Tianguis Of Ancient Mexico
By Ralph F. Graves
June 2006 Guadalajara-Lakeside Volume 22, Number 10

     Believe it or not, each time you visit the local “tianguis” (an Aztec word meaning market), you are indulging in one of Mexico’s oldest customs. In addition, you’re probably pleasing the gods of the market, but more about that later.
     In the early Americas, trade and commerce were driving forces for the development of the emerging civilizations and the tianguis was an integral part of the process. Back then, regional specialization in the production of goods was the norm. A settlement situated near clay deposits might produce pottery. Another, in a fertile area, might raise produce or livestock while still another, having no natural resources, might specialize in handicrafts.
     As wars, droughts and migrations resulted in the interchange of cultures, barter and trade naturally evolved and helped in the formation of other institutions and infrastructures. Public roads were built, lodging houses or inns were erected, ferry boats, rafts and bridges could be found along the rivers, all to facilitate trade between remote villages, towns and cities.
     The local market was the central point for the distribution of the various products and wares from surrounding areas. Every town of any size boasted at least one market and many had several, a produce market, a housewares market, perhaps a livestock market, and so on. Smaller villages without a permanent market, would stage weekly market days or “tianguis” where merchants and customers would congregate to do business.
     The goods bought, sold and traded included just about anything imaginable. Aside from produce, clothing and household goods, one might find precious metals, building materials, firewood, tobacco, herbal medicines, farm implements, animals, birds, musical instruments, weapons and even slaves who had been captured in battle.
     Early on, trading in the markets was based on a barter system where goods were exchanged through bargaining. As the system became more sophisticated, some goods took on the characteristics of currency. Among the Mayans, for instance, copper in various shapes and sizes was used as money to purchase other commodities. Shells, precious stones, beads, cacao and grains of gold were also common mediums of exchange.
     The marketplace, whether in cities or in small villages, became the hub of social activities as well as trade. It was usually situated adjacent to the main temple in the center of the community. One Spanish writer observed that, apart from the usual buying and selling, women would gather to exchange gossip, while men would seek out news of local events and affairs.
     But the primary function of the market was commerce. In a letter to the king of Spain, Cortez marveled at the scope of the markets in the city of Tenochtitlan, “...the city has many plazas where there are perpetual markets in the business of buying and selling. Every kind of merchandise is sold in its own place and in this they have much order. There is a market where every day 60,000 people come to buy and sell all the kinds of merchandise that there is in this land.”
     During the Aztec empire, the markets were tightly regulated by the government. Markets operated under the watchful eyes of the “market gods” who were regularly appeased with offerings and sacrifices. But as backups, perhaps, the rulers appointed government officials for each market. Their duties included responsibility for fair prices, insuring that merchandise was of good quality, and policing for theft and fraud. Those apprehended for violations of rules governing the market were severely punished.
     Usage of the markets was not only encouraged, but in some cases, mandated. In many cultures specific days were designated market days set aside for shopping, much like a holiday. Each household was expected to visit a market at least once every five days in order to keep the market gods happy. Another law forbade anyone from buying or selling merchandise while en route to the marketplace. To do so could upset the gods who might then harm the orderly operation of the market.
     Many of the customs and traditions of the early marketing system have persisted to today’s tianguis. The weekly market is still a common fixture in most rural areas of Mexico, and in some neighborhoods of larger cities as well. A goodly percentage of the merchandise sold there is much the same in variety and category as was encountered by the conquistadores. And the markets themselves, the rich smells, the vibrant colors, the buzz of activity and the diversity of merchandise, have changed little over the centuries.
     So, even if your primary shopping destination is Wal-Mart, Sears or Sam’s Club, don’t miss out on the rewarding experience of the local “tianguis.”
After all, you wouldn’t want to upset the gods of the market.