Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica isregion extending from central Mexico through Central America which producedsetculturally related civilizations beforediscovery ofNew World by Columbus. Mesoamerican isgeneral adjectivereferthat groupPre-Columbian cultures.
Some common shared Mesoamerican traits include intensive agriculture based heavily on maize corn; worship ofsetdeities includingrain god,sun god,feathered-serpent god (Quetzalcoatl);Vigesimal numbering system;use of260 day ritual calendaraddition tosolar year calendar;constructiontemples elevated atop stepped pyramids;ritual ball-game;various other artisticcultural conventions.
Mesoamerican civilizations includedOlmec, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, Huastec, Tarascan, Teotihuacan, Totonac, Toltec, andAztec.
In some writings from1920s1930salternative term Middle America has been usedreferMesoamerica, but that has generally fallen outfavor.
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