Chapter 2
Late Postclassic Mesoamerica
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 doc-
umentary 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 dis-
cussed 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 archaeologi-
cal 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 contribu-
tors to the Late Postclassic Mesoamerican world: the Aztec, Mixtec, and Mayan peo-
ples. 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.HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE LATE
POSTCLASSIC PERIOD
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 de-
centralization 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 in-
fluence throughout the lowland Mayan area. Beyond these core zones, the majority
of Late Postclassic states throughout Mesoamerica were small in size and did not ex-
pand 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 in-
creasingly permeable to both commercial and cultural exchange and interaction.
Art styles, for example, exhibit greater unity across all of Mesoamerica than ever be-78