Mesoamerican Postclassic period

The Mesoamerican Postclassic period was the last period of independent development of Mesoamerican civilization. It approximately refers to the last six centuries preceding Spanish colonization; that is, 900 to 1521 CE. It is characterized by urbanization and commercial activity, and is generally subdivided into the early postclassic (900-1200 CE) and the late postclassic (1200-1521 CE).

It culminated with the abandonment of the large cities or "metropoli", like Monte Albán in Oaxaca and the Maya cities of the highlands. Northern Mesoamerica was plagued by ecological disaster caused by prolonged draughts, leading the abandonment of the region. In light of these events, migrations were a phenomenon that marked the beginning of the Postclassic period, occurring between the eighth and tenth centuries.

The end of the Postclassic coincided with the arrival of the Spaniards in the second decade of the sixteenth century. Spanish colonization caused a process of transculturation that remodeled the indigenous cultures of the region and gave rise to the mestizo culture of Mexico and Central America.

In the past, the Postclassic was often presented as a period dominated by warlike states, in contrast to the pacifist states of the Classic. New interpretations of archeological evidence from various Classic civilizations, namely Teotihuaca and Maya, show that war was also an important activity within these societies. Maya society, which was thought of as a nation governed by priests engaged in intellectual pursuits, most likely also engaged in warlike activities.

The Postclassic was the era which gave rise to societies like the Mexica and Toltec in Central Mesoamerica, the Mixtec in Oaxaca, the Tarasca culture in the West, the Huastec in the plains of the Gulf of Mexico, and the Maya in the Yucatán Peninsula.