(Supposed)

Book of Mormon Anachronisms

(c) Copyright Michael R. Ash 1998. All rights reserved

Tents

The critics’ view:

Archaeological, ethnographic, and linguistic records from Mesoamerica provide no evidence of a tent-making or tent-using tradition and, even more problematic, suggest no available material for making tents. The Book of Mormon frequently refers to sheep, goats, and other domestic animals, which could have supported a tent tradition, but there is no evidence that such animals were present in southern Mesoamerica before Spanish contact. Wild animals in the area which could have supplied either hair or skins for tent making are so small that they are unlikely candidates. Another possibility for tent material is cotton, but there is no evidence that it was ever used for that purpose. It seems unlikely that such a practical tradition as tent-making would die out in Mesoamerica. One would expect to find evidence of such a tradition in iconography or other art forms such as painted scenes on pottery or clay models, and in literary references....

Unless we are willing to believe that an ancient tent-making tradition existed in southern Mesoamerica at the time of the Book of Mormon events of which no trace has been found, it is difficult to place the scene of the Book of Mormon there. (Matheny, 297.)

The rebuttal:

As noted in other articles on Mormon Fortress, the lack of evidence doesn’t demonstrate that something didn’t exist. As Dr. Tvedtnes notes, “I know of only one instance (Timna) where remnants of an ancient tent have been found in the territory of ancient Israel, despite the frequent mention of tents in the Bible. In this light, Matheny’s discussion of the lack of evidence for tents in ancient Mesoamerica loses some of its impact.” (Tvedtnes, (1994), 30.)

Dr. John Sorenson, has shown that the Aztecs made regular use of what the Spaniards called, tiendas, “tents.” (Sorenson, (1994), 331.) Sorenson also quotes from Hassig’s Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control who notes, “‘The [Aztec military] camp itself was constructed of tents and huts (xahcalli) made of woven grass mats. These mats were usually carried as baggage from the home cities, but some tribute labor gathered en route was also allocated to carry them to the battlefield and set up the camp.’” (Ibid., 332.) According to other early Spanish chronicles, when the Mexican army prepared for an expedition against the city of Tepeaca, they set up their encampment by “‘pitching their tents and huts (‘armando sus tiendas y jacales’)—that is what they call their war tents—very nicely ordered and arranged, placing the squadron or unit of the Mexica by themselves, [that of] the Tezcocans by themselves, the Chalcas by themselves, the Xochimilcas by themselves, and the Tepanecs by themselves.’” (Ibid.)

“In preparation for war,” writes Sorenson, “Motecuzoma ordered surrounding cities to furnish stores of food and ‘sleeping mats (“petates”) to make tents (“tiendas”) and houses (“casas”) of those mats (“esteras”) in which they would dwell [while] in the field.’ When they didn’t stay in the towns, they pitched their tents and shelters made with mats (“tiendas y casas de petates”) in spots arranged by the advance party.’” (Ibid., 333.)

Matheny’s (the critic cited above), while acknowledging at least some references to “tents” by the Aztecs, claims that these come from central Mexico, not areas generally associated with Book of Mormon lands (the Limited Tehuantepec model). Sorenson points out, however, that the Aztecs had garrisons in various parts of Mesoamerica including those lands believed to be associted with Book of Mormon lands. And, he notes, no “groups who interacted with them could have failed to know about their tents. Furthermore, if the Aztecs, who were great cultural copycats, were smart enough to figure out field shelter for their soldiers, were other Mesoamericans so benighted that they had never solved the same problem over millennia of warfare? (Ibid., 334.)

Matheny’s also argues that the only reference to “tents” in the New World come from sources one thousand years after the end of the Nephite civilization, and there are no traces of tent evidence from earlier times. But as Sorenson notes, the only evidence for the Aztec “tents” (less than five centuries ago) is not archaeological, but historical documents. (Ibid., 335.)

Michael R. Ash

Return to Mormon Fortress