The
American continent had evolved its own
cultures and powerful empires prior to the arrival of the Spaniards in 1492.
Europeans, represented by the wealthy, dominant monarchies as well as the
humble colonists, destroyed, destabilized, and transformed the peoples of the
Americas and their cultures. The nomadic tribal cultures of the great plains
are not as well documented because of the perishable nature of their goods.
However,
many of the material cultures of Mexico, Guatemala, and the Central Andes have
survived, leaving spectacular ruins and artifacts.
Mesoamerica,
or Middle America, is the term recognized by geographers and archaeologists to
describe the vast territory' extending from central Mexico to the western
regions of Honduras and El Salvador. The highly developed civilizations of
these areas share a common heritage, evolved from what is regarded as the
"mother culture" of the Americas, the Olmec civilization, which
existed between 1700 and 400bc. The development of agriculture in Mesoamerica
led to the formation of simple village communities, which, in the course of
time, became increasingly complex. Their development culminated in the
appearance of the so-called "high culture" of the Olmecs, who
occupied a territory along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. Artists and
craftsmen found aesthetic expression in the creation of works that often served
as offerings to their deities, providing a means of placating the gods and
exorcizing the difficulties of everyday life through worship.
