Mesoamerikë

Mesoamerika is a cultural region encompassing central Mexico and northern Central America. This area was home to several advanced pre-Columbian civilizations, including the Olmec, Maya, Zapotec, Teotihuacano, Toltec, and Aztec. These cultures shared a number of common characteristics, such as advanced agricultural techniques, the cultivation of maize, beans, and squash, the construction of monumental architecture like pyramids and temples, a complex calendar system, and sophisticated religious and social structures.

The Olmec civilization, considered the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica, emerged around 1500 BCE and is known for its colossal stone heads. The Maya civilization, flourishing from the Classic period (250-900 CE), developed a sophisticated writing system, intricate calendrical calculations, and impressive city-states in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Later, the Teotihuacanos built a vast city with the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon, while the Toltecs and Aztecs established powerful empires in central Mexico, with the Aztecs founding the magnificent city of Tenochtitlan.

Mesoamerican societies were typically organized into city-states or empires, often engaged in warfare and trade. Their belief systems were polytheistic, with deities representing natural forces and celestial bodies. Human sacrifice was practiced by many cultures, particularly the Aztecs. The arrival of Europeans in the 16th century led to the decline of these independent civilizations and the imposition of Spanish colonial rule, fundamentally transforming the cultural landscape of the region. Despite this, many Mesoamerican traditions and languages persist to this day.