Mesoamerican Warfare: The History of War in the Region from the Olmec to the Aztec

By: Charles River Editors

Narrated by: Colin Fluxman

Throughout history, warfare has played an important role in the development of many cultures around the world, and Mesoamerica is no exception. As J.M. Francis and T.M. Leonard noted, “The history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica was one of violence, though no more so than that of any other region of the ancient world. It was a universe of shifting alliances and mutual antagonisms, in which increasingly strong political entities forged themselves and then broke apart".

Of course, the history of warfare in Mesoamerica is a long one, tracing its origins back to the Preclassic period with the Olmecs, who were the first group to expand their influence. There is clear evidence they had a military development, but it seems to have been mainly focused on protecting their trade networks instead of on conquest. After the Olmecs, Teotihuacan rose as the first main center of military expansion during the Classic period, extending its influence across Mesoamerican territory. After its collapse, the vacuum of power created an unstable period, and new expanding polities emerged, including Cacaxtla, Xochicalco, and Tula. They became important regional centers that took control of most of central Mesoamerica through the use of military interventions. After their decline, during the Postclassic period, the Aztecs eventually emerged as the dominant empire in Mesoamerica and continued expanding their control and influence until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.

Perhaps not surprisingly, there are many misconceptions about Prehispanic warfare, so it is important to keep in mind that military conflicts in Mesoamerica were greatly diverse and cannot be summarized by simply analyzing Aztec militarism. Mesoamerica encompasses a vast cultural area including Central and Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and El Salvador, and Prehispanic societies developed over thousands of years before coming into contact with Spanish conquistadores in the early 16th century. Mesoamerican civilizations flourished, developing complex social, political, and economic systems that naturally affected their ways of life. In the same vein, weapons, armor, strategies, tactics, and motives for war varied between cultures and time periods, and for many years, scholars believed that Mesoamerican societies, with the exception of the Aztecs, were mostly peaceful. The only evidence of violence came from ritual sacrifices that were justified under their religious practices. However, research carried out over the last few decades has radically changed this concept as an increasing number of sites across what used to be the Mesoamerican territory have provided evidence of war and violence.

In fact, warfare played an essential role in the formation of Mesoamerica as a cultural area. While peaceful contact between polities allowed the transmission of ideas, technologies, and beliefs, the process was slow. Military interventions accelerated the process and increased the wealth, power, and prestige of the victors, ensuring that the pattern of cultural diffusion and integration throughout Mesoamerica was directly linked to its military history.

©2022 Charles River Editors (P)2022 Charles River Editors