean. rte of Aca, Use ‘Calle, Unive of London. a 101 Fath Dette. In The Oxford Exeelopedi of Mewomercan Cult: The Cinlation ef Meco and Central eri, edited by David Caras, Vo pp. 32-39 Onforl Uniesity Pres, Or ‘lc, Maurie, a forathan Pry ‘whe Inaction: Death ad the Regeneration of Life. In Death andthe Rene tin of Life edie by Manse Bloch an Jonathan Pay pp 44 Cambie nner re Carnie ‘oan, Elza eit) wht Cader Maghabcian andthe Last Potty of the Maghabciane Grup nent of Calomia Pes Bete. ds, ohana tohy Tempo Mayra Rial Space. lo The Creat Temple of Tenchtn: Cate nd Pri i th Ate Worl ie by Johanna Brod, Did Cara, ard Mitor Mactan, p.-33, Univer of Calor Pres, Besley. Coons Nites, Jo 96d Code Rin (Vatican Ao 5738). Aniguedades de Meso Secretar de Hack dy Coed Pablo Meco Dibble, Chas ‘547 An Ancient Meco Hraghphc Petre Manusenpt Monographs fhe Scea of American Reach No University of New Menc Pres, AE Dit, Aan grt Mae Jes Bosh Manu Plein, Laon, Disin Dig> 197 Bok th Coane andthe Ancient Calendar, Unies of Olson Pres, Norman Gach, Matt vuht Mts etnias ds Mexque ance peripaiqe, Academic Reale de Bek fie Pala des Adem, Brel 1988. Lesnceriides ds Grind Templo Le tion: Tr Mec ance pp 1311 Catlague de le Expontion ax Manes Roya Jt Hi mc Haig Ros taht The Fine of One Rabbit: Eola Canes and Saciel Consequences ot ems retin Cala el of trp Raa 7-8 ‘ier Contrbton une tad lsepesetation ol dea mort Ate Sat logue obs who Acontibaton othe stay of the xlctve eptesetaton of death In Deh nth Right Hand eid y Raney anal Cada Neda, p. 27-86 CO eget 6 ts AF DENT AND THE AFTERLIFE IW CENTRAL MEXICO 239 Heyden, Doi Rak sip8 Mec, ogne de wn snl, Core fis Ade INA, Meso. Tas ened Inno, Femando de Aka ‘ ‘fs Oa iste te y Ald Chaner Eira Nai Mec. on Pri, Mie i ‘982 Ace Thought ond Cle Say ofthe Acie Nal Mind he Tae ‘sed yok Ea Da Unser of Olan Pre, Noman Leper Ain Abed ‘38> Coup mann eo 0h, ined Nac Anna de Meco, Into de nestacnnesAtoplpens Men Ca. ‘98S uma Bayan Kgs Talat by Ten Ot de Mona sn Brad Orde Mette, Ueto Uh Pes, Salt ak Gay. Lupe tin, Leonardo sony The Oring ef the Top Mayr of Tenia. Titel by Berard R (tie de Montano and Then Orde Moule Une of New Mer io Pen Aber ao Mocca ado "oS Th Gat Topo te Ace Tames and Hon Lode, ain Mots Eds dF Sas oo. The Ate Calendar nd ihr Saar Monoents Cots INAH Mes Meteser Fu ite ton The Nata if Solin Act Mac: al Unies Noe Nihon Ban lose Quiles Keb woh of be Meso Trem Tein Natl alle tata Calley, Wahi, DG Pasty, Eater toy” AeA Hany N Abas Ne Yak Saag, Fy Beratno tos Fownine Cd: Cee History fh Things New Span Tense ‘tr 0. Ange sd Chr Die See of Aner Reseach, StF, NM Sandstrom, Alan win Cam Ow Bld: Clad Eh in «Contemporary Act nV Tag Univesity of Oto res, Noman vo Las mec dl Mi de Sante Cc ett INA Mei Setinan, Thea wis Ayer oT Esti de Clts Nobu 53935 Tre, Ka toot Atacand Maye Myth, ish Maco Pres Lambo, Torque, nde von nanan asl Chives Hao Men "S80 Manan ind 3 vo. Pari Mei30 ELIZABETH BAQUEDANO Ure. Ey P 1083 Evens Commenorted by Dite Pages a the Templo Mayor: Fuhr “Thoughts onthe Solar Metaphor. The Act Templo Mayer, ite by Eli ‘ath Boone, p44 Dabrton Ons, Washingon, DC Whece Marguet a ‘why. A Bid Watchers Gude o Mei, Minute Mevcan, Mec. a CHAPTER 8 Toward a Hermeneutics of Death ‘Commentary on Seven Essays Written for Living with the Dead PATRICIA A. MCANANY We ane accustom to. western, medicalzed approach to death as ‘something that canbe recorded down tothe minute—an acute moment ‘when the breath of life ceases. But like most things in life, this view is historically and culturally situated and difers from ideas about death that invohe a slow transformation from one sat to another or a com> plex interplay between physica and social existence that can endure and. be celebrated long ater corporeal death. In one form or another, the authors who contribute to this book grapple with the hermeneutic of ‘death and in the proces, provide deep insights into the fundamentally diferent ways in which life and death—and the aftermath of death— ‘xere entangled in Mesoamerica, Tn many respects the study of Mesoamerican mortuary practices s about transcending death, As Fitzsimmons notes hete and elsewhere (009) in social contexts in which selected persons retain a social per sona after death, those individuals canbe ad to have transcended death The charged manner in which a single bone (Baak in Maya Classic texts) can stand forthe entice body and materialize socal identity (as Blomster and several others here describe for a range of Mesoamerican societies) connotes a transcendence of death, regards of whether the Skeletal pars were thse ofa revered ancestor, apolitical captive or both. Ina sens, to be remembered —to be reanimated from a carved femur ot other mnemonic object—ist triumph over death. Those whose names, titles, or hfe details were carved into a Zaachla genealogical registry for Tikal Altar 5 have entered the anna of monumental time (Ricoeur 198506), Likewise or those whose place of burial was reopened, revi ited, or transformed as per Chase ad Chase), the progressive anonymity