The Beginning of the End

What is exactly is Mesoamerica?

A concept developed by Paul Kirchhoff in 1943, Mesoamerica extends from central Mexico all the way down to Panama (i.e. modern-day Central America as shown on the map below) and comprises of five main geographical zones: the Maya area, the Oaxacan zone, the Gulf zone, West Mexico and the Central Highlands. Within this region existed many pre-Columbian cultures, each interrelated with similarities that have been spread through thousands of years of diffusion (Creamer, 1987). 

Map of Mesoamerica showing the Maya area (green) in relation to present-day countries.
Source: Mr Sanders' teaching blog on Mesoamerica!

The first Mesoamerican civilisation to emerge and begin to live in cities were the Olmec at around 1500 B.C., along a lowland strip of the present-day Mexican Caribbean coast. Since then, various cultures began to develop in a huge diversity of climates and terrains, many dependent on one another in terms of economy and trade (Folan et al., 2000). The timeline below nicely summarises when the most prominent societies existed, as well as highlighting any overlaps! Their history is conveniently divided into three significant periods that I will be referring to throughout my blog: Preclassic or Formative (2000 BC – 250 AD), Classic (250-900 AD), and the Postclassic (900-1519 AD). The main focus of the blog, however, will be on the Maya civilisation, considered to be one of the greatest cultures of the ancient world.

Timeline showing the dates for existence of the main Mesoamerican civilisations.
Source:  http://www.mesoweb.com/resources/timelines/crystal_timeline.html    

So who were the Maya?

With their sophisticated knowledge of astronomy, science and mathematics, and their great ability to produce magnificent urban infrastructures and fine works of art, the Maya led a settled lifestyle that rivalled their Mesoamerican counterparts (BBC, 2011). Since their emergence in the Early Pre-Classic Period, this lifestyle necessitated new concepts of territorialism and socio-political organisations, which they developed across the Maya area. They inhabited three main zones: the southern Maya highlands (including the mountainous regions of present-day Guatemala and in the state of Chiapas, Mexico), the central lowlands and the northern lowlands.  The lowlands cover parts of what are now southern Mexico, northern Guatemala and Belize (the Yucatán Peninsula), as well as western Honduras and El Salvador (Sharer, 1994).

There is a multitude of evidence showing that the Maya empire reached its peak during the Late Classic Period (600-900 AD), where large urban centres like Tikal and Palenque (which happens to be the background photo of this blog!) were established, facilitated by favourable climatic conditions. It is also believed that the population density was even greater than the population inhabiting the Maya area today (Peterson and Haug). However, this apex of material achievements and population size did not last long; development began to decline and their society imploded between 750 and 950 AD, leaving their magnificent cities and temples abandoned. The collapse and the exceptionally rapid depopulation have been of great interest to scientists and anthropologists alike for a long period of time and still present many puzzles (BBC, 2011).  

Despite this, there are still currently about seven million Mayans living in the Yucatán Peninsula, many of whom have retained their cultures and follow many practices and speak the language of their ancestors, whilst others have integrated into modern society (Eastmond et al., 2000).

The following video gives a good introduction to the Mayas and one of their most famous temples in Chichen Itza. It hopefully emphasizes how developed they really were (at their peak) for a Pre-Columbian society!