[Aztlan] Mesoamerican fire

[Nick Hopkins]

Mario-- There is fire-drilling depicted in the Mayan Codices as well  
as the Mexican ones mentioned by Sam Edgerton.  Judging from modern  
practice, they would also have started fires with sparks from flint.   
A widely used kindling would have been heart of pine (also used for  
torches).  This must have been traded widely, because even out of the  
pine zone, the syllabic sign ta (from tah 'pine') is frequently a  
bundle of pine splints, just like the ones sold in markets today  
(e.g., San Cristobal and other Chiapas towns).  And it is likely that  
Classic Maya made the same divisions of firewood that the modern Maya  
do, distinguishing kindling (pine is prototypical) from the hardwoods  
that are better firewood for heat and long-lasting flames (oak being  
the preferred firewood).  Other hardwood charcoals have been found in  
cave deposits, along with pine charcoal from torches and kindling.

Nick Hopkins

On Dec 16, 2008, at 2:42 PM, Mario F. Malo wrote:

> Hello to all;  Some help in this matter would be greatly  
> appreciated: How did Mesoamerican peoples make fire and what fuel  
> was used to keep the fires going?  Sincerely, Mario F. Malo