ABSTRACT
To better understand the Late Postclassic period (A.D. 1200-1520) in Mesoamerica we benefit from having not only the archaeological record but also a wealth of documentary evidence from native sources (for pre-Hispanic and Colonial periods) as well as Spanish sources for the Colonial period. The analysis and interpretation of these written documents is known as “ethnohistory” (ethnohistoric sources are discussed at greater length in Chapters 3 and 6). In the first part of this chapter, we focus on Late Postclassic historical developments, relying primarily on archaeological evidence from several regions of Mesoamerica (Figure 2.1). Later in the chapter we turn to a more detailed view of three of the best known and important contributors to the Late Postclassic Mesoamerican world: the Aztec, Mixtec, and Mayan peoples. These profiles are designed to illustrate both the cultural features that defined Mesoamerica as a whole as well as the cultural variation that existed across the region.
The Late Postclassic period in Mesoamerica saw the continuation of general trends begun in the Early Postclassic period (see Chapter 1). One of these trends, the decentralization of political control over the economy, was linked to the expansion of market systems and long-distance exchange among Late Postclassic polities. The Aztec and Tarascan empires emerged as dominant powers in northern Mesoamerica in the Late Postclassic period, and the lowland capital of Mayapán exerted major influence throughout the lowland Mayan area. Beyond these core zones, the majority of Late Postclassic states throughout Mesoamerica were small in size and did not expand their territories in the same manner as the large Classic states like Teotihuacan or Monte Albán. At the same time, the boundaries between small polities became increasingly permeable to both commercial and cultural exchange and interaction. Art styles, for example, exhibit greater unity across all of Mesoamerica than ever be-
