Birthdate: 1499 AD
Birthplace: Sahagún, Spain
Died: February 5, 1590
Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan friar and missionary priest, spent over 50 years studying Aztec beliefs, culture, and history in colonial New Spain. He learned Nahuatl and made significant contributions to describing the Aztec Empire’s language. Sahagún is famous for compiling the “Historia general de las cosas de la Nueva España,” a comprehensive work that details Aztec culture, religious practices, society, and history. His innovative ethnographic techniques and thorough documentation have led to him being regarded as “the first anthropologist” and the father of American ethnography.
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