History glossary
Mesoamerican
relating to the cultural region of central and southern Mexico and parts of Central America before and after European contact.
- Category
- Region
- Region
- Mesoamerica
- Date range
- Varies
What it means
Mesoamerican describes the broad cultural region that included central and southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and neighbouring areas. Societies in this region shared long-running traditions of city-states, maize agriculture, calendars, markets, ritual life, and political competition, while remaining culturally diverse.
