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2 - The Pre-Columbian Era

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2019

Brian R. Hamnett
Affiliation:
University of Essex
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Summary

CHAPTER TWO: THE PRE-COLUMBIAN ERA New discoveries put indigenous-American history further back in time. Their long duration and lasting impact from at least the time of the Olmecs and Mayas had been extraordinary, as any exploration of archaeological sites and contemporary museums testifies. Indo-American countries such as Mexico have dedicated time and money to the reconstruction of their indigenous pasts before the colonial era, as part of national identities. Here we introduce these principal cultures, determining their chronology and impact. The Pre-Columbian cultures developed complex cosmologies, which explained the nature of the universe, the movement of time, and the relationship of humanity to the gods. Their architecture reflected this. Why cultures arose, how long they lasted, and why they fell still remain topics of debate. In central Mexico, the Teotihuacán culture, by no means the first in the region, lasted nearly a thousand years and had a huge impact on future societies like the Toltec and the Aztec. The Aztecs were relatively newcomers to the region, borrowing much from predecessors, brutally imposing their rule, and collapsing violently when the Spanish and their Indian allies destroyed their hegemony. .
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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  • The Pre-Columbian Era
  • Brian R. Hamnett, University of Essex
  • Book: A Concise History of Mexico
  • Online publication: 17 January 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316795958.006
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  • The Pre-Columbian Era
  • Brian R. Hamnett, University of Essex
  • Book: A Concise History of Mexico
  • Online publication: 17 January 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316795958.006
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Pre-Columbian Era
  • Brian R. Hamnett, University of Essex
  • Book: A Concise History of Mexico
  • Online publication: 17 January 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316795958.006
Available formats
×