By contrast, Aztecs were very clean. Conqueror Andres de Tapia reported, in a surprised tone, that emperor Moctezuma bathed twice a day. He wasn’t the only one; everybody bathed in the rivers or lakes.
Also, there were sauna-bath houses called temazcalli . This type of bath was clean and healthy, but it was also an act of spiritual purification.
Take a look at these instructions from a father to a daughter in the Florentine Codex:
“Get up quickly, wash your face, wash your hands, clean your mouth [...] dress well, wash yourself, and wash your clothes.”
Unit 5
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