Terry Stocker's Comments ( December 6, 2005 ) on:
Aztec meals and Fasting
Steve Armsey and Terry Stocker
Paper Presented at the 11 th Annual meeting of
The Southern Anthropological Society
April 2, 1976
Atlanta , Georgia
This paper was never expanded and polished for publication, and the appendices were never completed. However, this paper presented some important issues are which are still unique and have not been written about elsewhere, and also issues which have been upheld by later research, yet still need further clarification.
First , the issue of fasting in Aztec society is very critical and must be considered in terms of ongoing dietary intake. This has never been addressed before or since. Hopefully, someone will create a full documentation.
Second , wild plant and animal utilization contributed more to the diet than previously thought. This is now being substantiated through subsequent research, some of which I conducted. (See Stocker, T. Wild Growing Plant Utilization by the Otomi Indians. Mexicon 8:69-72. 1986). However, certain archaeologists still ignore this information and paint a picture of the Mesoamerican populace as constantly eating corn. (See ˇ°Irresponsible Archaeologyˇ± at this site.)
Third , what was the acceptance of those to low-level nutritional intake? In the following paper we wrote, ˇ°ˇ¦ there was no panic or anger when shortage developed. It means that they accepted their fate with a certain resolved stoicism. It does not mean that they did not lament their difficulties or rejoice in times of plenty, but it does mean that they probably accepted their lot in life a little easier, with a kind of existential resignation. ˇ±
I have now resided in Korea for eight years, and have learned of the low-level of nutritional intake of Koreans during Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945, and Armsey and my characterization of the Aztecs is in line with this data. (See Stocker, T and B. Dixon, The distribution of Mazapan-Xochiquetzal Figurines as Possible Indicator of a Toltec Empire. SAA Paper 2006. See it as this site.)
Fourth , As far as cannibalism is concerned, this is now accepted as something practiced in Mesoamerica . However, still nothing has been said about taste and for obvious reasons. However, since taste is relative, we must assume that human flesh tasted good to those eating it. In which case, providing that there were no sanctions against eating it, one has to assume that it would have proliferated.
<Deer, Dog and dogs eating other dog bonesˇ¦
Fifth , is the matter of the number of craft specialist in the city. We used an analogy to show that present-day metate craftsmen spend more time in agricultural pursuit than making metates. Likewise the wives and children are farmers. The metates represent cash income with which they buy non-food items, e.g. clothing.
From Book 4 (at this site), I get the feeling (since there are no data which can be presented) the vanguard merchants probably were involved in agricultural pursuits to some level. How did they obtain their daily food? Surely a farmer was not willing to trade a quetzal feather for corn. Also, the vanguard merchants were those who dealt in slaves. How many slaves existed in Tenochtitlan ? In the following paper we offered several analogies for city life in Tenochtitlan . If we look at ancient Rome , the slave population was huge. Was the slave population similar in Tenochtitlan ? I cannot say. What I can say is that Mesoamericanists are not even talking about slaves at all, and this is wrong.
