About Mesoamerica

Mesoamerica refers to an important cultural region located what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.

Beginning well over four thousand years ago, this densely populated region gave rise to several different but related pre-Columbian civilizations. Today it remains the home of many vibrant indigenous peoples who take pride in their cultural heritage. The best-known of ancient Mesoamerican peoples are the Aztec (or Mexica), the Maya, the Mixtec, the Olmec, the Toltec and the Zapotec, although these were just some names among a large and complex patchwork of different subcultures, communities and languages.

The word Mesoamerica was first used by the scholar Paul Kirchoff in the 1940s, who saw the need for one term to encompass the cultures of the region. Despite speaking many different languages, these cultures obviously share a number of fundamental religious beliefs, social and economic structures, and political forms. All relied on intensive maize agriculture, for example, and developed a complex religious tradition that is still vibrant today in many indigenous communities.

Stratified societies and cities developed in this area in the first millennium B.C., marked most conspicuously by stone buildings, temple pyramids, public art, and distinctive ballcourts. Traditional Mesoamerican religions originally shared a complex calendar based on various day counts, including a 260-day divinatory calendar and a 365-day festival calendar. Of course, it is impossible to describe the variety of Mesoamerican cultures through such a list of shared traits, but Kirchoff was essentially correct to see these ancient civilizations and their descendants as participants in a wider cultural dynamic, one that continues leave a lasting mark on the heritage and historical awareness of all humankind.

In the coming months, the Mesoamerica Center will post in-depth articles on the principal cultures of the region, both ancient and modern. Please take a few minutes to explore our new website, and feel free to return from time to time as we gradually expand our offerings.