What codex records the Aztec migration from Aztlan?

The Codex Boturini records the Mexica migration from Aztlan, the ancestral homeland described in Mexica tradition. It is also known as the Tira de la Peregrinación, or “Migration Strip,” because its picture-writing follows the people’s long journey toward the Valley of Mexico.

The manuscript depicts successive stages of the migration, including places visited, groups encountered, and important ritual events. Its narrative begins with the departure from Aztlan and follows the ancestors through a route that eventually leads to the founding of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. The journey is presented as both a historical tradition and a sacred migration guided by the god Huitzilopochtli.

The codex was probably created around the time of, or shortly after, the Spanish conquest, though its exact date is uncertain. Its name comes from Lorenzo Boturini, an 18th-century Italian scholar and collector. The Codex Florentine is a broad ethnographic record, the Codex Borbonicus focuses heavily on ritual and calendrical matters, and the Codex Mendoza documents tribute and society; none is the standard answer to this migration question.