Mesoamerica or the Cultural Regions

On Saturday, December 7th, the highly anticipated second installment of *Palabras y Fragmentos* was released, now focusing on the topic of Mesoamerica. But what is Mesoamerica, and why is it so important in pre-Hispanic history?

Since the first Spanish chroniclers arrived in the territory that is now Mexico, they noticed that the cultures of this region shared important similarities. However, the term Mesoamerica did not appear until 1943, when philosopher and anthropologist Paul Kirchhoff defined this area as a "cultural superarea."

Kirchhoff identified cultural traits shared by Mesoamerican peoples, such as the use of the planting stick; the cultivation of maize, cacao, maguey, and chia; monumental architecture; writing, calendrical systems, and complex religion; and the ballgame, among other elements.

These elements, combined with the geographical diversity (mountains, jungles, coasts, etc.), allowed for the flourishing of cultures such as the Mexicas, Maya, Zapotecs, Mixtecs, among others.

Mesoamerica Compared to Other Cultural Superareas

To the north of Mesoamerica are Aridoamerica and Oasisamerica, cultural superareas with different environmental conditions and ways of life. While Mesoamerica was known for its advanced agriculture, the cultures of Aridoamerica (such as the Tarahumaras and Yaquis) focused on hunting and gathering. In Oasisamerica, a transitional region, agriculture was practiced complementarily to these activities.

Mesoamerica: A Current Concept

Although Kirchhoff expected his definition to be debated, it became the foundation for studying pre-Hispanic Mexico. Thanks to this concept, we understand how Mesoamerican cultures interacted, traded, and shared knowledge over millennia.

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