Mesoamerica
Maya civilization's region
Mesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico through Central America where advanced pre-Columbian civilizations flourished—the Maya, Aztec, Olmec, and others.
These cultures shared traits like pyramid temples, complex calendars, chocolate cultivation, and ball games.
The term literally means "middle America" and defines a cultural zone rather than strict geography: Mesoamerican archaeology, the Mesoamerican ballgame.
Ancient Mesoamerican people
- AztecAncient Mexican civilization
- OlmecAncient Gulf Coast people
- ZapotecMesoamerican indigenous group
- ToltecMesoamerican civilization, 900-1200 CE
Teotihuacan · city-states · empire · kingdoms · dynasties · rulers · nobility · priests
Apex-topped geometric solids
- templesHoly places or head sides
- stelaeInscribed commemorative pillars
- ruinsDecayed structural remains
- excavationAct of unearthing
artifacts · obsidian · jade · pottery · murals · tombs · ball court · Chichen Itza
Thin unleavened Mexican bread
- chocolateSweet from cacao seeds
- tamalesFilled masa, steamed wrapped
- Day of the DeadMexican festival for deceased
- indigenousOriginating in a region
heritage · descendants · Nahuatl · colonization · Spanish conquest · Cortes · Moctezuma · syncretism
Giving up something precious
- bloodlettingTherapeutic withdrawal of fluid
- QuetzalcoatlAztec feathered serpent god
- jaguarLarge American spotted cat
- feathered serpentWinged snake deity
underworld · cosmos · ritual · priests · offerings · incense · calendar · divination
Narrow strip connecting landmasses
- highlandsElevated, hilly land areas
- lowlandsLow-elevation flat terrain
- YucatanSoutheastern Mexican peninsula
- GuatemalaCentral American republic
Honduras · Belize · Chiapas · Oaxaca · tropical · rainforest · cenote · volcanic
Cob-bearing cereal crop
- cacaoTropical pod-bearing tree
- beansEdible pod seeds
- squashFlatten by pressure
- terracingCutting slopes into steps
irrigation · amaranth · chili · tomato · avocado · vanilla · domestication · cultivation
Maya
Ancient Mesoamerican people
Toltec · Teotihuacan · city-states · empire · kingdoms · dynasties · rulers · nobility · priests · warriors
pyramids
Apex-topped geometric solids
- templesHoly places or head sides
- stelaeInscribed commemorative pillars
- ruinsDecayed structural remains
excavation · artifacts · obsidian · jade · pottery · murals · tombs · ball court · Chichen Itza · Tikal
tortilla
Thin unleavened Mexican bread
- chocolateSweet from cacao seeds
- tamalesFilled masa, steamed wrapped
- Day of the DeadMexican festival for deceased
indigenous · heritage · descendants · Nahuatl · colonization · Spanish conquest · Cortes · Moctezuma · syncretism · traditions
sacrifice
Giving up something precious
- bloodlettingTherapeutic withdrawal of fluid
- QuetzalcoatlAztec feathered serpent god
- jaguarLarge American spotted cat
feathered serpent · underworld · cosmos · ritual · priests · offerings · incense · calendar · divination · shamanism
isthmus
Narrow strip connecting landmasses
- highlandsElevated, hilly land areas
- lowlandsLow-elevation flat terrain
- YucatanSoutheastern Mexican peninsula
Guatemala · Honduras · Belize · Chiapas · Oaxaca · tropical · rainforest · cenote · volcanic · Sierra Madre
maize
Cob-bearing cereal crop
terracing · irrigation · amaranth · chili · tomato · avocado · vanilla · domestication · cultivation · harvest
Long Count
Mesoamerican calendrical system
- tunLarge brewing cask
- astronomicalRelating to outer space
- VenusLove goddess, or planet
eclipse · solstice · equinox · cycles · prophecy · 2012 · dating · chronology · monuments · inscriptions
- Americas HistoryAztec Empire, colonial era, colonization, Columbus, conquistadors
- Latin AmericaArgentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba
- World RegionsEurope, Asia, Africa, Australia, Oceania
- Biodiversity HotspotsCaucasus, Himalaya, Horn of Africa, Japan, Madagascar
- Pre-ColumbianAztec, Maya, Inca, Olmec, Teotihuacan
- regionsregion, regions, area, areas, zone
MesoamericaSouth America
Western Hemisphere's southern continent
North America · Patagonia · Tierra del Fuego · the Andes · Amazonia