The Mesoamerican world tree is an example of a motif that is one of the most important characteristics of Mesoamerica. Within religious beliefs existed a lot of symbolism informed by the order of the universe and Mesoamerican interpretations of this “order”. These cycles involve the cycles of life, death, rebirth, and the rising and setting of the sun. This was important as it was a crucial tool for many rituals involving the use of time and space with an emphasis on cycles. One of the defining characteristics of Mesoamerica is the use of calendric systems. These are the Aztec and Mayan religions that place tremendous importance on the use of cosmology to inform spiritual and ritualistic practices.

We cannot delve into this culture without examining the religious practices of the two predominant religions in Mesoamerican societies. During the Preclassic era, rapid sedentary development occurred and many Mesoamerican tribes had undergone further stratification and eventually developed chiefdoms.Ī chiefdom is defined by an existing political hierarchy that is defined by a specific group of people, usually senior members of a community, and based on the idea of “kinship”. It is currently housed in the British Museum in London, United Kingdom British Museum, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsĪlong with this dispersal and agricultural change came more complex developments involving tradition, mythology, religious practices, calendar systems, architectural changes, games, and numerical systems – all considered to be the building blocks of modern society. These historic developments took place around 7,000 BCE and marked the beginning of the transformation of hunter-gatherer-centric people into independent agricultural communities.Ī jade plaque of a Maya king from the classic period, found at Teotihuacan. This included the domestication of animals such as the dog and the turkey as well as various vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, and even staples like maize and cacao. Mesoamerican culture is composed of numerous indigenous cultures and includes key developments in agriculture. Maya, Zapotec, Teotihuacan, Olmec, Tlatilco Below is a table to help you allocate the various Mesoamerican groups into the timeline. While the latter date is debated, the majority of Mesoamerican cultural practices slowed down at the beginning of the Spanish conquest in 1519, thereafter evolving under Spanish rule. This is now located in the San Diego Museum of Man Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons 3500 BC to the post-Classic period at 1519 CE.Ĭlassic Mayan incense burner with face and side flanges, from highland Guatemala. The Mesoamerican timeline occurs from the Archaic period at c. It is vital to understand that “Mesoamerica” does not refer to one group or one division with multiple sub-groups. Modern-day Peru is another example of an ancient civilization that emerged independently. Another interesting fact about Mesoamerica is that it is one of five locations in the world that contain ancient civilizations that thrived on their own. This had a tremendous impact on all the indigenous societies due to the lack of human resources to help keep their society alive. It has been recorded that more than 90% of people from indigenous groups and societies lost their lives to measles and smallpox during the 16th century. Along with the entry of the Europeans into North America came new diseases for the indigenous people.

It can therefore be said that you cannot refer solely to European art history without understanding the depth of the art history that existed before colonization. These historical events are what is known to be the primary urban generation and the development of the new world cultures through the integration of European, Asian, African, and indigenous cultures. At the lower right, one of his feet is replaced with a smoking mirror Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Red Tezcatlipoca, which is the Aztec deity Tezcatlipoca (“Smoking Mirror”), as depicted in the Codex Borgia.

These indigenous societies, also called “pre-Columbian” societies, existed since 15,000 BCE and became witness to two of the largest events in global history. Mesoamerica spans the southern regions of Northern America and Central America. These indigenous societies existed long before foreigners from Europe made their way to these countries. Mesoamerica refers to specific groups of indigenous peoples from multiple countries encompassing Mexico, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.

5.3 Which Mesoamerican Culture Invented the Ballgame?.

5.2 Which Deities Did Most Mesoamerican Cultures Share in Common?.

5.1 What Language Did People in Mesoamerica Speak?.

4.2 Mesoamerican Art of Southern Mexico.

2.2 Calendric and Numeric Systems of Mesoamerica.

2.1 Culture and Religion in Mesoamerica.

2 The Emergence of Mesoamerican Culture.

Mesoamerica artifact meaning