The 3 Most Important Mesoamerican Cultures

The Mesoamerican cultures S On the Aboriginal civilizations that developed in Mexico and Central America before the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century.

According to archaeologists, there is evidence that Mesoamerica has been populated by humans since 21000 BC. These first groups were nomads.

Map mesoamerica

However, in the year 7000 a. C., the melting of the glaciers allowed the development of agriculture, which made these aborigines begin to be sedentary.

With the improvement of the crops, the bases for the creation of civilizations were established. From the year 2300 BCE, artistic activities such as pottery and architecture were developed.

Originally, it was believed that Mesoamerican cultures had originated at the same time. However, scholars of the area have shown through archaeological evidence that these civilizations arose at different times. In the same way, they found their end in different years.

Some of the most relevant Mesoamerican cultures are the Olmecs, the Aztecs, and the Maya. The Olmec culture is of great importance since it was one of the first that developed in Mesoamerica and influenced the other cultures of this vast territory.

For their part, Mayan and Aztec cultures are of great importance for their legacies, such as calendar or studies in the area of ​​astronomy.

The most outstanding mesoamerican cultures

1- Olmec

The Olmec civilization originated in southeastern Mexico between the years 1600 and 1400 BC. C. and is believed to have disappeared in about 400 BC. These Aborigines established the bases that allowed the development of the other Mesoamerican cultures and influenced notably in the Mayan and Aztec civilizations.

Economy

The Olmecs developed sowing and harvesting of corn, beans, hot peppers, sweet peppers, avocados and pumpkins. All of these crops are still present in Mexican culture. They also developed an automatic irrigation system that allowed water to be brought to the less fertile lands so that they would be productive.

Fishing and hunting were other economic activities developed by the Olmecs. Likewise, this civilization was known for breeding turkeys, which were valuable both for their flesh and for their feathers.

Religion

The Olmec civilization was theocratic, which meant that the government was subject to religious authorities. Both sculpture and architecture were disciplines subordinate to religious practices; Altars, temples, and Olmec idols are proof of this.

Among its objects of worship, the jaguar was possibly the most important, who was also considered the god of the Earth. The jaguar men were also of great relevance. Some sculptures show half human deities, half jaguars. Other Deities Were the god of fire, the god of corn, the god of death and the feathered serpent.

In the Olmec culture there was the figure of the shaman , In charge of directing the religious rituals and to whom he was attributed healing capacities.

Art

The 3 Most Important Mesoamerican Cultures Replica giant head. University of Texas at Austin. Excerpted from"The Olmec Civilization and Background" The 3 Most Important Mesoamerican Cultures 1 Sample of Olmec sculpture:"The twins". Photo retrieved from"The Olmec Civilization and Background" The 3 Most Important Mesoamerican Cultures 2 Mask carved in jade. Retrieved from"The Olmec Civilization and Background"

Sculpture is S One of the most representative artistic disciplines of the Olmecs. Its main sculptures are known as"the giant heads", representations carved in stone (mainly in basalt and adorned with jade), which can reach up to 3.4 meters.

At present, they are believed to have been made in honor of the most famous leaders, warriors and ancestors of civilization. The first head was discovered in 1862 in the south of Veracruz.

There are two recurring elements in the Olmec artistic representations: the use of jade and the symbol of the jaguar. The latter was considered a symbol of power not only by the Olmec culture but also by other Aboriginal cultures of Central America.

2- Aztecs

The Aztecs were an originally nomadic people who came to Mesoamerica during the fourteenth century. It is said that this tribe was considered inferior by the other civilizations of Central America, because it was nomadic.

By the fifteenth century, however, the Aztecs had assimilated the cultures surrounding them and established the basis for the construction of what would later be known as the Aztec Empire.

They adapted to the environment in which they had to live; Built canoes to be able to survive through fishing in the nearby waters; Worked the land so that it was fertile and productive and built dikes and irrigation systems.

When they established themselves completely, they began to create an empire through the conquest of other smaller tribes.

These conquered tribes had to pay tributes to the Aztecs. In this way, they guaranteed another source of food and goods (such as jewelry, clothing), as well as prisoners who were sacrificed to feed the gods.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, Aztec civilization was considered one of the most powerful in Mesoamerica and comprised central and southern Mexico, as well as the territories of Nicaragua and Guatemala.

farming

Agriculture was the basis of the economy of the Empire. The Aztecs developed maize cultivation, which was the most important for economic sustenance. As well as chilies, beans, tobacco and cocoa .

They practiced the logging and burning system, which generated positive results. They also built irrigation canals that allowed them to plant in less fertile areas.

Education

Aztec children were educated at home from the age of three. Parents educated children while mothers educated girls. At the age of 15, the young noblemen could begin their studies in the school of Tenochtitlan, Calmecac .

This school trained the young rich in the areas of medicine, astronomy, calculus, writing, history, literature, philosophy, law, management of state affairs and military strategy.

Middle-class youth attended school Telpochcalli , Where they learned to work the stone, to sculpt and to train like warriors.

The young women were educated as priestesses and learned to knit, to work with feathers, and to make religious objects.

The code of behavior

One relevant element of Aztec education was the code of behavior that was taught in all schools and was even part of a written law. Failure to comply with any of these rules could be paid with death.

The following is a list of some of the rules of the code of conduct:

  1. Do not make fun of the elderly
  2. Do not make fun of the sick
  3. Do not interrupt when another person speaks
  4. Do not complain

Religion

Religion was a relevant element for Aztec culture. They were polytheists because they worshiped several gods and goddesses who represented elements of daily life. Some of them are the sun god and the moon goddess, the god of rain and fertility.

Their religious beliefs have made the Aztecs considered bloodthirsty, since they made human sacrifices to satisfy the need of human blood that some gods had. For example, Huitzilopochtli , The sun god, was to be fed with blood continually; Otherwise, it would stop coming out every day.

Religion was related to every aspect of Aboriginal life. For example, they started wars against other tribes to have a continuous source of prisoners that could be sacrificed when the gods wanted to.

Also, religion was closely connected architecture. On the pyramids, the Aztecs built temples to worship their gods and make sacrifices.

Aztec gods

The 3 Most Important Mesoamerican Cultures 3 Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca

You can know more about this Aztec religion in The 57 Most Important Aztec Gods .

-Quetzalcoatl: Is the god of nature, including earth and sky. Its name means"feathered serpent."

- Chalchiuhtlicue And S the goddess of bodies of water, lakes, oceans and rivers.

- Chicomecoatl And S the goddess of corn.

- Mictlantecuhtli And S the god of death. It is usually represented with a skull in the face.

- Tezcatlipoca Is the god of the sky and the night wind. It is often related to black stones like obsidian.

3- Mayas

The Mayan civilization, developed in the territory currently divided into Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador, is probably one of the most brilliant and successful. This prestige is due to the fact that they developed diverse areas of knowledge, including astronomy, writing and mathematics.

Economy

The Maya systematized agriculture. The archaeological remains give proof of a great development in relation to this area; There are channels in the Guatemala Valley that show the use of irrigation systems in the highlands.

On the other hand, in the lowlands, drainage systems were used to make swamp areas cultivable. Like other Mesoamerican cultures, they developed the cultivation of maize, beans, pumpkins and sweet peanuts. They practiced logging and burning.

Architecture

The 3 Most Important Mesoamerican Cultures 4 Temple of Kukulkan (Chichen Itza)

The Mayan civilization built temples and ceremonial centers; Being the pyramids the maximum representation of the architecture. For their constructions, they used stone. Mainly, lime, material that came carved to create bas-reliefs as ornament.

These bas-reliefs represented, among other things, scenes of Mayan life, especially relevant events in the lives of leaders.

Maya Inventions

The Maya were successful in various areas of knowledge. With respect to writing, the Maya developed a hieroglyphic system that, unlike pictorial writing, represented spoken language.

This system consisted of symbols representing syllables and sometimes words. Samples of this writing can be appreciated in his books, known as codices.

Likewise, the Maya possessed mathematical knowledge, especially in astronomy, which allowed them to construct various calendars. One was based on the solar year, which lasted 18 months (20 days each) and five extra days, which were considered bad luck.

Another was the sacred calendar that had 260 days, divided into 13 cycles, used to signal the beginning of religious festivities and predict fate. They also created tables with the position of the moon and Venus, which allowed them to accurately predict when there would be a solar eclipse.

Religion

The 3 Most Important Mesoamerican Cultures 5 On the left, god of corn. To the right, god of rain. Available at Maya People http://www.britannica.com

The Maya religion Is based on the cyclical perception of time, which translates into the belief of the reincarnation . Because the Aborigines depended on maize Corn god Was of vital importance.

Torture and human sacrifices were religious rituals, although they were not as common or sumptuous as those performed by the Aztecs. It was believed that these rituals guaranteed fertility and rejoiced the gods. If not done, chaos would seize the world.

The Mayans considered that the blood resulting from the sacrifices nourished the gods and, therefore, was necessary to establish contact with them. Likewise, self-sacrifice and flogging were common practices between priests and nobles.

The Role of Women

Importantly, unlike other cultures of the time, women were actively involved in Mayan society. They were not limited to caring for and educating children, but could engage in economic and governmental activities.

If you want to know more about the Mayan culture, in the following link you will know 20 Myths and Legends Mayan .

References

  1. About Mesoamerica. Retrieved on February 12, 2017, from utmesoamerica.org.
  2. Mesoamerican Civilization. Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from britannica.com.
  3. Villescas, D. (2005). The Mother Culture of Mexico. Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from etls.dpsk12.org.
  4. Hargrove, B. The African Influence in Mexico. Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from lanic.utexas.edu.
  5. The Aztec Civilization. Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from blogs.sd41.bc.ca.
  6. The Aztecs. Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from embmex2.sre.gob.mx
  7. The British Museum. The Aztecs. Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from aztecs.org.
  8. Sharer, R. Who Were the Maya? Retrieved on February 12, 2017, from penn.museum/expedition.
  9. Culture Distinctive Features of the Maya. Retrieved on February 13, 2017, from historyonthenet.com.
  10. Krasniqi, Drin and Grubi, Art. The Mayan Civilization. Retrieved on February 12, 2017, from mileniumi3.net.
  11. Maya People. Retrieved on February 12, 2017, from britannica.com.


Loading ..

Recent Posts

Loading ..