Mesoamerica Cultural Diversity

Mesoamerica Cultural Diversity
Explain what is meant when we talk about cultural diversity in Mesoamerica and how is cultural
diversity affected by geographic diversity? When we refer to cultural diversity we refer to ideas that
are followed by a society. Some examples are norms, beliefs, music, morals, religion, medicine and
many more. These ideas of culture have been affected by geographic diversity in the manner that the
locations of different groups or societies affect the different norms and beliefs they gained. For
example, groups that lived on the coast and groups that lived in the desert or mountains contained
many different ways of living based on their location and resources. A great difference these groups
had besides, norms or morals was language. There were
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Teotihuacan Artistic Influence
Teotihuacan: Sphere of Artistic Influence
In the Basin of Mexico about 7,000 ft above sea level lies the ruins of the ancient city of
Teotihuacan, "the place of the gods," which flourished from 100–650 A.D. Little is known about this
city's mysterious demise of power, besides evidence of what appears to be ritualized burnings at
major temples and centers. The impact of Teotihuacan throughout Mesoamerica is evident, and the
most obvious indicator of this influence is through artistic style. Just how far was the expansion of
Teotihuacan's artistic influence across Mesoamerica? I will use a variety of sources not only to
define the Teotihuacano art style as a whole, but also to map the path of its successful impact, (and
also resistance,) across subsequent Mesoamerican civilizations, focusing principally on the Maya.
The architectural style known as talud–tablero marks the presence of Teotihuacan abroad more
distinctly than any other aspects of its art. The sloping talud (talus) supports the vertical tablero
(entablature), which is ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
By 450 AD, versatile mold–made ceramics were beginning to be mass–produced, stamped and
distributed out of Teotihuacan workshops, believed to be located north of the Citadel. These "host"
figures have been found as far as Guatemala (900 miles away).
Brightly polychromed urns and incense burners sporting human and animal faces are among the
larger ceramics that survive from this era. The Teotihuacanos may have been able to take these
anthromorphic assemblages apart and reconfigure them into different deities from the constituent
parts. (Miller, Mary Ellen 2012) One large urn from Teotihuacan displays the image of an owl deity
that served the city's war cult. Owl depictions have been tied to war iconography all across
Mesoamerica because of their associations with nighttime and the

Similarities And Differences Between The Mesoamerica And...
Mesoamerica have been connected the North and South America culturally and geographically
throughout the history. Mesoamerican culture and aspects heavily influenced southwestern United
States, being the frontier borderline between North America and Mesoamerica. It is very important
to study the relationship between the Mesoamerica and American Southwest because American
Southwest contains various elements of Mesoamerican culture and this provides fundamental
information about human behaviors, history, interactions, and tradition in America. Our group has
selected Agriculture, Architecture, Religion, and Trade as our categories to analyze the relationship
between American southwest and Mesoamerica. Fair trade, we will focus on scarlet macaws and
how it got traded from Mesoamerica in the American southwest and its significance. For
architecture, we will compare the ball courts of Hohokam and that of Mesoamerica. Significance of
ball courts and how it got introduced into the American southwest from Mesoamerica will be
discussed as well. Religion will be analyzed by focusing on the cosmological beliefs of both groups
and the similarities and differences between Mesoamerican cosmology and American southwest
cosmology.
My focus is on the agriculture and maize domestication of both areas. Maize was first domesticated
in Mesoamerica, southern Mexico about 9000 years ago and dispersed into the southwestern United
States during the late middle archaic period.
This paper will

The Role Of Olmec Culture In The Film: San Lorenzo
The main archeological site within the film is San Lorenzo which is in the modern–day state of
Veracruz. The main Olmec culture that seems to be the focus within the film seems to be about the
production of the large Olmec head statues. The first interesting fact I received from the film was
that the Olmec were the first to establish a civilization within Mesoamerica. The second interesting
fact from the film was that archeologist considered the Olmec that mother culture of Central
America. The third thing I thought was interesting was the fact that Olmec artifacts were found
hundreds to thousands of miles away from San Lorenzo. They were able to trace some of these
artifacts because of the tar that these artifacts were made from. The way that

Mesoamerica And The Great Complex Of Indigenous Cultures
Mesoamerica the great complex of indigenous cultures. The time period in which made I
pretty big dent in history, the time period from 300BC until the 1500's. Some of you are
probably reading this like why is Mesoamerica so important? Or who or what has been involved
in the Mesoamerica time period? Well some of your questions just might get answered if you
continue reading this paper. I may not be the best writer but here going nothing.
Mesoamerica was the start of a new beginning when nomadic people began following
herds and started settling across North and South America. Mesoamerica is pretty much just
Middle America. Middle America domesticated animals and plants some of the plants were
maize (corn), potatoes, tomatoes, and beans. Once they demonstrated these things the population
began to boom then forming great cities.
The first real group was the Olmec's, the Mother Culture. They were settled in tropical
forests along the Gulf of Mexico, from 1500BC– 400BC. Their trade system influenced into
other cultures then giving them more opportunities to trade and get different resources from
other cultures. They carved stone art, made a calendar, and wrote in hieroglyphics. Their
traditions of sculpting and temple architecture, developed them ahead over eight centuries.
Which will eventually influence all subsequent civilizations of the region.
After them came the Mayans they existed from 300BC– 900AD, the Classic Period. They
were located

Mesoamerica And The Andes: A Comparative Analysis
Acclimating to the environment is the foundation of establishing a successful society. If the culture
is unable to embrace its environment, the risk of vanishing becomes unequivocally inevitable.
Incredibly, societies in Mesoamerica and the Andes were able to not only endure, but also flourish
without any prior influence of foreign civilizations. The ancient peoples of the Americas were able
to take acclimate to their surroundings by: taking advantage of the mountainous terrain, establishing
domestication of crops and livestock, and the development of complex communication systems.
Mesoamerican peoples developed communities and engineered ways to modify and utilize the
geography of the land without inhibiting the nature of it. Farming became

The Mayan Culture Of Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is the area in which the ancient Maya had lived, and is the area where modern Mayans
are still reside. According to Coe, the Mayan geographic can range from Guatemala, Belize,
Honduras, El Salvador, Yucatan Peninsula, and the Mexican States of Chiapas and Tabasco
(1966:17). Yet these areas are not limited to just Mayan. Many structural architecture remains today
has proven the complexity of the Mayan culture in Mesoamerica. The Mayan history consisted of
three main phases. The Preclassic period, the Classic period, and the Late Classic period. With each
period containing several subdivisions. The Preclassic period started at the time civilization first
emerged in Mesoamerica, around 1500 B.C., to about A.D. 250/300. The Preclassic period phase
contained three subdivisions. The Early Preclassic, the Middle Preclassic, and the Late Preclassic.
The Early Preclassic range from about 2000 B.C to about 1000/800 B.C.. The Middle Preclassic
range from about 1000/800 B.C. to about 400/300 B.C.. The Late Preclassic range from about
400/300 B.C. to about A.D. 250. The Mayan civilization was thought to arose during the time of the
Late Preclassic. The next phase is the Classic period, which range from A.D. 250 to about A.D. 600.
And the final phase of the Mayan civilization is the Late Classic period, which range from A.D. 600
to about A.D. 900. The Mayan civilization in Mesoamerica is known to be highly advanced and
sophisticated people. The Mayan employed a calendrical

Mesoamerica
Our ruins are the best place to visit. We provide clean houses to stay in, and maximum protection
against any outsiders. We have taken over the most land than any other in mesoAmerica, so we can
have a better population. Any friendly visitors will not be sacrificed, only if they cause trouble. We
also have food known only to mesoamerica, and not to any other continents. We also have fun
activities, and we will NEVER put you in our ball games. In our ball games you lose you die. We
have a very advanced alphabet, the second smartest civilization in mesoAmerica, and we have lots
of art. We have ancient statues from our supposed ancestors to show visitors. You will also be able
to go inside our one of a kind pyramids. There is no other civilization that has these kinds of
pyramids, so our tours are only limited time. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Our food is the least expensive of all the civilizations, we have limited time pyramid tours, clean
houses, lots you can enjoy. Again, you will be safe here and our troops will never try to attack you.
If they do they will be sacrificed to the gods. We will gladly share our story to you. From some
years from now, a little group came here and decided to settle. But many other people came in here
too, and the population started to

Military Conquest In Mesoamerica
Amplified connections resulting from explorations, military expeditions and trade among different
cultures emerge simultaneously across the globe in the early modern era. Once people move, their
ideas accompany them, and this dramatic surge of communication often relates to the role of
religion. With this intensity of collaborations, opportunities for the restructuring of religion
escalates. Undeniably, these factors shape religious practices in the regions of Mesoamerica and
Europe. With the military conquests in Mesoamerica and the struggles for and against the
importance of political and economic power in Europe, the altering of religious practices occurs.
Markedly, military conquest brings potential for religious changes. The military invasion ... Show
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This reformation includes two folds, "one a drive for internal reform linked to earlier reform efforts,
and the other a Counter–Reformation that opposed Protestants intellectually, institutionally,
politically, and militarily." (51) Both parts of the reformation of the Catholic church result from their
need for power. The church sets their goal to stop the spread of Protestant ideas with the ambition of
reestablishing their supremacy. In the attempt to achieve this goal, the church promotes the teaching
of specific Catholic doctrine that Protestants contest such as the rule to, "keep the mind ready and
prompt to obey all things the true Spouse of Christ our Lord, our holy mother, the hierarchical
church."

What Are The Goals Of The Aztecs?
The Aztecs were a great and mighty people that use strategic management to engineer their might
empire. Today strategic management is use to increase the profits and success of a company, but the
Aztecs utilize strategic management to turn an inhabitable island in turn the greatest empire of all
Mesoamerica. The Aztec during the time of their empire analyze their environment, formulated
action plans, and continues to reevaluate their strategy to meet the objective.
The early life of the Aztecs they found their capital city in a swampy island in Lake Texcoco. They
set out to make their capital a power and advance city that was the greatest of all Mesoamerica. The
problem with this goal was that their land was swampy and uninhabitable. Their

Olmec Influence On Mayan Civilization
An ancient American civilization that predates the Aztecs and the Mayan is the Olmec civilization.
The Olmecs influenced many civilizations throughout its life during the years 1200 – 400 B.C.E.
The Olmecs architecture, agriculture, and culture influenced Mesoamerica and its influence can still
be seen today. The Olmec civilization was located in the tropics of Mexico near the Gulf of Mexico.
The Olmecs population grew to a surplus of crops. These crops were maize, beans, and squash. The
harvest allowed the population to grow, and because of their location the Olmecs had fertile land
which allowed farms and villages to develop. In the middle of the Olmec's settlement was the city
San Lorenzo. San Lorenzo had a population of 10,000 people. The

Art And Architecture : The Olmec Art In Mesoamerica
Olmec Art in Mesoamerica Art and architecture have both long been a gateway to understanding
earlier peoples and their civilizations. While it may not always be possible to know every detail, or
sometimes just the slightest bit of information, through the study of art and architecture one can get
one step closer to understanding the way of life and history of ancient civilizations throughout the
world. Although each different culture presents an equally different challenge, clues do exist if one
is willing to look long, hard, and close enough to understand. In what is present–day Mexico but
was previously considered ancient Mesoamerica, there lived a mysterious yet powerful civilization
called the Olmec. Even today not much is known about the Olmec people, but through the Olmec's
various forms of art and architecture, one can get glimpses into the way of life and the beliefs that,
what is considered to be the first great Mesoamerican civilization, held and lived by.
The Olmec did not start out as the mighty power–filled civilization they later came to be. Not much
is known about where the people that later came to be known as the Olmec originally came from,
but due to archeological evidence in the form of various art forms and architectural ruins, historians
know now they lived in and around the present–day cities of Veracruz and Tabasco in the Gulf of
Mexico (Cartwright, Olmec Civilization). In fact, historians are not even sure what it was the Olmec
people called

Who Were The Aztecs
The Aztecs
Have you ever had questions about the Aztecs like " Who were the Aztecs" and "Why are they so
special?" Well, those questions will be answered in my report.
Who were the Aztecs?
The Aztecs were a group of Native Indians tribes that were from Mesoamerica. The different tribes
that formed the Aztec civilization all spoke the language of tlachtli. The Aztecs were a group that
worshiped many gods and in honor of those gods had human sacrifices. Eventually, half of the Aztec
civilization was wiped out by a disease called smallpox. Then, the rest of the Aztec people were
defeated by the Spanish during war.
Why were the Aztecs so special?
The Aztecs were highly advanced with farming, crafting, trading, and art. Their buildings

Mesoamerica Compared To The Mayan Temple Of The Great Jaguar
There a variety of similarities between the ways the rulers of Africa and Mesoamerica used art and
architecture. One similarity is that some buildings were designed specifically to unify people within
a community. Also, structures marked places of worship to establish social order amongst citizens.
In Mesoamerica, the Mayan Temple of the Great Jaguar in Tijal, encouraged the idea of honoring
and worshiping the Tiakli ruler. Due to the temple, there was one prominent deity within the city,
which reduced religious tensions as most Mayan's worshiped the Tiakli ruler. This temple was later
used by his successors to control and demonstrate their power to the city. Pyramids in Mesoamerica,
specifically in Teotihuacan, were built to symbolize the

Mesoamerica Domestication
Mesoamerica served as one New World cradle for plant domestication. Because of the abundance of
data gathered from the semi–arid highlands of Mexico due to the preservation of macrofossils in dry
caves, a hypothesis was formed that stated the highland region was the center of domestication in
Mesoamerica (Pope et al. 2001:1370–1373). Compared to the highlands, not much was known about
the role the lowlands of Mesoamerica played in plant domestication. This was because the humid
conditions of the tropical areas of Mesoamerica often led to poor plant preservation. Studies focused
on San Andres to observe the traces of maize cultivation. Researchers built on earlier research,
combining data from sediment cores with data from adjacent wetland excavations. ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Larger grains the size of 70 µm first appeared 5,000 years B.C. and were common 4,000 years B.C.
The size and axis/pore ratio had decreased in size to a size now typical of domesticated maize. It is
important to note that the Zea found in San Andres were not native to the coastal Tabasco area and
was an exotic species that was introduced to and cultivated by farmers. The appearance of this maize
coincides with forest clearing in this area, probably for the purposes of agriculture, which was
evidenced by charcoal. The settlement here was linked to the beach ridge and the lagoon which was
attractive to maize farmers. Small Zea pollen disappeared after 2,500 years B.C. and around the
same time, domesticated sunflowers appeared. The first sunflower seed found dates back to 2,667
calendar years. B.C., and the first sunflower fruit dates back to 2,548 calendar year B.C. The earliest
date on maize in Mexico is 4,300 calendar year B.C. which meant that domestication had to have
happened before 4,000 calendar year B.C. This early appearance of maize supports the supposed
origin of agriculture in the New World in a humid, tropical setting and for early exchanges between
Mesoamerica, and Central and South

Mesoamerica Research Paper
Before the fall of a Divine Lifestyle Mesoamerica, a place of abundant natural resources, a place of
natural beauty where people respected one another and everyone worked together for the sole
purpose of providing for the greater being of the community, or referred to as the "Calpulli".
Although perceived as barbaric by the Europeans, the people of Mesoamerica had a deep focus and
understanding in science, religion, self–expressing art, farming and trade, unity and peace.
Mesoamerica was a natural paradise, innocent of the ways of the outside world. Their belief of
Ometeotl is what allowed the indigenous people to be prosperous and humble. Artifacts found show
that there was a high level of skill in their crafts. Although "little evidence of social ranking and
craft specialization has been found in the early villages" (Acuna, 3), there was a breakthrough
around 2000 BC with the introduction of pottery by the Oco people. This invention allowed for
storage of food and water. Limited by technology and machinery which did not exist at the time, the
people of Mesoamerica were able to build large temples to honor their gods and ultimately settling
down in cities that they built. After the end of the Olmeca civilization, came the Maya. Improving in
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The people survived and prospered, in large part, through agricultural cultivation and production and
some hunting activities" (Carrasco, 121). The indigenous people were experienced farmers whose
diets mainly consisted of: Maiz, squash, chile, nopales, chia, amaranth and beans. These 7 foods
were known as the "7 Warrior Foods". In order to maintain their population the indigenous people
focused on three main sources of food, beans, corn, and squash. These three plants complimented
one another but also replenished the soil with all of the minerals that it needed to continue to be
fertile. These crops worked so well together in synergy that they became known as the "Three

The Way of Tlachtli Essay
Since the early 1400s BCE, people of this era have played one of the earliest known forms of a sport
that involves two teams and a rubber ball played on a court. Based on archaeological evidence,
Tlachtli (which translates in English to "ball game") is thought to have been played by the
civilizations of Mesoamerica including the Aztec, Maya, Olmec, and Toltec. The game was more
than a sport to these people. It was a means of settling conflicts and maintaining social harmony, it
was a very important part in the ritualistic lives of those cultures. The most fascinating aspect of this
sport is what set it apart from other ritual–based events of these cultures. Based on how you played
in the ball game was a matter of life and death. As seen ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Seeing as this is the only place the rubber tree grows, it would be no surprise if this is where the
sport was born. For the Mesoamerican cultures of this area, rubber was an important material valued
as sacred and ceremonial. A unique substance that is neither solid nor liquid, rubber played an
important role in the everyday lives of Mesoamerican people. The most creative use of rubber was
not for agriculture, construction, or warfare, but a deadly ceremonial sport.
Murals found at a dig site in Teotihuacan suggests that at one point, this sport was played with
wooden sticks, but the most common played method of the game used no extra equipment; players
kept the ball in play using their hips. While the game play varied from city to city, the game rules of
play were basically the same throughout Mesoamerica of that era. The game was played in large
stone courts and informally on fields in major Mesoamerican cities. Proof shows that Aztec games
were eventually played with stone hoops where players could score points by hitting the hoop with
the ball or win the game outright by getting the ball through the hoop.
Tlachtli was a serious matter to the players and to the cultures of Mesoamerica. The game was
intense and serious and sometimes fatal injuries were inflicted by the solid, heavy nine pound ball.
Back when Spain controlled the area, Spanish chronicler Diego Durán explained that some bruises
caused by the ball were so bad that

Mesoamerica Essay
Anthony Flores
MAS 10A
12:00pm
Professor Covarrubias, Professor Gamboa
10/15/14
SECTION ONE: Indigenous Mesoamerica
b. To what extent has the history of Mesoamerica been taught from a Eurocentric perspective? What
theories, ideas, and/or terminology are problematic when trying to assert an Indigenous perspective?
(For example: Bering Strait, Malintzin, Cuauhtemoc, Human Sacrifice...there are many more
examples!)
In the United States the history of Mesoamerica has always been included in textbooks and lectures
around the nation. The parts of the history that are included, however, are what is often put into
question. While writing any piece or publishing any book there will always be a set bias. There is
only so much ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
As David Carrasco includes in his text in "Religions of Mesoamerica", "All the days of my life I
have seen nothing that rejoiced my heart so much as these things, for I saw amongst them wonderful
works of art, and I marveled at the subtle genius of men in foreign lands. Indeed I cannot express all
that I thought there" (Carrasco 75). While this is just one documented account there are countless
others expressing the same views. While the popular narrative does mention the wonders of
indigenous architecture they fail to focus on the other parts of the statements in these accounts. The
Spanish did not only marvel at the artwork and architecture, but also the culture, the lifestyle, just
the subtleties of the way they carried on in everyday life. Whether it was the Calpulli system or just
the organized manner they went about their day. This fact is often conveniently dismissed by Colón
apologists trying to justify the Spanish conquest by claiming the indigenous people were
uncivilized. As mentioned, those quick to defend the Eurocentric narrative as well as Columbus
often attempt to validate Columbus' thinking. As stated by Acuña, apologists of Columbus assert
that he did not invent slavery, and that Spain held heated deliberations on whether or not it was
moral to enslave these Indians. Spain finally settled on passing the Law of Burgos in 1512. On paper
the law was supposed to protect the indigenous people from unbearable labor conditions while

Mesoamerica Analysis
Mesoamerica was a place where people shared similar traditions and customs creating a unified
region. Mesoamerica is one of the only six primary cultures in the world where human culture and
civilization started. The people here share common cultural elements including, the calendar,
hyroglific writing, astronomy, monumental architecture and complex religious systems. The Aztecs
followed complex agricultural practices as well. Like other aspects of this society, Aztec agriculture
was highly developed. Some of the domestic plants brought over by Mesoamerica include: avocado,
agave, amaranth, gourds, cashew, chyota, chia, chili peppers, beans, papayas, peanuts, prickly pear,
pumpkin, yucca, vanilla, sweet potato, Tabaco, cocoa, cochinilla, and ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
When the Sacred Cenote was first dredged in 1904, it puzzled researchers, but some scientists now
believe it was probably left over from blue–coated human sacrifices thrown into the well as part of a
Maya ritual. Diego de Landa witnessed human sacrifices. He tells us that the sacrificial victim was
painted blue. Next, the victim was led to the summit of the pyramid and laid over a stone alter. Then
with his arms and legs firmly held by the chacs, the nacom cut open the chest and tore out his heart.
This was usually done with an obsidian or flint knife. Next, the heart was handed to the high priest,
and the body was thrown down the temple

Commonalities in Religions
The pre–Columbian religions found outside of Eurasia were wildly diverse, but they nearly always
emphasized a few basic beliefs. Perhaps this was because they stemmed from a similar progenitor
religion in the distant past, perhaps they picked up on some basic part of the human psyche. While
there were many differences in the intricacies of the religions of Polynesia, the Andes, and
Mesoamerica, they all shared a polytheistic faith, a belief that gods are derived from nature, and a
belief that sacrifice was needed to maintain the natural order of the world. In polynesia, the
dominant pre–columbian religion was animism–the belief that all things have some sort of spiritual
power. In Polynesia, this power was called mana (Encyclopedia Britannica). Polynesians believed
that this spiritual power, this mana, could be negated by human actions. As a result of this, many
tapu (brought into English as taboo) were set up in order to prevent humans from upsetting the
natural order of the world. As with their neighbors in Mesoamerica, the polynesians believed in a
form of human sacrifice to right the unbalance in the mana of a person or a thing. This was
especially clear when someone walked over the shadow of a chief or a noble. It was thought that this
would damage the mana of the person and only the death of the offender would correct this
unbalance. Like most cultures, the Polynesians had many gods which would personify some part of
nature and who would be deeply

Mesoamerica Research Paper
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Instructor
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Date
What it is
It is among the earliest and oldest sports played in America. It specifically originated in Central
America with the Mexicans in the Southern part of Mexico. Different towns thrived in this game
which was to them more than a sport. It was both a sport, a religious activity and it was also
political. It was also social because it brought the people in towns together.
The sport part of Mesoamerican ballgame involved getting a ball made of rubber into one among
many rings. The ball was solid and would weigh up to three kilograms. While playing to put the ball
through a ring, players were not to use their hands but were to use their thighs, shoulders, elbows
and even knees to pass this ball. The game was only played by men. It was significantly played by
warriors who were to prove their strength or get rewarded. While in other towns and Kingdoms,
captives of wars were ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They could be as many as twenty in a town. It is said that Mesoamerica had up to thirteen hundred
ball courts. They were built inside with walls that were either bent towards the centre or vertical.
There was an enclosing in the courts where the player only played. This is because as was in the
ancient days, the sport was observed as a matter of life and death for the winner and losers. The ball
courts were built mythically orienting themselves to the North and South of the compass.
The ball courts were built such that, they had markers on them, more so on the lengths of the courts,
mostly three. This markers were also symbolic in that, they represented the movements of the moon
and the sun in relation to the ground.
When ball gaming became widespread, it became part of North America too where they built courts
or the same. The sport thrived in many countries and cities and became with time an architectural
and social activity than a culture.
The cultural and Mythological importance of Mesoamerican

Summary Of Everyday Life Matters, By Cynthia Robins
When asking everyday people about what do they think about the era when Mesoamerica was at its
strongest, people will always mention about the kings and elites that came and created cities and
monuments that would still be remembered thousands of years later. What people seem to forget is
that kings and elites only exist when they have people who are their subjects and follow them. These
subjects are the common or ordinary people of Mesoamerica. It is interesting that these commoners
live similarly and differently from today's common people. In Mesoamerica, there exists sites that
had commoners living in near equality and better living conditions, commoners could change their
own lives and the people around them through the gambling in Mesoamerican ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
She explores the daily life of the farmers at Chan through archeological evidence found there. What
seems interesting is that Robins explains that Chan is a small place, around 1,000 people lived there,
it was a stable community, had a healthy forest nearby, and it was occupied for about 2,000 years.
The staggering thing about this is that Chan stood for almost 2,000 years with a small population
compare to Teotihuacan, which only lasted from about 200 to around 900 AD as discussed in class.
Yes, Teotihuacan was not entirely abandoned, but it was never at its peak again. What caused Chan
to endure much longer than Teotihuacan is the almost surreal equality among the people. As stated
in Robin's book and discussed in class, All the houses were perishable. There wasn't a house found
in Robin's excavation that was more lavished then the others. It was found that people shared their
tools when mining on soft limestone quarries instead of taking their own tools home. There was
evidence that people at Chan had equal access to luxury items compare to other cities that were near
Chan like San Lorenzo. Robins found evidence that some people had Chan had more jade than
others, but still had access to jade if the people could afford to get it. There are two people who tried
to explain why Chan was so successful compared to other Mesoamerican places, but Robin
disproved them. Boserup argued that people innovate in agriculture technology due to population
increase to make more food available to the population, but the evidence that Robin showed was the
terraces found, the population was small, and that people just innovated without pressure from the
population. Wittfogel argued that there was someone controlling the people to make them do work
to benefit everyone. There was a lack of evidence of a central government at Chan, houses were
built on terraces, people cooperated, no fences were

The Mayans of Mesoamerica Essay
The Mayans of Mesoamerica
The ancient Mayans were a very well developed society with a very accurate calendar, skilled
architects, artisans, extensive traders and hunters. They are known to have developed medicine and
astronomy as well. All of this was developed while the Europeans were still in the Dark Ages.
Their empire covered an area of roughly 400,000 to 500,000 square kilometers. This area included
the present day countries of Belize, Guatemala, western Honduras and El Salvador, and also
southern portions of Mexico. These lands have a very diverse terrain, from the mountainous
highlands to the tropical lowlands. The wide range of geographical features meant that the ... Show
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The Maya civilization can be divided into three main periods: Pre–Classic, Classic, and Post–
Classic. Their greatest accomplishments most likely took place in the Classic period. This period
occurred between 250 and 910AD. An extensive trade network was in place during this period that
allowed the civilization to grow as large as sixty separate kingdoms. Other technological advances
also took place during this time.
They developed their writing system, mathematics, astronomy, and calendars. Their study of
astronomy allowed them to predict when there would be a solar or lunar eclipse. They also
developed their calendar that is called the Long Count Calendar. The Long Count Calendar was not
completely a Mayan creation because they inherited the basic form from the Toltec.
The mathematics developed by the Maya was a base 20 numbering system. This is similar to the
base 10 system we use today. The Maya were able to do this using only three symbols, the dot, the
bar, and a symbol for zero.
The numbering system was written vertically instead of horizontally like the one we use today. The
base level can be represented by 20^0, and each additional level increases the exponent by one. This
is shown in the graphic below.
The Mayan calendar has a starting date of 3113BC that is given the year 0. It used their base 20
numbering system to represent periods of time. There

The Aztec And Maya
As an archeologist, solving the puzzle about our past generations isn't easy to analyze without
written forms of communication. In a perfect world, every important aspect of each and every
culture before us would be well documented in written texts. We can however, make inferences and
analyze the artifacts and other forms of communication that are excavated from various sties around
the globe. There are many different forms of important artifacts from the mesoamerican culture that
shaped state authority and control. Mesoamerica is a culture and region in Mexico/northern South
America, that existed from 3500 BCE to 1697 AD. Two important cultures within mesoamerica are
the Aztec and Maya. More specifically, three examples of these important artifacts are the Templo
Mayor, the Maya stelae and the ritual of bloodletting. These are great examples because each
presents a different type of artifact and contributes to different aspects of state authority. The Templo
Mayor (Spanish for "Great Temple") was a historic temple for the Aztec Empire in the city/capital
Tenochtitlan. Most of what we know about the temple is based on writings and other records, since
it is not standing today. The temple was first built in 1325, but was destroyed by the Spanish in
1521. The temple was devoted to two gods; Huitzilopochtli, god of war and Tlaloc, god of rain
(Glancey, 2015). The site of Templo Mayor is located in modern day Mexico City and covers about
800 meters squared in area. While this

Mesoamerica History
Engineering has always been a part human society for the longest time. Since then engineering has
just evolved to so much bigger height. It can be traced back as far as ancient times. A perfect
example of this would be Mesoamerica. In its time of glory Mesoamerica excelled in this aspect.
During that time they came up with vast mechanics and vast civilization. It was their major key to
able to spread all over what today is called Mexico. Many different tribes had their own ways of
creating and advancing engineering. The Mesoamerican engineering system is by far different from
other cultures but they do share some similarities. Three distinct tribes that fell under this category
was the Mayans, Zapotecs, and the Aztecs. These are the three tribes that took part in the
advancement of engineering. To begin with, Mesoamerican engineering involved a lot ... Show more
YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
"Mayan Engineering." AMIN210 –. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.
"Zapotec Civilization." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015
Annotated Bibliography
Carmack, Robert M. The Legacy of Mesoamerica: History and Culture of a Native American
Civilization. Second ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1996. Print.
The Legacy of Mesoamerica by Robert M. Carmack is a book that talks about the origins of how
Mesoamerica was created. It describes all the events that transpired that shaped Mesoamerica.
Furthermore it goes into how indigenous live their lives today.
"The Aztecs: Engineering an Empire." YouTube. YouTube, 14 May 2014. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
In the documentary The Aztecs: Engineering an Empire explains how the Aztecs formed their
empire. It also talks about how the Spanish invaded them and took over everything they worked so
hard to build. These two sources are great to information about how Engineering work during the
Mesoamerican time

The Mesoamerica Period
This class has been great! I have learned a lot about the Mesoamerica period and have gained a new
incite to what has happened in this period with the forming of many new groups of people. The part
that has affected my outlook the most is seeing how much we can learn from the past like the
Spanish and the Aztec people coming from different parts of the world. I can see a new light to
seeing people from different cultures coming to America that that we need to respect their traditions
even if we have different believes and help people understand the United States traditions that we
have. It is amazing what the Spaniard and Aztecs showed me that even though they came from
different parts and cultures there has been an integration to many now traditional celebrations. ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Throughout Latin America Dia de los Muerros is celebrated for almost a week at the end of October
and beginning of November. "The central idea is that during this period of public and private
(family) rituals the living and dead family members and friends are joined together in an atmosphere
of communication and spiritual regeneration," as said in Religions of Mesoamerica by David
Carrasco on page 142. They celebrate by giving food and drinks to the dead, build large or small
shrines and have different celebratory things like parades. The celebration has a tradition of the
Aztec with cosmovision.
Cosmovision has three part of world making, world centering and world renewal. The rituals of the
Day of the Dead shows the three dimensions. "The preparations for the ceremonies are
(worldmaking), the symbolism of the family altars to the dead (worldcentering), and the ceremonial
feast of the dead, and spiritual union with the dead at the home and cemetery (worldrenewal)
(Carrasco. 143). There are other aspects of the celebration that connect to the

The Conquistadors
The Conquest of Mexico and the conversion of the peoples of New Spain can and should be
included among the histories of the world, not only because it was well done but because it was very
great. . . . Long live, then, the name and memory of him [Cortés] who conquered so vast a land,
converted such a multitude of men, cast down so many men, cast down so many men, cast down so
many idols, and put an end to so much sacrifice and the eating of human flesh! –Francisco López de
Gómara (1552) When people are asked, "who were the Conquistadors and what did they do?" One
may respond, "Conquistadors came from Spain and settled the Americas." An answer such as that
may suffice and is factual. However, the Conquistadors were more than settlers, ... Show more
Maybe too much credit is given to Cortés as one of the greatest Spanish conquerors who developed
effective strategy to defeat the Aztecs. Restall see this as somewhat of a myth accounting for the
failure of historians to look at history before the 1519 (Restall, 19). Restall says "However, too
often, without any direct evidence, the actions of Conquistadors after the 1519– 21 invasion of
Mexico are taken as deliberately imitating Cortés, while pre–1519 patterns are ignored." Whatever
the case for whom should be given the credit for the strategy used to defeat the Aztecs; one must
admit Cortés was able the win the trust of the people and use the Aztecs' fear of him to control their
empire. Cortés harbored fear of his own. Elliott says, "Cortés felt some uneasiness, when he
reflected that it was in the power of the Indians, at any time, to cut off his communications with the
surrounding country, and hold him a prisoner in the capital." The Omens of the Aztecs betrayed
them and caused them to see the arriving settlers as gods. They were not prepared to defend
themselves against the advanced weapons of the Spanish. Much like the Aztecs, the Mayans faced
hard times at the hands of the Spanish conquerors, but their defeat came much easier to the Spanish.
Third, the Conquistadors conquered many civilizations including the Mayans. The Mayan
civilization was quite

Mesoamerica Is A Complex Society
In Mesoamerica, the agriculture has many characteristics that contributes to the fact that this society
is a complex society. It is clear that the spread of agriculture throughout the region, preservation of
land, systemized cultivation, and an increase in population shows how the societies, such as Olmec,
in Mesoamerica are complex. The people of Tehuacán, in modern day Puebla, Mexico, first started
to harvest wild grasses. As the Natufians started domesticating wheat with desirable characteristics
in Asia, the people of Tehuacán eventually developed a variety of maize around 7000 BCE. In
Tehuacán used no draft animals and mainly relied on agriculture and some hunting and gathering to
support their society. This shows how many residents

12th Century Mesoamerica
After Two centuries of migration and warfare between the 12th century they had been searching for
a place to settle mainly in the northern parts of mesoamerica. Finally in 1325 or 1345 they settled in
called Tenochtitlan or mexico city today. They consider themselves as mexica people and were
always rulers of mesoamerica. Mesoamerica was all of mexico and parts of central america. They
also settled in an island in a lake Texcoco.
gods 15th – 16th century The patron deity of the aztecs is huitzilopochtli. god of war and symbol of
the sun.Every day the young warrior uses the power of sunlight to drive from the sky the darkness
away.Every evening he dies and the darkness returns. for the next days fight he needs strength. He
diets on human

Mesoamerican Civilizations
The prominent civilizations of classical and postclassical Mesoamerica consisted of the Mayans,
Aztecs and Incas. Civilizations developed independently in the Americas, but there were parallels
with the early civilizations of Asia and North Africa. American civilizations had a separate
chronology and unfolded in terms of their own environment. During postclassical China, the Tang
and Song dynasties emerged as prevalent and dominant periods throughout Chinese history.
Although both Mesoamerican civilizations and postclassical Chinese dynasties had sweeping
impacts on the surrounding world, many aspects of both were disparate when compared, in addition
to numerous parallels between the civilizations. Several categories include intellectual
developments, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The essence of social contract was primarily women, whose position remained inferior to men. The
status of women was improving under the Tang and early Song, but steadily declined during the late
Song. The Confucianist male–dominated hierarchy was common in all classes. The independence
and legal rights of the elite minority of women worsened under the influence of Neo–Confucian
thinkers stressing the roles of homemaker mothers, advocated physical confinement of women. The
decline of the opportunities once open in Buddhism also contributed to the decline in women's
status. New laws favored males in inheritance and divorce, and females were excluded from the
educational system. The social hierarchy of Mesoamerica was practically indistinguishable to
postclassical China when regarding women. Women had to weave cloth for the court and religious
use wheras some women were taken as concubines for the Inca or as temple servants. Women
worked in the household, wove cloth, and aided in agriculture. Peasant women helped in the fields,
but their primary work was in the household, for skill in weaving was highly esteemed. Marriages
were arranged between lineages, and female virginity was important. Women inherited and passed
on property, but in political and social life they were subordinate to

History And Development Of Mesoamerica
Steven Hermosillo Professor Duran History 101 23 May 2016 The History and Development of
Mesoamerica According to Module 4, "America's Pre–Columbian populations evolved into highly
developed communities which by the time of the European invasion and conquest in the 16th
century had engendered some of the world's most highly evolved civilizations, in both North and
South America." Module 4 states that "Shortly after Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492–
1493, other Europeans made their way to various parts of America, but in the process they
unwittingly brought Eurasian disease pathogens to which America's Pre–Columbian population
were not immune or ready. Thus, even before the actual invasions and conquests began, much of the
Pre–Columbian population had already been physically and numerically decimated, which further
aggravated the problem of dearth of Native historical records, since many Pre–Columbian American
societies passed their histories down orally and through their rituals." Columbus brought disease to
America's Pre–Columbian population that were not immune or ready. "In this vein, these pre–
conquest decimations also gave the misleading impression to most Europeans that the American
continent was a sparely populated wilderness peopled by societies with underdeveloped cultures.
This stereotype image, however, was consonant with the invading European cultures' own racist,
Eurocentric depreciation of Pre–Columbian Americans' civilizational accomplishments – the

Human Cannibalism In Aztec Society In Mesoamerica
In many cultures, human cannibalism is considered the ultimate taboo. However, in some cultures
it's a common practice. One of the most well studied and controversial examples of human
cannibalism occur within Aztec society in Mesoamerica.
The Aztec Empire emerged from the remnants of the 10 century Toltec Empire, ruined by famine
and war. The Toltec who survived migrated to the central valley of Mexico, which became the city
of Tenochtitlán. The largest surviving clan was the Mexica, who formed an alliance with the
Texcoco and Tlacopan, forming the Aztec Empire (or Aztec Triple Alliance). The Aztecs governed
territories from Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean from 1325 until 1519 when they were
conquered by the Spaniards.1 The Aztec Empire was ruled by the emperor (or Huei Tlatoani), who
was believed to embody both man and god. The Aztecs were polytheistic and their deities were
embodiments of nature. Their central deity was Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and sun. The Aztecs
believed that blood sacrifices were needed to aid Huizilopochtli in his fight against darkness (the
moon and stars). Therefore, the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice in order to provide a constant
supply of blood to Huizilopochtli. If not appeased, they believed the sun might not rise the next
morning. Sources claim that 20,000 human sacrifices occurred annually in Aztec society.2 Human
cannibalism has been theorized to accompany these sacrifices. There are three main theories that
explain why the

Mayan Civilizations
Many ancient civilizations had noteworthy accomplishments, specifically in Mesoamerica three
civilizations had many great feats in the time of which they prospered. These imposing civilizations
were the Mayans, who were cultured with advancements in mathematics and sciences. The Aztec
who had a detailed understanding of the trade. And lastly the Incas who developed vast road and
irrigation channels that connected their empire. The Mayan civilization had a highly advanced
society which made substantial advances in mathematics, sciences as well as architecture. In the
capital city of Tikal (present day Guatemala) they built five major pyramids whose heights ranged
from one hundred and thirty–eight feet to more than two hundred feet. Some of ... Show more
The warlike Aztec people were also renowned conquerors and the capital city of Tenochtitlan grew
rapidly due to tributes from conquered peoples. With the city growing at such a rapid rate it drew in
people looking for jobs and trade therefore increasing the population to an almost unheard of count
of four hundred thousand people, making Tenochtitlan the largest city in Mesoamerica. When the
Spanish conquistadors arrived, they were dumbfounded by the well structured markets and the sheer
amount of people who could be found buying and selling goods there. The markets sold almost
everything that could be produced by the peoples of the time these items include but are not limited
to food products, valuable metals such as gold and silver, and also animal bones, shells and feathers.
Tenochtitlan was considered one of the greatest cities in mesoamerica not only because of it's
methodical trade squares but also because of the unseen ways that the early peoples developed
farming and also the organized grid like structure of which the city was set up. The people used a
method of farming that involved bed of soil that "floated" on the water, these beds were called
Chinampas and they were the main way that the Aztecs cultivated crops for the

The Most Powerful And Largest Cities Of Mesoamerica
During its reign, Teotihuacan was considered amongst the most powerful and largest cities in
Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan, referred to as the same name as the valley it was located within, would
go on to extend its rich culture and history from between 150 B.C.E. throughout Mesoamerica 's
Golden Age. Some of the most influential aspects of this great city would extend from other well
known civilizations, the Maya and Aztec people for example, during their respective governing
periods. As of the most current standing, the original name remains undecipherable in the surviving
glyphs recovered at sites. Much in the same way, the initial cause of collapse for this once awesome
metropolis is merely speculative through what clues have been saved from a socialistic destruction.
Commonly thought to have been formed at about 150 B.C.E. and 200 C.E., the city maintained a
steady provision of nearby resources, such as spring water channeled through irrigation techniques
and valuable obsidian deposits. The obsidian made use in manufacturing weapon heads, which in
turn provided as an excellent trade. Of course, other goods circulated throughout, including cotton,
salt, cacao, feathers and numerous cultivated foods that the people cultivated by means of the raised
flooded fields (Cartwright, Mark, 2015). Aside from growing sources of sustenance, remains tested
for other dietary intake of dogs and poultry as well as wild insects, frogs and fish. Although an a key
note on recreating an

Mesoamerica Agriculture Spread
Agriculture arose in Mesoamerica and China. It takes a longer time for agriculture to supplant
hunter–gatherer societies, because of the environmental conditions, such as soil, and lack of
domesticated animals. Axis orientation indicated that it is faster for food, goods and possible
technologies from east to west than from north to south. For example, from southeast Asia to west
Europe and Egypt and to east Indus Valley. It mainly becomes areas with the same latitude share
similar climate and environment. Data proves that innovations of agriculture spread east and west
earlier than north and south. However, Latitude is not always necessary. For example, In China,
despite the climate difference between the North and South, Agriculture spread ... Show more
Also, if the soil between two regions cannot support agriculture, the diffusion will never happen,
such as the spread from the American Southwest to American Southeast. Diamond argues that the
ideas like writing also tends to travel east and west than they travel south to north because
technology always follows after the trade of agriculture. For example, the Mesopotamia's writing
diffused to Rome and India, and never to the Andes.
While diffusion occurs between societies, the bad news is the spread of disease. Despite the
exchange of germs and viruses causes many deaths and devastating disasters, it also helps to
strengthen and benefit some barrier agriculture societies, due to the idea of the Natural Selection.
The diffusion of disease gradually eliminates humans with weak immune systems, and build up
strong immune systems to survive from some deadly diseases such as smallpox. Even though most
of it dies, who survives will pass immunity to their offspring. On the other hand, some of the non–
agriculture socialites get wiped out by the epidemic of unfamiliar disease. Crowd diseases, like
measles, can only survive in a large size of the population. Therefore, when a large community
interacts with the small

Domestication Of Corn In Mesoamerica
While the domestication of grain and wheat would help shape other complex societies and
civilizations, it would be the harvesting of corn that would eventually define the various tribes and
groups that would later comprise and make up pre Colombian America. Therefore, the impact this
crop would have on the region would be very essential to the survival of a people, and many
fortunes that were vested into these empires as well as localized groups relied, plus depended on the
cultivation of it. So much so, that in the Mesoamerica region, it would grow to be the essential item
for the diet of the local populace. According to Frances Berdan, corn is a carbohydrate rich grain ,
and the carbs derived from this foodstuff provided would enable these

Similarities Between Mesopotamia And Mesoamerica
Mesopotamia and Mesoamerica: Comparative Essay
Mesopotamian society was nestled in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates river, with freshwater
access and fertile lands, it was the earliest hub of human population. Mesoamerica was settled after
the first wave of migration from Siberia to Alaska around 13,000 BCE, making them in reality more
than a few thousand years behind the Mesopotamian formation of early society. Mesopotamian and
Mesoamerican society were similar in regards to order of development, but developed at different
rates. Agricultural villages were common in Mesopotamia and Southwest Asia around 6000 BCE,
and in Mesoamerica by 2000 BCE. In Mesopotamia monotheism was accepted along with
worshiping deities and in Mesoamerica agricultural gods were worshiped through sacrifice.
Mesopotamian, city–state government was also well organized sooner than Mesoamericans where
government was formed around the need for gods to be constantly worshiped for the good of the
society.
In regards to interactions between humans and the environment, Mesopotamians were superior in
not only utilizing their environment in agriculture, but also in metallurgy. Soon after 6000 BCE,
humans in Mesopotamia began using irrigation techniques to improve agriculture in the region, and
started working particularly with bronze and iron in the formation of tools and weapons. The people
of early Mesoamerica began experimenting with the cultivation of things like squash and beans by

Importance Of Astronomy In Mesoamerica
Astronomy, the branch of science which studies space, celestial objects, and the physical universe as
a whole, is the eldest of all natural sciences with the documented history dating back to the
beginning of ancient civilizations. The use of astronomy originated in the Middle East as the
theological foundation of their civilizations, however, it quickly became common across many
cultures in several continents partially due to its wide range of interpretations and that the sky and
specifically the sun have major implications on all beings regardless of location. One region where
the use of astronomy became particularly prominent was in Mesoamerica.
The observation of the sky was of immense importance to the civilizations of Mesoamerica.
Mesoamerica, the geographical region from northern Central America to central modern day
Mexico, was primarily comprised of three major civilizations: the Olmecs, Aztecs, and the Mayans.
The latter of whom had the most notable effect in terms of astronomy, both during their existence
and afterwards.
The Mayan people occupied the southern portion of Mesoamerica from 1800 BC to 1500 AD during
which they grew into one of the most advanced civilizations, constructing massive temples,
pyramids, and sculptures centered around the central theme of astronomy. The Mayans were the
only pre–Hispanic civilization in Mesoamerica with a well developed culture, advanced written
language, and understanding of advanced architecture, mathematics, and

Mesoamerica Games
Scoles, Sam
Ms. Gail Hook
World History
18 November 2014
Mesoamerica: The Ballgame
What if there was a game that controlled entire civilizations and killed thousands every year when it
was played? In Mesoamerica, there was a game that fit that description perfectly. This game was
simply called the Ball Game. It is a very simple, yet powerful sport. The game served as a way to
not only give the people of Mesoamerican civilizations a hobby, but it was also used to settle
conflicts of any size. The ball game was more than a game, it was life or death. Each game had a
huge significance whether it be for personal, emotional, or spiritual reasons (Andrea). People were
often killed as a result of this sport. Decapitation became part of the game as ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
The first and often most important rule was that the game could only be played by men of the upper
classes. As Nigel B. Crowther said in one of his books, Sport in Ancient Times, "sport did not
permeate all levels of society on an equal basis." This comes from the same premise that was
utilized across Mesopotamia which was that the lesser of the people do not deserve to play as it is
only a privilege. They do not want the lesser people of the civilizations to play unless they are called
upon for a game of great importance (Crowther). The people who played the ball game were males
who were either professionals or amateurs. Also, during certain events, the ball games would see
competitors that were warriors or war captives (Reichard). Every competitor, no matter who it was,
worse some kind of safety gear. As seen in many forms of art from the time, the players wore gear
such as belts, padding (for hips, knees, legs, elbows, etc.) and helmets that were used for both safety
reasons and to display power (Lecvinson). The ball game was not a game for the soft hearted man. It
was an extremely rough and violent game. The reason for all these players to play was for
something much bigger than themselves.
Now, for the standard rules, the exact specifications are not perfectly clear. What experts do agree
on, however, is the simple parts of the game (Andrea).The game was played with rubber balls which
weighed roughly 3.5 kilograms, or 7.72 pounds, and measured around 20 centimeters in diameter
(Crain). Each team, made up of two or three players, would try to throw the ball through the stone
rings at the end of the court on either side. This sounds an awful like the modern sport called
basketball, but it is much harder. The problem is that the teams could only score with anything but
their hands

Mesoamerica Cultural Diversity

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