The Tianquiztli Constellation
When it comes to constellations in the Azteca/Mexica culture there is not much information left for us. This is unfortunate because it is clear our ancestors tracked many celestial objects […]
The Mathematical and Scientific Significance of the Winter Solstice in the Mexica/Azteca World-View
Often times, the focus on mythology makes it difficult to see the mathematical and scientific significance of the winter solstice because it leads to the assumption that there is only […]
The Codex Borgia: A Pre-Columbian Guide for Calibrating the Azteca/Mexica Calendar
The Codex Borgia has been long recognized as one of the most important codices written before the Spanish Conquest that survived Spanish flames. Most of the content of the Borgia […]
Reconciling Life and Death in Mictlan: Reading a Myth in the Codex Borgia
*Here is an image (codex Borgia, page 44) that represents the story of how the first flowers came to be. In the image, Xochiquetzal ( as identified by her […]
Native American mtDNA Haplogroups
In this entry I’d like to introduce a Native American mtDNA tool to help people better understand Native American genetics. This tool is a compilation of the all of the […]
Azteca/Mexica Calendar Correlations: the Good, the Bad, and the Completely Useless
There are many Aztec/Mexica calendar correlations out there and it can be very intimidating to try to figure out which correlation is the most accurate. This entry will help sort out […]
Pre-Cuauhtemoc Nahuatl Names
Here are three census records from the 16th century. The census records list pre-cuauhtemoc names from three regions: San Luis Potosi, Cuernevaca, and Morelos. 1544 Morelos Census From: Cline, Sarah L., ed. The […]
Izcalli: the month of Xiutecuhtli and children
Izcalli is the seventeeth month of the year. This month was devoted to both Xiutecuhtli and children. The word Izcalli translates to “the growing” and during the month, parents lifted their […]
Ometeotl, the God that Didn’t Exist
“Like the Christian god, Ometeotl is found, as members of its cult insist, everywhere; everywhere that is, except in primary sources” – Richard Haly Ometeotl is perhaps the most widely […]
1 Flint, Day-Sign of Mixcoatl and Huitzilopochtli
“One Flint Knife set in. On this One Flint Knife, when it tarried for a day, they then made offerings to Uitzilopochtli, whose day sign it was, and to Camaxtli, […]