Warfare has greatly shaped the cultures and histories of much of the world, and
Mesoamerica is no exception. From the beginnings of the Olmec in Mexico to the
historic Aztecs, warfare was
always a factor. Techniques and cultures spread rapidly, especially simple
ones, and conflict arises when one culture is pressed upon another. Early
Middle Americans were hunter/gatherers grouped in extended families who
practiced mutual assistance and exchange with other families. Reasons for war
may have been encroachment on one family's land and was probably carried out
with occasional raids on other families.
Following the Olmec decline around 400 B.C., there
were no dominant power for almost 500 years, but one area with early
fortifications were the Maya lowlands,
which were populated as early as 1000 B.C. Here, conflict over resources in
these parts gave rise to hit and run raids that provided the need for permanent
fortifications. Teotihuacan
emerged as the first great empire in Mesoamerica, dominating the area in and
around the Valley of Mexico, including Mayan territory. The Teotihuacan did not
build sophisticated roads between cities, instead, they relied on
existing dirt roads, therefore
hampering the movement of its army when it was on the attack. Teotihuacan grew
to about 60,000 inhabitants giving it a potential army of about 7,500 men.
Roads played an important part in the waging of
warfare. The Mayan road systems offered hard, flat surfaces permitting armies
to march in wide columns. This allowed them to march day or night and even in
the rain, since there roads let water run off.
Archaeological work in areas of Late Post classic Mesoamerican times makes clear that warfare had a major impact throughout Mesoamerica, even on societies not at war. For instance, arms and armor of this period depended on access to trading of raw materials taken from the land. Goods, such as obsidian, were used for blades, oak for swords, reeds for arrows and cotton for armor. Popular weapons used were the spear, bow and arrow, the atlatl and slingshots. War not only affected political boundaries, but also local industry and economical systems which were needed to produce weapons of war, and also support their local armies.
Price, Barbara J. Mesoamerica, The Evolution of a Civilization. Random
House, New York. 1967.
Hassig, Ross. War and Society in Ancient Mesoamerica. University of California Press, Los Angeles. 1992.