History

New Insights into the Aubin Tonalámatl Codex

Aubin Tonalámatl Codex is a pre-Hispanic divinatory manuscript, likely from the Basin of Mexico, used for naming ceremonies and religious rituals. Despite claims of Tlaxcalan origin, new research suggests otherwise. Its complex history involves theft, diplomatic disputes, and return to Mexico.

Mexicanist

Aug 14, 2024 — 5 min read

University researchers have unveiled findings regarding the Mesoamerican divinatory codex, previously believed to originate from the colonial era and crafted in the Puebla-Tlaxcala region. The absence of materials or pigments stemming from European tradition has been confirmed. This codex was housed in the National Library of France before being unlawfully taken by a Mexican individual who eventually repatriated it back to Mexico, where it is set to remain for a span of 99 years. Credit: UNAM

The Aubin Tonalámatl Codex, utilized by Mesoamericans for religious purposes such as naming individuals and conducting ceremonies, exhibits no European influence and is speculated to have originated in the Basin of Mexico, according to María Isabel Álvarez Icaza Longoria, a researcher at the Institute of Aesthetic Research (IIE) at UNAM. These recent revelations regarding the provenance and historical context of the codex hold significance, as previous assumptions placed its creation during the colonial period, likely originating from Tlaxcala.

“Most scholars have considered this pictographic manuscript to be from the colonial era, and we have questioned it. Sometimes we have prejudices that if it does not have such a refined technique it is colonial and if its technique is very neat, then it is pre-Hispanic.

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