Classic period in Mesoamerica

E42477
archaeological period historical period

The Classic period in Mesoamerica was a flourishing era (roughly 250–900 CE) marked by the rise of great city-states like Teotihuacan, Tikal, and Palenque, characterized by monumental architecture, complex writing and calendrical systems, and extensive trade networks.

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Observed surface forms (5)

Surface form Occurrences
Classic period of Mesoamerica 2
Classic Maya 1
Classic Maya civilization 1

Statements (66)

Predicate Object
instanceOf archaeological period ⓘ
historical period ⓘ
appliesToTerritory Central Mexico ⓘ
Gulf Coast of Mexico ⓘ
Guatemala Highlands ⓘ
surface form: Maya Highlands

Yucatán Peninsula ⓘ
surface form: Maya Lowlands

Oaxaca ⓘ
surface form: Oaxaca region
archaeologicalPhase Classic period in Mesoamerica self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Early Classic

Late Classic ⓘ
dominantCultureInRegion western Maya lowlands ⓘ
surface form: Classic Maya in the Maya Lowlands

Classic Veracruz culture ⓘ
surface form: Classic Veracruz cultures

Teotihuacan in Central Mexico ⓘ
Monte Albán ⓘ
surface form: Zapotecs at Monte Albán
economyBasedOn maize agriculture ⓘ
tribute and taxation in city-states ⓘ
endTime circa 900 CE ⓘ
follows Preclassic period in Mesoamerica ⓘ
hasCharacteristic advanced calendrical systems ⓘ
artistic florescence ⓘ
astronomical observation ⓘ
ballcourts and ballgame rituals ⓘ
complex writing systems ⓘ
dynastic kingship in many regions ⓘ
elaborate religious centers ⓘ
intensive agriculture ⓘ
inter-city warfare ⓘ
long-distance trade networks ⓘ
monumental architecture ⓘ
monumental pyramids ⓘ
social stratification ⓘ
state-level political organization ⓘ
stelae and monumental inscriptions ⓘ
urbanization ⓘ
hasMajorCenter Calakmul ⓘ
Caracol ⓘ
Copán ⓘ
El Mirador Basin cities (late use and transition) ⓘ
Kaminaljuyú archaeological site ⓘ
surface form: Kaminaljuyú

Monte Albán ⓘ
Palenque ⓘ
Teotihuacan civilization ⓘ
surface form: Teotihuacan

Tikal ⓘ
Uxmal ⓘ
notableEvent collapse of many Southern Lowland Maya centers in the 8th–9th centuries CE ⓘ
flourishing of Classic Maya city-states ⓘ
rise of Teotihuacan as a major metropolis ⓘ
partOf Mesoamerican chronology ⓘ
precedes Postclassic period in Mesoamerica ⓘ
religionFeatures ancestor veneration ⓘ
human sacrifice in some cultures ⓘ
polytheism ⓘ
startTime circa 250 CE ⓘ
studiedBy Mesoamerican archaeologists ⓘ
epigraphers ⓘ
ethnohistorians ⓘ
tradeItems cacao ⓘ
ceramics ⓘ
feathers ⓘ
jade ⓘ
obsidian ⓘ
salt ⓘ
usesCalendarSystem 260-day ritual calendar (Tzolkʼin/Tonalpohualli) ⓘ
365-day solar calendar (Haabʼ/Xiuhpohualli) ⓘ
Long Count calendar ⓘ
usesWritingSystem Isthmian script (in some regions) ⓘ
Maya script ⓘ

Referenced by (7)

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

Classic period in Mesoamerica → archaeologicalPhase → Classic period in Mesoamerica self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Early Classic
Teotihuacan civilization → flourishedInPeriod → Classic period in Mesoamerica ⓘ
this entity surface form: Classic period of Mesoamerica
Pre-Columbian era → hasSubperiod → Classic period in Mesoamerica ⓘ
Palenque → language → Classic period in Mesoamerica ⓘ
this entity surface form: Classic Maya
Tikal → partOf → Classic period in Mesoamerica ⓘ
this entity surface form: Classic Maya civilization
Zapotec civilization → reachedApogee → Classic period in Mesoamerica ⓘ
this entity surface form: Classic period of Mesoamerica
Itzamna → worshipedIn → Classic period in Mesoamerica ⓘ
this entity surface form: Classic Maya period