Mesoamerican Cultures

We explain what Mesoamerican cultures were and what their characteristics were. Also, what the Olmec, Zapotec, Mayan cultures and more were like.

What were the Mesoamerican cultures?

Mesoamerican cultures were the civilizations that developed in the Mesoamerican region a geographic area that covers central and southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and part of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. These are societies that developed different levels of social, political and economic complexity, and that inhabited the region since 2500 BC. C. until the arrival of the European conquerors in the 16th century AD. c.

Among the most important Mesoamerican cultures were the Olmecs, the Mayans, the Teotihuacans, the Zapotecs, the Toltecs, and the Mexicas (also known as the Aztecs). Each of these societies developed its own culture with a particular worldview and a unique political and economic organization. They also stood out for their monumental architecture, for the development of their knowledge in astronomy and for the creation of different writing systems.

Mesoamerican cultures were subjected during the European conquest and colonization but they left behind an enormous linguistic, architectural, mythological and archaeological legacy that has been rescued and valued in recent times.

As a whole, Mesoamerican cultures not only offer a rich cultural heritage but also provide a valuable field of study for understanding the diversity and complexity of ancient human civilizations.

Characteristics of Mesoamerican cultures

Mesoamerican cultures, although diverse, as a whole shared numerous characteristics. They are:

• Advanced agriculture. They grew corn, beans, pumpkin and chili, and developed different agricultural techniques, such as chinampas (artificial islands) and terraces.
• Hierarchical social organization. Most of these cultures had a society marked by social differentiation and the appearance of privileged groups.
• Complex political structure. Some of the Mesoamerican civilizations developed complex political structures, with the concentration of power in the hands of castes of priests or aristocratic families.
• Religion and cosmology. They were all polytheistic, but each civilization had its own mythology, with stories about the gods and about the creation and origin of all things. They linked the gods with elements of nature and human practices.
• monumental architecture. In the main urban centers, Mesoamerican cultures built great architectural works, such as pyramids, temples, palaces and astronomical observatories.
• Writing and mathematics. Many of these cultures developed hieroglyphic writing systems and advanced knowledge in mathematics and astronomy. The Mayans, for example, created a precise calendar and vigesimal number system.
• Linguistic diversity. They spoke various languages ​​belonging to the Otomanguean, Mayan, Mixezokean, Totonac and Utoaztec linguistic families.

Olmec culture

The Olmecs lived in the region that today includes the Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco, between 1200 and 400 BC. c. They are considered the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica because they established the cultural, artistic, and religious foundations that would influence many of the later Mesoamerican civilizations.

The Olmecs are known for their monumental colossal heads carved in stone, which weigh several tons and measure up to three meters in height.

Its most important urban centers were La Venta, San Lorenzo and Tres Zapotes (the coast and “rubber region” of Mexico). The reasons for their disappearance are unknown, but they could be associated with the flourishing of other rival cultures.

Zapotec culture

The Zapotecs were an ancient Mesoamerican civilization that He inhabited the valley of Oaxaca, in the south of present-day Mexico, approximately between 500 BC. C and 900 AD. c. They are considered one of the oldest peoples in Mexico, since their origins can be traced to the nomadic populations of the third millennium BC.

Its great urban and ceremonial center was located in Monte Albán, at the top of a hill in the central valleys of Oaxaca. There they developed a rich artistic and cultural tradition, as evidenced in their elaborate tombs, sculptures and ceramics. Additionally, they created a hieroglyphic writing system.

Mayan culture

The Mayans were a Mesoamerican civilization that It reached its peak between 250 and 900 AD. C., extending through what is now Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. However, its first settlements are much older and date back to 750 BC. c.

The Mayans are known for their advanced knowledge in astronomy and mathematics, and for the construction of large urban centers with impressive architectural works: large temples, palaces and facades. Some of them still remain as archaeological sites: Tikal, Chichen Itzá and Calakmul, among others.

The Mayans had a rich religious and artistic tradition. They created the most complex writing system in pre-Columbian America and recorded their history and knowledge in amate paper codices. Their calendars combined the lunar and solar cycles with great precision. Their society was monarchical and hierarchical.

Mixtec culture

The Mixtec culture was another of the Mesoamerican civilizations that lived in the current territories of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla, between the 9th and 16th centuries AD. c. However, the origins of this culture can be traced back to the 15th century BC. C., and that is why it is considered one of the oldest.

The Mixtecs were known for their impressive art and metallurgical skills, and for a rich cultural and political tradition. They were also noted for their ceramic work and their handwritten and illustrated codices that record their history, genealogy and traditions.

They established a centralized system of government with various city-states, with a dominant noble class and a stratified social structure.

Teotihuacan culture

Teotihuacan society He inhabited the south of the Valley of Mexico between 200 and 550 AD. c It is a culture that developed around the city of Teotihuacán, but its origin or the causes of its decline are not known. The name of the city is the Nahuatl toponym long after the decline of its original inhabitants, for whom there is not much linguistic evidence.

It is known that Teotihuacán was built around the beginning of the Christian era and that it had its peak between the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. C. It once housed between 150,000 and 200,000 inhabitants, and was probably an important commercial and cultural point in the central Mexican region.

The Teotihuacan culture had a society divided into classes, with a privileged group that controlled the areas of power and government functions. Its architecture was monumental and stood out for the construction of large pyramids and the decoration with paintings in the most important buildings of the city.

The Purépecha or Tarascan culture

The Purépechas, also known as Tarascos, were a Mesoamerican culture that He lived in the current state of Michoacán, in Mexico, since the 12th century AD. C. until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century AD. c They are known for their resistance to Aztec rule and for their political and military organization.

They established a centralized State with its capital in Tzintzuntzan. They excelled in agriculture, especially in the cultivation of corn, and developed advanced irrigation techniques and agricultural terraces in the fertile lands of Michoacán. Their religion was deeply rooted in the worship of natural deities and the veneration of their ancestors.

Although they were finally conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century AD. C., the cultural legacy of the Purépecha endures in the Michoacán region, contributing to the rich cultural diversity of Mexico.

The Mexican or Aztec culture

The Mexica, also known as Aztecs, were a Nahua people from northern Mesoamerica who inhabited the Valley of Mexico between the 15th and 16th centuries. They founded the city of Tenochtitlán, on an islet in Lake Texcoco, where Mexico City is located today.

The Aztec Empire, the largest and most powerful state in the region, was the main military rival of the Spanish colonizers. The Mexica were fierce warriors and stood out for the creation of sophisticated metallurgy techniques for working in gold, silver and bronze.

They worshiped many gods and goddesses, and believed in the need for human sacrifice to maintain cosmic order and ensure the fertility of the earth.

Although their empire was overthrown by the Spanish in 1521, the legacy of Aztec culture remains an integral part of Mexican identity and the history of Mesoamerica.

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References

• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024). Mesoamerican civilization. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/
• Levinson, D. (Ed.). (1995). Introduction; Mixtec; Tarascans; Zapotec. Encyclopedia of World Cultures. Vol. VIII. Middle America and the Caribbean. GK Hall & Company.
• Naim, L.R.M. (2017). Teotihuacan, exceptional city of Mesoamerica. The National College.