ABSTRACT

Tents, which are discussed in military, festival, and other cultural contexts in the Book of Mormon, were an important element of pre-Columbian armies in Mesoamerica.

EVIDENCE SUMMARY

Book of Mormon Tents

The Book of Mormon frequently refers to tents that were used in the land of promise. King Benjamin’s people are said to have set up their tents by family around the temple in the land of Zarahemla (Mosiah 2:5–6). Some Lamanites in the west wilderness and many of the people in the land northward dwelt in tents (Alma 22:28; Helaman 3:9). Nephite and Lamanite armies had tents that were portable and could be carried with them when they traveled (Mosiah 7:5; 9:4; 18:34; 23:5; 24:20; Alma 2:20, 26; 46:31; 51:34; 52:1; 58:13, 17; Mormon 6:4; Ether 9:3; 15:11). Although some have argued that references to tents in an ancient Mesoamerican setting are anachronistic,1 historical evidence for various kinds of tents in ancient Mesoamerica is abundant.2

The Archaeology of Tents

Tents were widely used in the ancient Near East from which Lehi’s family came. The tents used by Lehi and his family during their wilderness journey most likely resembled those of their biblical neighbors. Like those of modern Bedouins, these consisted, “sometimes of plaited mats, but generally of cloth coverings, either coarser, of goat hair, or finer, woven from yarn.”3

Because they were made of perishable materials, few remains of ancient tents have survived into modern times. As one biblical scholar observed, “tents are an archaeological blind spot because their remains are virtually nonexistent (tent poles, e.g., were of wood).”4 This is just as true for ancient America as it is for the Old World. While archaeological evidence for ancient tents is understandably difficult to find, the available historical and cultural evidence for their existence is consistent with the Book of Mormon.

Evidence for Mesoamerican Tents

Tents and other temporary shelters are mentioned in historical sources about pre-Columbian warfare.5 As noted by anthropologist John Sorenson,

At least five types of field military shelters are distinguished here, and several of them were labeled “tiendas,” tents, by the Spaniards:. “casas pajizas,” houses of straw;. “chozas,” huts, sometimes of unspecified material but suitable for leaders to occupy;. “jacales’ (from Nahuatl xahcalli) huts; the material utilized is not clear, for at least some were collapsible and movable; some leaders occupied these; mats were probably the usual material. It is unclear how these differed from “chozas;” perhaps the latter were made from materials such as brush scrounged from the field;. “tiendas,” tents; of unspecified material but perhaps of ixle or henequen?) cloth, given he normal Spanish sense of “tiendas”; some were good enough to house leaders;. “casas de petates” houses of mats; the cheap, light, readily portable mats could be combined with, say, spears, to make a simple “tent” for ordinary soldiers, or anybody in an emergency.

When Aztec armies went to war, the king had a tent as did important nobles and officers. Sources also mention tents for weapons. Some sources characterize huts as one kind of tent. Duran and Tezozomoc distinguish between tents and other temporary shelters:

“And they would build huts and set up tents in time of war.”

“They contributed tents and huts of the type used in war. ”

“When there was not enough room in the towns for the soldiers, they set up their tents and reed huts where a site for these was indicated. ”

“They set up camp consisting of tents, reed-mat huts, and other shelters. ”

“The chiefs were given … tents and huts [tiendas y aoxacalli]. ”

“They then commenced making tents and huts [tiendas y xacales]. ”

Portable tents that could be carried onto and from the field of battle, sometimes with the help of porters, not only included those of the collapsible mat kind, but those made of fabric, or a combination of both. Duran, for example, reported that a special tent of reed mats was prepared for the Aztec king, “its walls covered with fine cloth.” According to the Spanish historian Fuentes y Guzman, the Quiche Maya of highland Guatemala during their pre-Columbian wars with other Maya groups had “tiendas de algodon” or cotton tents for their officers.

Conclusion

Far from being a problem for the Book of Mormon, Mesoamerican historical sources show that a variety of tents were used in that region during pre-Columbian times. Mesoamerican armies made use of several tent forms made of portable or collapsible materials that could be carried on campaigns, including those made of cotton materials. These correlate well with the descriptions found in the Book of Mormon.