Introduction to the Pre-Hispanic Chronology of Mexico: Keys to Understanding the Past. Part 1
To fully appreciate the archaeological salvage work related to the Tren Maya project, it is essential to share a common language on fundamental archaeological concepts. Therefore, we present a series of brief explanations that will facilitate the understanding of relevant terms in the discipline. We will begin by exploring a key concept: pre-Hispanic chronology.
The Main Historical Periods of Mexico
Archaeology and history are based on the principle of measuring time, making it necessary to divide history into general periods. These periods are: Pre-Hispanic, New Spain, Independent, the Reform, and Contemporary Mexico.
1. The Pre-hispanic period extends from 2500 B.C. to 1521 A.D., preceding the arrival of the Spanish conquerors (Velásquez García, 2016: pp. 31-32).
2. The Novohispanic period began with the fall of Tenochtitlán in 1521, following the arrival of the Castilians. This period lasted until the consolidation of independence in 1821 (García Martínez, 2016, pp. 169, 214-215).
3. The period if Independent Mexico. from 1821 to 1857, was characterized by the initial difficulties in organizing a new nation (Ávila Rueda & Jáuregui Frías, 2016: p. 394). The adoption of a new constitution in 1857 marked the beginning of the Reform period.
4. The Reform period, from 1857 to 1910, includes events such as the Reform War, the Second French Intervention, and the Porfiriato (Lira González & Staples, 2016: p. 443).
5. The Contemporary Mexico period began with the Mexican Revolution, which started in 1910 and marked the beginning of modern Mexico. This period was officially consolidated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution (Garciadiego Dantán & Kuntz Ficker, 2016: pp. 538, 591-592).
This first approach will allow us, in general terms, to understand how the past is divided and studied in Mexico. Thus, in this section, we will focus on pre-Hispanic Mexico, while also acknowledging the different temporalities, as you can read in the article about the Camino Real de Campeche - Mérida. The archaeological rescue continues, preserving and sharing the Maya heritage.