The Grooming practices of the Aztec

The Grooming practices of the Aztec

By Sheryl Losser

Mural of the Aztec Market of Tlatelolco, Diego Rivera

When the conquistadores first arrived in Tenochtitlan in 1519, they were amazed by the sophisticated network of canals in the Mesoamerican city. Surrounded by huge pyramids adorned with gold, silver and jade and colorful murals, the city was well laid out and very clean. The canals were used for different purposes. There was one canal that brought in fresh, clean drinking water. Another was used to take sewage out of the city to be used as fertilizer. Others were to transport goods and fresh food from other parts of Mexico to the great market of Tlatelolco, which then provided those products to the entire city of Tenochtitlan.

Aztecs and Spaniards viewed cleanliness differently

Both the Aztecs and the Spaniards experienced culture shock. The Spaniards appeared “dirty” while the Aztecs were seen as obsessed with cleanliness. The difference was the result of past history and cultural beliefs. The Spaniards shunned bathing due to the Black Death of 1347 to 1353. The devastating bubonic plague pandemic would ultimately kill 20 to 50 million Europeans – 50% of the 14^th century population. At the time, Europeans would attend bathhouses brought to Europe by the Moors for bathing and steam baths. The medical faculty of the University of Paris proclaimed that the cause of the plague was the steam baths which opened the pores, allowing the disease to enter the body. As a result of this proclamation, people stopped bathing.