Mesoamerican
Ancient Mexico region
Mesoamerican refers to the pre-Columbian cultures and civilizations of central Mexico through Central America—the Maya, Aztec, Olmec, and others.
The region shared agricultural practices, calendrical systems, and architectural traditions: Mesoamerican pyramids, Mesoamerican ball games.
The term appears in archaeology, anthropology, and discussions of indigenous history: The museum's Mesoamerican collection includes jade masks and carved stelae.
Ancient Mesoamerican people
- AztecAncient Mexican civilization
- OlmecAncient Gulf Coast people
- ZapotecMesoamerican indigenous group
- ToltecMesoamerican civilization, 900-1200 CE
Teotihuacan · city-states · empire · kingdoms · chiefdoms · Classic · tribute · nobility
Apex-topped geometric solids
- templesHoly places or head sides
- stelaeInscribed commemorative pillars
- glyphsCarved symbolic figures
- codicesBound handwritten volumes
excavation · ruins · artifacts · obsidian · jade · ceramics · murals · tombs
Giving up something precious
- bloodlettingTherapeutic withdrawal of fluid
- QuetzalcoatlAztec feathered serpent god
- jaguarLarge American spotted cat
- feathered serpentWinged snake deity
underworld · cosmology · rituals · offerings · deities · creation myths · calendar · divination
Ancient Egyptian picture-writing
- codicesBound handwritten volumes
- inscriptionsWords carved into surfaces
- glyphsCarved symbolic figures
- Long CountMesoamerican calendrical system
calendar · Dresden Codex · decipherment · scribes · pictographs · logograms · syllabary · numerals
Cob-bearing cereal crop
- cacaoTropical pod-bearing tree
- beansEdible pod seeds
- squashFlatten by pressure
- terracingCutting slopes into steps
amaranth · chili · tomato · avocado · cultivation · irrigation · domestication · tobacco
Maya
Ancient Mesoamerican people
Toltec · Teotihuacan · city-states · empire · kingdoms · chiefdoms · Classic · tribute · nobility · priests
pyramids
Apex-topped geometric solids
codices · excavation · ruins · artifacts · obsidian · jade · ceramics · murals · tombs · ball courts
sacrifice
Giving up something precious
- bloodlettingTherapeutic withdrawal of fluid
- QuetzalcoatlAztec feathered serpent god
- jaguarLarge American spotted cat
feathered serpent · underworld · cosmology · rituals · offerings · deities · creation myths · calendar · divination · shamanism
hieroglyphs
Ancient Egyptian picture-writing
- codicesBound handwritten volumes
- inscriptionsWords carved into surfaces
- glyphsCarved symbolic figures
Long Count · calendar · Dresden Codex · decipherment · scribes · pictographs · logograms · syllabary · numerals · zero
maize
Cob-bearing cereal crop
terracing · amaranth · chili · tomato · avocado · cultivation · irrigation · domestication · tobacco · vanilla
MesoamericanOld World
Pre-discovery known lands
South American · Andean · Arctic · European · Asian
MesoamericanOld World
Pre-discovery known lands
European · East Asian · Greco-Roman · Eurasian · South Asian