Mesoamericans

Mesoamericans refers to the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica, a cultural region that stretches from central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. This area was home to a number of distinct civilizations that shared a common cultural heritage, including the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Teotihuacanos, Toltecs, and Aztecs. These societies developed complex systems of agriculture, art, architecture, and writing.

Key characteristics of Mesoamerican cultures include the cultivation of maize, beans, and squash as staple crops, the development of sophisticated calendrical systems, and the practice of ritual ball games. Many Mesoamerican societies built monumental architecture, such as pyramids, temples, and observatories. They also developed elaborate religious beliefs and mythologies, often involving a pantheon of gods and practices like human sacrifice. Writing systems varied, with the Maya developing the most advanced hieroglyphic script.

Trade networks were extensive throughout Mesoamerica, facilitating the exchange of goods like obsidian, jade, cacao, and feathers. The arrival of Europeans in the late 15th and early 16th centuries had a profound and devastating impact on Mesoamerican populations, leading to widespread disease, conquest, and cultural disruption. Despite this, many Mesoamerican cultural traditions and languages have persisted to the present day, with millions of descendants living in the region.