Postclassic period of Mesoamerica

E100939

The Postclassic period of Mesoamerica was the final pre-Columbian era (roughly 900–1521 CE) marked by intensified warfare, long-distance trade, urban centers, and powerful states such as the Aztec Empire.

All labels observed (17)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (103)

Predicate Object
instanceOf archaeological period
historical period
archaeologicalCulture Aztecs
surface form: Aztec culture

Mixtec civilization
surface form: Mixtec culture

Postclassic period of Mesoamerica self-linksurface differs
surface form: Postclassic Maya culture

Tarascan (Purépecha) civilization
surface form: Tarascan culture

Toltec civilization
surface form: Toltec culture
calendarSystem 260-day ritual calendar (Tonalpohualli / Tzolkʼin)
365-day solar calendar (Xiuhpohualli / Haabʼ)
Calendar Round
Long Count use in some Maya regions
characterizedBy fortified sites
increased militarism
increased population mobility
intensified warfare
intensive market systems
international-style iconography
long-distance trade
powerful states
religious syncretism
urban centers
widespread use of metal objects
culturalPractice ballgame rituals
codex production
complex calendrical systems
human sacrifice
ritual warfare (xochiyaoyotl)
dominantEthnicGroup Maya peoples
Mixtec people
surface form: Mixtecs

Nahua
surface form: Nahuas

Purépecha people
surface form: Purépecha (Tarascans)

Zapotecs
dominantLanguage Classical Nahuatl
Mixtec languages
Purépecha language
Yucatec Maya
Zapotec
surface form: Zapotec languages
dominantLanguageFamily Uto-Aztecan
surface form: Uto-Aztecan languages
economicActivity chinampa farming in Central Mexico
intensive agriculture
long-distance pochteca trade
tribute collection
endCause Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
endTime 1521 CE
followedBy Spanish colonial period in Mesoamerica
follows Classic period in Mesoamerica
surface form: Classic period of Mesoamerica

Epiclassic period of Mesoamerica
hasCapitalCity Tenochtitlan
Tula (Tollan)
hasImportantSite Cacaxtla
surface form: Cacaxtla-Xochitécatl

Cempoala
Chichén Itzá
Maya civilization
surface form: Mayapán

Mitla
Texcoco
Tlacopan polity
surface form: Tlacopan

Tzintzuntzan
hasPart Postclassic period of Mesoamerica self-linksurface differs
surface form: Early Postclassic period of Mesoamerica

Postclassic period of Mesoamerica self-linksurface differs
surface form: Late Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
importantDeity Huitzilopochtli
Itzamna
Kukulcán
surface form: Kʼukʼulkan

Quetzalcoatl
Tezcatlipoca
Tlaloc
locatedIn Mesoamerica
majorState Aztec Empire
Itza polities of the Maya lowlands
Kaqchikel Maya kingdom
Quiché
surface form: Kʼicheʼ Maya kingdom

Mixtec civilization
surface form: Mixtec polities

Tarascan (Purépecha) civilization
surface form: Tarascan state of Michoacán

Toltec state
Zapotec civilization
surface form: Zapotec polities of Oaxaca
notableAlliance Aztec Empire
surface form: Aztec Triple Alliance
notableDocument Books of Chilam Balam
Codex Borbonicus
Codex Borgia
Codex Mendoza
Codex Nuttall
Codex Vindobonensis Mexicanus I
Codex Nuttall
surface form: Codex Zouche-Nuttall
partOf Mesoamerican chronology
politicalStructure city-states (altepetl)
confederations and alliances
tributary empires
religion Aztec mythology
surface form: Aztec religion

Postclassic Maya religion
polytheistic religions
startTime Early Postclassic: circa 900–1200 CE
Late Postclassic: circa 1200–1521 CE
circa 900 CE
tradeGood cacao
copper bells and tools
cotton textiles
feathers
jade
obsidian
salt
turquoise
writingSystem Aztec pictographic writing
Mixtec codical writing
Postclassic Maya hieroglyphic writing

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (77)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Mixteca Baja historicalPeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Mesoamerica
Tilantongo era Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Late Postclassic Mesoamerica
Casa Colorada usedInPeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic period
Chaac timePeriodOfWorship Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Maya period
Nahuatl eraOfClassicalNahuatl Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
Platform of the Skulls culturalContext Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Maya
Mixteca Alta historicalPeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Mesoamerica
Tututepec timePeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Mesoamerica
Tlaxcalans historicalPeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Mesoamerica
Coixtlahuaca timePeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Mesoamerica
Coixtlahuaca timePeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Late Postclassic period
Oxtankah periodOfUse Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic period
archaeological zone of Cholula timePeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
Cloud People associatedWithTimePeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
Tenayuca archaeological and historical area timePeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
Chacmool sculptures associatedWithCulture Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Mesoamerica
Aztec New Fire ceremony timePeriodPracticed Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Late Postclassic Mesoamerica
Dzibilchaltún periodOfUse Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Maya period
Seibal abandonedBy Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic period
Tulum archaeological site period Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Maya period
Epiclassic period precedes Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic period (Mesoamerica)
Valley of Guatemala historicalPeriodOfImportance Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic period
Kʼicheʼ people historicalEra Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Maya period
Cocom Maya timePeriod Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Maya period
Kaqchikel people historicalPeriodOfProminence Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Late Postclassic Maya period
Chicomoztoc timePeriodOfTradition Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Mesoamerica
Codex Azcatitlan timePeriodDocumented Postclassic period of Mesoamerica
this entity surface form: Postclassic Mesoamerica