A temazcal is a type of sweat lodge

Sweat lodge

The sweat lodge is a ceremonial sauna and is an important event in some North American First Nations or Native American cultures...

 which originated with pre-Hispanic Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...

. The word temazcal comes from the Nahuatl

Nahuatl

Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...

 word temazcalli ("house of heat"), or possibly from the Aztec teme (to bathe) and calli (house). Temazcal in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 is also written as temezcal, temascal, or temescal. In ancient Mesoamerica it was used as part of a curative ceremony thought to purify the body after exertion such as after a battle or a ceremonial ball game. It was also used for healing the sick, improving health, and for women to give birth. It continues to be used today in Indigenous cultures of Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 and Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

 that were part of the ancient Mesoamerican region for spiritual and health reasons. It is currently being recovered by all sectors of society in that part of the world and is used as a cleansing of mind, body and spirit.

The sweatlodge in Mesoamerica is usually a permanent structure, unlike in other regions. The temazcal is usually constructed from volcanic rock and cement

Cement

In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...

 and is usually a circular dome, although rectangular ones have been found at certain archeological sites and this shape is also used. To produce the heat, volcanic stones are heated. Volcanic stones are safe because they do not explode from the temperature. They are then placed in a pit located in the center or near a wall of the temazcal.

Temazcal is the title of Mexican composer Javier Alvarez's 1984 composition for maracas and tape. Joby Burgess' Powerplant has toured the work extensively, often incorporating video and surround sound, and recorded it alongside Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint http://www.signumrecords.com/catalogue/sigcd143/index.shtml

External links

• Article on Temazcal (in English)
• Article on Oaxacan Temazcal
• http://www.ethnografica.com/kevingroark/pdf/Groark_1997.pdf Article on the use of the temazcal among the Tzeltal
  Tzeltal people
  The Tzeltal people are the largest indigenous group mostly located in the highlands or Los Altos region of the Mexican state of Chiapas. They are one of many Mayan ethnic groups and they speak a a language which belongs to the Tzeltalan subgroup of Mayan languages...
  
  -Tzotzil Maya of Chiapas, Mexico]