Nahua Mortuary, a First Approach Ritual on its Own Right; Funeraria nahua, una primera aproximación El ritual por derecho propio*

Abstract

Since the inception of historical-anthropological disciplines, the subject of conceptions of death has always been one of the most relevant in Mesoamerica. However, a brief review of the literature shows an almost total absence of studies on funeral rituals. Most research tends to overvalue evidence from documentary sources, and only very recently have we seen some attempts to correlate this with available archaeological data. As an initial approach to the mortuary ceremonies of the ancient Nahuas, in this article we analyze three rites whose occurrence can be verified in material records: the introduction of jade beads in the mouths of the dead, the deposit of dog remains in graves, and the placement of food and other artifacts alongside the bodies. The contrast between historical and archaeological data shows that the presence of these objects in burials is infrequent, considering their scarcity. We propose that what is described in the sources is not the most widespread practice but rather a kind of idealized ceremony that, in fact, must have been reserved to the most prominent members of society.